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I’m having trouble connecting my laptop to my home Wi-Fi network. I’ve tried restarting the router several times, but nothing seems to work. What should I try next?
Have you found yourself in a similar position before? Wi-Fi networks are becoming ubiquitous. They allow us to access the Internet from anywhere at any time. Unfortunately, they aren’t always reliable. If you’re experiencing problems connecting to your wireless network, you’ll want to troubleshoot the problem before calling tech support.
Today we’ll be looking at some things you can try to fix the connection issue on Apple, Android, and Windows devices.
Apple Devices
If the ‘you can’t connect to this network message’ is on your Apple device, there are a number of things that you can try and do.
Step
Turned On WiFi
First, make sure that the Wi-Fi is turned on.
Step
Check The Password For Your Network
Next, check the password for your network. Sometimes people forget the exact order of their Wi-Fi passwords – your issue could be as simple as a missing number!
Step
If Your Apple Device Detects An Issue With Your Wi-Fi Network
If your Apple device detects an issue with your Wi-Fi network, it might offer a recommendation underneath the Wi-Fi network. Tap the network to get more information and possibly instructions on how to fix it.
Restart your device and see if that fixes it. If not, forget the network and connect to it again.
The problem might not be with your device, but the Wi-Fi connection. Check that your cables and router are still connected to the Wi-Fi. Restart the router and see if that fixes the issue. If not, you are going to have to contact your internet provider.
Android Devices
Similar to Apple devices, the ‘can’t connect to this network message’ might be down to either the phone or the router.
Step
Turn Off Your Wi-Fi
The first thing you can try is to turn off your Wi-Fi and turn it back on again. If this doesn’t resolve the problem then forget the network entirely and wait a few minutes before connecting to it again.
Step
Still Having An Issue
Still having an issue? Restart your phone and allow it to properly reboot itself before trying to reconnect to your network.
If none of these options fix the issue, then you might want to look to the root of the problem. Try restarting your router and waiting a few minutes before connecting your device again.
Windows Devices
Windows devices are probably the most prevalent when it comes to ‘can’t connect to these network’ messages. Luckily, there are many fixes that people have found to combat this issue. They are more and the same as the issues that we have mentioned for the Apple and Android devices above.
Step
Forget This Network
The first thing to do is forget the network that you’re trying to connect to. This will remove any data associated with the network, including any issues that might be stuck to it. You can do this by clicking on the network you’re trying to connect to and pressing ‘Forget This Network.’
Step
Airplane Mode
The next option is to turn airplane mode on your device. This will disconnect all Wi-Fi and roaming data settings currently turned on. Wait a few minutes before turning this back on and see if you can connect to the network.
Step
Uninstalling The Network Adapter Driver
You can also try uninstalling the network adapter driver, which is the driver responsible for maintaining and creating a connection to a network. To do this, press ‘Windows + X’ on your keyboard and press ‘Device Manager.’
Go to ‘Network Adapters,’ right click on ‘Wireless Driver.’ Now click ‘Uninstall.’ Once it has uninstalled, reinstall the driver and see if you can connect to the network now.
Step
Flushing The DNS Cache
Flushing the DNS cache is another potential fix for removing this message from your screen. Once you have flushed the DNS, reset the IP within your system. You should be able to connect to the network now without the can’t connect to this network message popping up.
Summary
Hopefully, this guide was helpful in helping you understand what’s causing the ‘can’t connect to network’ error on your device. We’ve covered some common causes of this error and provided solutions to help you troubleshoot the issue. Hopefully, one of them works out for you!
