Question "Can't connect to this network", stops working for no reason

[Baranovich]

Hello community,

So I'm at my wit's end with this. I have a gaming PC that has connected to wifi with no problem for about a year and a half.

All of a sudden, starting a couple months back, I've had three episodes where no matter how many times I try to enter the SSID password, it says "Can't connect to this network."

I'm using a pretty new USB wifi dongle. The router is an Xfinity, a new one that was installed just a couple months ago. it is downstairs on my wife's computer desk right next to her computer. My gaming PC is upstairs. We both connect to the same network, which we set up a couple routers ago and have just carried the same credentials forward to the newer router.

Like I said, the wifi worked perfectly for about a year and a half. Nothing has been moved or changed in the house, there's nothing new that would block the signal, etc. The password is 100% correct.

My wife's PC connects flawlessly. But my gaming PC decides it simply won't connect.

It came back a few days ago and just went out again today. I have gone through every troubleshooting checklist that exists online: I've restarted the router/PC, I've uninstalled and reinstalled the network adapter, updated and rolled back drivers, checked to see if network services are all running, tried to use a manual DNS vs. an automatic DNS, disabled an reenabled the network adapter, did the whole list of commands to do the ipconfig resets, dns flush, winsock reset, network reset, etc. I made sure power settings were set to maximum performance so that the system couldn't turn off wifi by itself. I tried to have it forget the network and remember it again to do a fresh login.

I am absolutely out of my mind with this. My wife's PC is older and the wifi connects instantly. I have a newer, more powerful PC and the wifi simply decides not to connect.

Another piece of info is that this happens when the PC is shut down and then restarted again. I never have any loss or signal or loss of strength. I doesn't disconnect while it's on and I'm using it. Something happens when it's shut down that somehow disconnects the wifi and requires entering the password all over again. That's when it rejects it.

Could this have something to do with like the IP or the channel it's set to or something? If that's the case, why would the wifi work for weeks or months and suddenly just stop allowing a connection to a particular network? I'm in the U.S. so I have it set to the #1 (1-11) for the United States. It's a 2.4Ghz connection and I believe the router is the same. Could it be that the modem also has 5Ghz capability and somehow that's messing with the fact that it's a 2.4Ghz connection? Maybe I'm not phrasing that correctly but you see what I mean.

This feels more like an authentication thing to me. However, it doesn't ever say, "the password is incorrect", just "can't connect to this network." So I think it's recognizing that the password is right, but it can't get past the verification phase.

Because what will happen is, it will refuse to connect for about six or eight hours, and then suddenly out of nowhere, when you try the login, it verifies and connects like nothing was ever wrong! And it's impossible to know if any of the troubleshooting fixes is what actually fixed it, because I've tried to log in after trying them at other times and my system just totally ignores it.

It seems to come back when it wants to "magically." And I can't find any reason for it.

 

[Baranovich]

P.S. A couple bits of additional info I forgot to mention. My gaming PC has no problem finding available networks. It always lists the network that my wife and I both use and can detect it and show the signal strength. So the network adapter is working fine. The network is there every time I boot up, it just won't let me connect to it.

Also, this problem has seemed to happen any time that a Windows update has either just finished OR in once case when one was stuck in limbo and couldn't finish installing. I don't know if the updates are causing it, but each time the windows updates were completed is when the wifi seemed to be able to connect again. But I can't prove that was the reason.

 

[JohnMGotts]

Windows is notorious for wifi issues after updates.
Is your wife’s running the same release?
Can you try yours at her location?

 

[Ralston18]

This:

"We both connect to the same network, which we set up a couple routers ago and have just carried the same credentials forward to the newer router. " [My underline.]

A couple of routers?

That and a combination of wired and wireless devices can be quite problematic. Especially if some network devices have both the wired and the wireless network adapter enabled at the same time.

Run "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt. Use copy and paste to post the results.

Do that for both the Gaming PC and your wife's PC. Be sure to identify each device but redact any personally revealing information.

= = = =

Home networks rarely require multiple routers.

Make and model information for modem and router(s)?

Can you provide some sort of sketch or diagram showing the network's connections?

There could be a network loop. Or duplicate IP addresses.

