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Sometimes Windows 11 will show you a “Limited Access” warning on your network connection, either out of the blue or after you’ve made a change to your network settings. When the error occurs, your PC can no longer access the Internet or other network resources even though it is connected to the router.
Fortunately, you can fix the problem yourself. We will show you the most common fixes to get rid of the restricted access issue.
Table of Contents
1. Check your ISP’s data plan
Even if Windows displays the Restricted Access message when connecting to the WiFi, chances are you’re not having any system or connection issues.
Depending on your ISP (or Internet Service Provider), you may have limited or unlimited data. If you have a data cap and you exceed it, your Wi-Fi network may show limited access as soon as you connect to it.
You can check how much data you have used through Windows settings. Press victory + me to enter the settings menu. Go to Network & Internet > Advanced network settings > Data usage. Check your data usage there and compare it to your data limit.
2. Turn off the metered connection function
If you’ve set up a metered connection to ensure you don’t exceed your data cap, the WiFi will show restricted access when you’ve reached the limit. If you no longer need Windows to keep track of your data usage, consider disabling metered connection.
- Right click on the begin button and go to Ideas.
- Select in the right pane Network & Internet > WiFi.
- Select the network you are connected to.
- Turn off Measured connection Possibility.
If you’ve exceeded the limit, you may need to upgrade to a better ISP plan or control how much data you’re using in Windows. However, if you are nowhere near the upper limit, it means the problem is isolated to your computer.
3. Reconnect to the network
Sometimes reconnecting your computer is enough to fix the restricted access issue. Open the Action Center and disconnect from the Wi-Fi network. Wait a moment and reconnect to the network.
Likewise, you can enable and disable Airplane mode on Windows 11 as it disables all wireless functionality on your computer.
4. Reboot your router
If every device connected to the same network has restricted access, you should restart the router. However, simply turning it off and on again might not be enough. For the best results, you should reboot the router the right way.
5. Run the network troubleshooter
Whenever you encounter a problem on your system, you should give Windows a chance to fix the problem for you. Windows has many troubleshooting tools you can use to keep your computer running smoothly, including a network troubleshooter. Here’s how you can use it:
- Right click on the begin press and select Ideas.
- Go to System > Troubleshooting.
- Choose Other bug fixes.
- press the Run button next to it network adapter.
- When the next window appears, you can choose which network adapter you want Windows to diagnose. Choose Wireless Internet access option and go through the next set of instructions.
6. Reboot the network adapter
Restarting your network adapter can resolve wireless issues, including Wi-Fi with limited access. To reboot the network adapter from Device Manager:
- Right click on the begin press and select device manager.
- expand network adapter List.
- Right-click on the wireless adapter and select it disable device.
- Wait a few seconds, right click on it again and select Activate device.
Also, you should update the WiFi driver if you are using an outdated or corrupted version. Perform the above steps again, right click on the adapter and select it update drivers. Select in the next window Install drivers automaticallyWindows will search for and install the latest available version.
If you cannot find your network adapter driver, open the view menu and click Show hidden devices. If the adapter doesn’t show up, it may be a missing network adapter in Windows.
7. Check the adapter properties
Another cause of Wi-Fi displaying the Restricted Access message can be improper adapter properties. Here’s how you can check them:
- Open device manager.
- Expand that network adapter List.
- Right-click on the wireless adapter and select it Characteristics.
- open that Progressive Tab.
- Out of Propertychoose wireless mode.
- Sentence Value To automobile.
- Click OK to save the new adapter settings.
- Restart your computer and connect to the Wi-Fi network.
Depending on the adapter manufacturer, you may not be able to set it wireless mode To automobile. In that case, look for 802.11n channel width for 2.4GHz And 802.11n channel width for 5.2GHz into the property field and set its value on automobile.
8. Prevent Windows from turning off the network adapter
Depending on your power management settings, Windows may turn off the network adapter when your computer’s battery is low. While this can keep your computer running longer, it causes the Wi-Fi network to show limited access.
Right-click on the network adapter and open the power management Tab. Disable that there Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power Possibility.
9. Reset your network
When it comes to the Wi-Fi network showing limited access, it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. If you went through the above guide but didn’t find any errors in your system settings, you should reset the network.
In this way, Windows resets the network settings to their default values and reinstalls all network adapters.
Follow these steps to reset the network:
- Press victory + me to access the Windows settings.
- Go to Network & Internet > Advanced network settings.
- Go to More settings section and click network reset.
- press the reset now Button.
Keep in mind that this will restart your computer. So save any work in progress and mark any browser tabs you may still need.
Fix Windows 11 limited WiFi access
By now you should have gained unrestricted access to your Wi-Fi network. Not being able to access the internet is a huge pain as there is not much you can do without a proper network connection. In most cases, the problem is caused by a network driver issue, so keeping them updated will save you a future headache.
After fixing the problem, you should focus on increasing your internet speed in Windows 11.
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