What to do with the error "Cannot connect to this network"

We often encounter this annoying error when the OS, network equipment and drivers fail. There can be many reasons for problems, and in order not to immediately dig into the jungle in search of errors, it is better to go from simple to complex. Try the tips below one by one. If one doesn't help, move on to the next.

1. Reboot devices

A simple, hackneyed recommendation, which nevertheless cannot be ignored: very often it really helps.

Reboot the router by selecting the appropriate function in the web interface, or turn off the power of the device for 15-20 seconds, and then turn it back on. While you wait, at the same time, restart your computer by going to the Start menu and clicking Shut down → Restart.

2. Try to reconnect to the network

Before moving on to more complex methods, you should first make sure that the problem is not caused by a banal connection failure.

To check, click on the notification area and activate "Airplane Mode". Wait a few seconds and then disconnect and try to connect to the network again.

Another option is to disable and enable the module WiFi. If your computer has a special button for this, use it. If not, proceed as follows.

Press Win + R on your keyboard, paste in the "Run" box ncpa.cpl and click OK.

Right-click on the network connection icon and select "Disable" and then "Enable".

3. Check password

Sometimes the problem occurs when you enter the wrong password. A message about this may be displayed, or the more general “Cannot connect to this network” may be displayed.

In this case, make sure that the password is indeed correct and that you are using the correct layout. keyboards and connect to your network. It is easy to make a mistake with the latter: the standard names of access points have random characters in combination with the name of the router, they can easily be confused.

4. Set up the network again

If the problem occurs when connecting to an already known network, removing it and reconfiguring it can help.

To do this, open Settings from the Start menu and then go to Network and Internet → Wi-Fi. In the list of available options, highlight the one you need and select the "Forget" action. After that, reconnect, enter the password and save it.

5. Disable "Random Hardware Addresses"

Windows has a special option "Random hardware addresses" that hides the real MAC address and makes it harder to track on the Web, increasing your security. If MAC address filtering is enabled on the router, then there may be connection problems due to this.

As a solution, try opening "Settings" in the Start menu, go to the Wi-Fi section and turn off the "Use random hardware addresses" toggle switch.

6. Disable IPv6

A similar situation can sometimes be due to the use of the IPv6 protocol. To fix the error, try disabling it in the wireless adapter settings.

To do this, use the Win + R key combination to call the Run menu, paste the command into it ncpa.cpl and click OK.

When the list of network connections opens, right-click on the one you need (usually called "Wireless Network") and select "Properties".

Uncheck "IP version 6 (TCP/IPv6)" and click OK.

7. Reinstall network adapter driver

If all else fails, as a last resort, try reinstalling your wireless adapter driver or rolling it back. Quite often this helps.

Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager.

Find the "Network adapters" section, expand it and double-click on the wireless adapter (usually the name contains the word Wireless).

Switch to the Driver tab and click the Roll Back button if it is active. If not, click "Delete" and confirm the action.

Reboot your computer through the menu "Shutdown" → "Restart". After starting the system, wait until the new driver is installed. Keep in mind that in rare cases, Windows may not find a suitable driver, in which case you will have to download it yourself from the manufacturer's website.

Artyom Kozoriz