 

[Baranovich]

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.

I was using the wrong terminology, my apologies. I meant to say "modems" when I was saying "routers."

My wife and I are both using ONE modem, which is on her desk by her PC. My gaming PC is upstairs, maybe 10 or 15 feet away (vertically through the ceiling), or about 30 feet away total going down the hallway and up around the stairs.

It's ONE internet account and ONE wifi signal coming from the central modem. Both of our PCs are utitilizing USB wifi dongles.

We have NO routers.

We also tested our cell phones, which we use a different carrier for (ATT, while our cable and internet are Xfinity). Both phones can connect to the Xfinity wifi no problem.

 

[Baranovich]

Hope this update helps.

As of last night, I moved all of our equipment around.

I brought the Xfinity modem upstairs so that I could use it with my gaming PC as a wired ethernet connection instead of wifi. It connected with the ethernet cable instantly, no problem whatsoever. And as of this morning, my wife's wifi is connecting no problem.

***Now here's the most interesting thing. With the modem upstairs, my gaming PC WILL suddenly connect to the wifi now! But the thing is, if there was any distance interference with the connection because it was downstairs before, you would THINK that my wife's PC would have the same issue now that the situation is reversed. But her's still connects no problem.

So I think I've narrowed it down to that it's definitely a problem with ONLY MY PCs wifi connection. Perhaps the USB dongle went bad? I tried multiple different USB ports but it didn't make a difference.

As far as the network adapter, I did some tests on that and as far as I can tell the device is working properly. Driver is current, etc.

So at this point I'm still inclined to think it was something im a windows update. Or something about my particular motherboard that has difficulty connecting.

But otherwise my gaming PC is running perfectly, no performance red flags of any kind. And the wifi problem kept happening even after a fresh install of Windows 10.

So who knows!

 

[Baranovich]

This:

"We both connect to the same network, which we set up a couple routers ago and have just carried the same credentials forward to the newer router. " [My underline.]

A couple of routers?

That and a combination of wired and wireless devices can be quite problematic. Especially if some network devices have both the wired and the wireless network adapter enabled at the same time.

Run "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt. Use copy and paste to post the results.

Do that for both the Gaming PC and your wife's PC. Be sure to identify each device but redact any personally revealing information.

= = = =

Home networks rarely require multiple routers.

Make and model information for modem and router(s)?

Can you provide some sort of sketch or diagram showing the network's connections?

There could be a network loop. Or duplicate IP addresses.

Meant to say "modems" not routers, sorry about the confusion.

We simply carried forward the same network name and password for the last few modem upgrades, that's all. We've now had three modem upgrades all using the same credentials.

But it's one internet account, one central modem, one wifi signal that both our PCs were connecting to with USB wifi dongles.

This same account has a land line phone connected to it, and our cable box out in the living room (but that also has its own cable box.)

There is an Xbox One connected to the internet as well, again same Xfinity account.

Only our cell phones are on a different account, ATT.

 

[Ralston18]

If those modems are actually modem/routers (combos) you still have multiple routers.

Unless you know that all but one of the routers has DHCP disabled.

Normal network connections are straight forward (line diagram) where -----> represents an Etheret cable.

ISP === (DSL, Coax, fiber) === > Modem ----->[WAN port] Router [LAN port(s)] ----> to wired devices and ~~~~ > to wireless devices.

Again, modem and router may be combined.

Feel free to edit and connect my line diagram.

And you need to ensure that the connected PC 's are indeed using only one enabled network adapter be it wired or wireless.

One problem could be the wireless USB dongles. Try using a USB extension cable to raise the dongle up and away from the PC.

Before booting the PC also feel the USB wireless dongle. Later, if and once connected, carefully feel the dongle. They can get very hot and that can well be a sign of failure. (Moving the dongle away f rom the PC may also keep them cooler.

And do post the results of "ipconfig /all". The output can be very helpful in identifying some misconfiguration or other issue. Compare your computer's "ipconfig /all" with the "ipconfig /all" from your wife's computer. There will be some differences and those are expected. Look for something that should not be different.

Also, what may prove helpful is to disable IPv6. IPv6 tends to be commonly problematic.