Recently, we came across a peculiar case related to the Netgear WiFi extender setup. The user stated that he couldn’t connect to the existing WiFi network for the extender setup process. Why he was getting “can’t connect to this network error” during installation? Let us dive deep into the case to understand.
The user’s concern was that he was facing problems coupling his Netgear extender with his newly purchased WiFi router because the range extender was not accepting the router’s network password. He did try it not once but 3 times and failed miserably. He also went for the WPS approach but nothing worked.
Now, let’s focus on what actually has happened. The connection between a Netgear range extender and the new router fails only when the user attempts to do so without performing a factory reset. It is because the range extender tries to work on settings of the previous router and this is where the problem arises. With that being said, the only effort required from the user’s end is to reset the Netgear extender to the default factory settings.
But, it is not necessary that you can’t connect to this network because of an already installed extender. There is also a possibility that you are entering the wrong password and SSID on the extender’s BASIC Home screen due to which the connection is being denied. Perhaps, you are entering the admin details of your router instead of those that belong to its WiFi network.
What to do in such a case? We’ve discussed the same in the upcoming section. However, before that, consider restarting your range extender. It will catalyze the troubleshooting process by fixing bugs and errors.
First of all, we suggest you use the correct password. Know that the SSID and network key of your newly purchased WiFi router must be entered very carefully on the mywifiext dashboard. This is because such details are case-sensitive. You cannot capitalize letters according to your wish.
In addition to that, be very sure that you are not using the administration password and username of the router. Otherwise, nothing will appear instead of the “can’t connect to this network” error message.
The connection between your WiFi devices might also fail if they are placed too close. In this scenario, their WiFi signals are most likely to get involved in a clash. Therefore, you should try reducing the bottlenecks of the networking hardware (your extender and router). But, you must not place them too far. Otherwise, the problems will increase instead of getting fixed.
Just in case you are still unable to connect your range extender to the WiFi network of your host router, you are advised to opt for a factory default reset. The process of factory resetting will make your extender run on the default settings. It means the username will become “admin”, the password will return to the value “password”, and SSID and WiFi password will run on the details mentioned on the extender’s label.
To reset your WiFi range extender to the factory default mode, all you need to do is look for the RESET button and press it with the help of a sharp object. Let us say, a paper clip or a pin. You are supposed to keep the button pressed for 20-30 seconds so that the reset process does not get executed partially. Once done, you will be all set to connect your range extender and router again. You can find the instructions for the same in the user manual of your Netgear range extender.
Once your extender gets installed, you can connect your client devices to its network to enjoy a high-speed internet connection. But, have you ever thought that the error can occur even after following the aforementioned instructions? Well, it can. To prevent that, we have mentioned some tips that will help you.
There are possibilities that your range extender and the main router are not sharing a stable Ethernet connection. It generally happens due to a damaged Ethernet cable. Now, you very well know what to do. So, grab yourself a new LAN cable and use it to join the LAN port of the router and the Internet port of your Netgear extender. In case, you still come across similar error messages, you are supposed to perform a workaround on the web browser.
All web browsers including Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge utilize cookies for a better user experience. Thus, there is a possibility that the web browser used by you has cached the version of the extender’s BASIC Home screen. To fix the problem, empty the browser’s cache via its Settings section. And if you have made it to the Settings of the web browser, why don’t you update it? Issues will occur less!
Almost 78% of users come across the “can’t connect to this network” error during the Netgear WiFi extender setup process. We’ve provided working solutions for the same in the blog. Now, our only expectation is that you will be able to set up the extender with ease using the information given above.
Tags: Can't connect to this network, mywifiext
