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Knowledge document #509

Wireless device cannot connect to the FRITZ!Box

Your smartphone or another wireless device can't connect to the FRITZ!Box via Wi-Fi? ✔ Here's what to do.

A wireless device cannot connect to the FRITZ!Box. One of the following error messages may be displayed by the wireless device:

  • "Error during authentication"
  • "Unable to connect to this network"
  • "Connection failed"

If the wireless device does not display the name of the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network (SSID) when it searches for Wi-Fi networks, proceed as described in the guide FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network cannot be found.

Simply proceed as described below. After each measure, check whether the problem is solved.

Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.

1 Checking Wi-Fi access information

  1. Make sure that the correct Wi-Fi access information was used to configure the Wi-Fi connection to the FRITZ!Box.

2 Optimizing the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi settings

Perform the following steps on a different device connected to the FRITZ!Box:

Important:If you cannot access the FRITZ!Box with any device, proceed as described in the guide FRITZ!Box user interface cannot be opened.

Disabling the MAC address filter

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Security" in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. Click "Restrict Access to Wi-Fi".
  4. Enable the option "Allow all new wireless devices".
  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

Enabling the WPS function

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Security" in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. Click on the "WPS Quick Connection" tab.
  4. Enable the option "Push-button method enabled".
  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

Unlocking the buttons

  1. Click "System" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Buttons and LEDs" in the "System" menu.
  3. Click on the "Keylock" tab.
  4. Disable the "Buttons locked" checkbox.
  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

Adjusting the name of the Wi-Fi network (SSID)

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Wi-Fi Network" ("Radio Network") in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. Click "More Information on the Wi-Fi Network" and disable the option "Hide name of the Wi-Fi network". This way, all wireless devices can connect to the FRITZ!Box and the FRITZ!Box can optimally control your wireless devices in the Mesh ("Mesh Wi-Fi Steering").
  4. If you changed the name of the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network (SSID), remove all special characters from the Wi-Fi network name. Since some wireless devices do not support all of the special characters allowed by the FRITZ!Box, only use letters (but not special characters such as ä, ë, ö, ü, á, é, í), numbers, and spaces.
  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

3 Updating FRITZ!OS and Wi-Fi software

Updates contain improvements, bug fixes, and new functions. Therefore, install the latest FRITZ!OS and software versions on all FRITZ! products and wireless devices:

Installing the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box

  1. Install the latest FRITZ!OS on the FRITZ!Box.

Installing the latest software for the wireless device

  1. Install the latest software version for the wireless device (for example Android, iOS) or the latest driver for the computer's wireless network adapter (for example from the Intel Download Center).

    Note:Refer to the device's manufacturer for information on how to update, for example consult the manual.

4 The FRITZ!Box does not support Wireless 802.11b

The FRITZ!Box does not support the wireless standard 802.11b. 802.11b was standardized in 1999 and does not support modern security functions. Devices such as Fitbit Aria wireless scales that only support the obsolete standard 802.11b can therefore not be used together with modern Wi-Fi 6 routers, which means that they cannot establish a Wi-Fi connection to the FRITZ!Box.

5 Adjusting FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi security settings

If the wireless device still does not connect to the FRITZ!Box, it does not support the modern security functions used by the FRITZ!Box. The security settings are already optimized for older wireless devices in the factory settings. If you changed the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi settings, configure the following settings:

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Security" in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. Enable the option "Optimize the security settings for Wi-Fi access for increased compatibility with older wireless devices".

    ATTENTION!This option enables WPA2 encryption and disables the security feature PMF for the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. 

  4. Click "Apply" to save the settings.



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