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6 Fixes for “Can’t Connect to This Network” Error on Windows 11

Quick Tips
  • Open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks > forget your network > go back to the Wi-Fi page and reconnect.
  • Go to System Settings > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooter > go to Network and Internet and click on Run.
  • Open the Network Connections app > right-click your connection > Properties > uncheck IPv6 > check IPv4 > Done.

Basic Fixes:

  • Restart Windows and router: Restarting your Windows 11 device will help fix issues occurring due to any temporary bugs or issues. Additionally, restarting your router will help in refreshing your Wi-Fi network. Once done, reconnect to your Wi-Fi network and check again.
  • Turn Airplane Mode on and off: Turning on Airplane Mode turns off all wireless communications on your Windows 11 device. Then, once it is disabled, all wireless connections are re-enabled. This can help fix any temporary network issues.
  • Check for Windows updates: Software issues can cause problems when connecting to Wi-Fi. In this case, an update might be available to fix it. You can manually check and install the latest Windows updates. Then, try again. 

Fix 1: Forget and Reconnect Network

If you’ve been facing issues connecting to any specific network on your Windows 11 device, forgetting and reconnecting to the network might help. This will disconnect the device and establish a fresh pairing connection, resolving any issues that might have occurred during the first pairing attempt. Here’s how.

Step 1: Use the Windows + I key to open Settings. Go to Network & internet and click on Wi-Fi.

Open Internet Settings 1

Step 2: Here, click on Manage known networks.

Open known networks

Step 3: Go to the network you wish to forget and click on Forget.

Forget Network

Step 4: Go back to the Wi-Fi page and click on Show available networks. Go to your network and click on Connect.

Reconnect to wifi

Step 5: When prompted, enter the Wi-Fi password and click on Next. Wait for Wi-Fi to connect.

Enter wifi password

Also Read: How to fix Windows 11 Wi-Fi networks not showing up

Fix 2: Flush DNS and Reset TCP/IP

TCP/IP helps establish a connection with other network devices and stores information regarding your recently visited websites as a DNS cache. However, it can also prevent a connection from being established. In this case, you can reset TCP/IP and flush the DNS cache using the below steps.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt with administrator privileges and type the below command. Press enter to execute.

netsh winsock reset
Use winsock reset command

Step 2: Now, type the following command and press enter.

netsh int ip reset
Reset Windows TCP IP

Once the command has been executed, restart your Windows 11 device and try connecting to the relevant network to check.

Fix 3: Run Network Troubleshooter

The Windows troubleshooter can scan and detect issues that might be preventing Windows from establishing a connection. Based on that, you might get a list of suggestions that can help rectify it. Here’s how to run it on your Windows 11 device.

Step 1: Open Settings and click on System. Click on Troubleshoot.

Open Windows troubleshooter

Step 2: Scroll down and click on Other troubleshooters.

Open other troubleshooter

Step 3: In front of Network and Internet, click on Run.

Run network troubleshooter

Wait for the troubleshooter to run. Once the suggestions are visible, use them and try connecting to the selected network again.

Fix 4: Disable IPv6

Your Windows device doesn’t always need IPv6 to establish a connection. And while it offers better security, there are still some connections that don’t support it. So, to fix any connection issues, manually disable IPv6 on Windows 11 and check again. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open the Network Connections app and right-click on your connection. Select Properties.

Click on Properties

Step 2: Uncheck the IPv6 box and ensure the IPv4 box is checked. Once done, click on OK.

Disable Ipv 6

Fix 5: Disable and Enable Wi-Fi Adapter

If the network adapter for the selected Wi-Fi network is not working properly on your Windows device, disabling and then re-enabling it can help fix this. Follow the below steps to do it.

Step 2: Open the Network Connections app and right-click your connection. Click on Disable.

Click on Disable

Step 2: Wait a while and right-click the connection again. Click on Enable.

Click on Enable

Wait for the connection to enable and reconnect. Then, check and see if the error message is visible or not.

Fix 6: Check for Driver Updates

Out-of-date drivers can disrupt the connection, especially if they become incompatible with your device. To ensure this does not happen, you can manually check and install updates for your network driver using the below steps.

Step 1: Open Device Manager and click on Network adapters. Right-click the Wi-Fi driver and select Update driver.

Check for driver updates

Step 2: Click on Search automatically for drivers.

Search for driver updates

If an update is available, install it and wait for Windows to finish restarting. Then, try connecting to the relevant network again to check.

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Last updated on 18 July, 2024

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