Steam is among the most popular and preferred gaming clients, offering exciting and latest titles. Every Windows user looking for a great gaming experience has Steam installed on the PC. However, users have reported incidents related to the inability to connect to the Steam network. The error can be frustrating as it appears out of nowhere, even when you have a fully functioning internet connection on your PC. In fact, the official Steam community discussion forum is full of issues related to Steam connection failure.
If you are also repeatedly facing the connecting issue with Steam on your PC, this post is for you! In this one, we have curated a bunch of fixes that will help you resolve the issues.
But before we begin with the fixes, let’s examine common issues that cause the “steam sign-in error” first!
What Causes the “Could not Connect to Steam Network” Error?
Usually, the internet is responsible for “unable to connect errors” on Steam. However, that is not the only reason. Several users have reported the occurrence of the issue even when the internet was working fine on their PC. Some of the known reasons that we could find after research are as follows –
- Steam Internet Protocol Compatibility
- Corrupt Steam Files/Installation
- Outdated Steam Client In Use
- Steam Server Issues
- Outdated Network Driver on PC
In either case, the “error communicating with the steam servers” will appear. Remember that the basic issues can always cause the error and can be resolved easily with a simple restart. So if you have an issue that does not seem to be on the list, give the Steam client and your PC a restart, and you will be able to fix it.
The above-listed issues can also be fixed, provided your approach is correct. What is the approach? Well, find the fixes in the next section!
Error – “Could not Connect to Steam Network” Working Fixes!
Firstly, check the following list and ensure everything is perfectly managed.
- Ensure you are using the latest version of Steam.
- There are no pending updates available for Windows. If there are, install them via System Settings→ Windows Update.
- Open your browser and check if the internet is working. Visit a bunch of websites.
- Try looking for information about the Steam server and the Steam not connecting to the internet online to check if it is a worldwide error due to downtime from Steam’s end.
After ensuring these things fall into place, quickly restart your PC and try using Steam again. If it works, good for you. However, if it does not, check the following fixes!
Fix 1 – Change the Protocol Used by Steam
Steam uses UDP protocol by default. While it is highly efficient for a seamless network, it often becomes unstable. This instability of the protocol leads to the occurrence of connection errors on Steam. Switching to the TCP protocol is the best way to handle this error.
To do so, simply rename the shortcut and add -tcp at the end of the target. Here’s how you do it –
Step 1 – Spot the Steam Launch shortcut on your desktop.
Step 2 – Right-click on it and open properties.
Step 3 – In the properties, click on the Shortcut tab. 
Step 4 – Look for the Target field and add -tcp at the end of the name.
Step 5 – Save the changes, apply them, and exit the properties.
Try launching the game, and this time it should work fine if the error is related to the protocol. However, if the error persists, do not worry; we have other fixes.
Fix 2 – Troubleshoot Your PC Network Using Command Prompt
If you have made the changes to the protocol, but the error is not resolved, you might be having connectivity issues on your PC. Sometimes, when connected to multiple networks, the PC’s internet settings get messed up. Hence, the best way to deal with this is to use network reset commands that will help you troubleshoot related issues.
Here’s what you need to do –
Step 1 – Go to the Start menu and search for Command Prompt.
Step 2 – Open the CMD as administrator for elevated privileges.
Step 3 – In the Command Prompt, use the following list of commands one after the other (Press Enter after each and let them run).
- ipconfig/release
- ipconfig/all
- ipconfig/flushdns
- ipconfig/renew
- netsh int ip set dns
- netsh winsock reset
Step 4 – After running all the commands, your PC should be restarted, and the internet should work fine. Run the client now and check if the Steam deck can’t connect to Steam servers error appears again or not/
Fix 3 – Update Network Drivers on PC
The internet connection and Winsock settings are not the only ones that you should take care of. Network Adapter drivers are equally important, if not more. You see, for every network to be established, devices are involved. Your Network Adapter is the most crucial device, and its driver is important for the OS.
Now, you have two options here: manually go to the Device Manager on your PC via the Start menu, look for Network Adapters, and get confused about which driver to update. Or you can simply use the Advanced Driver Updater, which will tell you whether the driver needs updates.
Here are the three steps that will help you update the network adapter drivers using the Advanced Driver Updater –
Step 1 – Download and install the application.
Step 2- After launching the application, click on Start Scan Now to find out the status of all the currently available drivers on your PC.
Step 3 – If the tool finds the driver on your PC, it will show you in a list. Use the Update All feature to make the most of your available drivers.
We recommend you choose the automatic driver updater tool as it is more convenient and provides better options. For instance, with the same tool, you can even create a backup of your drivers.
The best part is that the tool is highly customizable and easy to use. Other than these fixes, turn off a VPN if you use one.
Fix 4 – Uninstall & Reinstall Your Game/Steam Client
On Steam, try launching all the games to check if the issue lies in one of the games only or if the error is spread throughout the client. In case the could not connect error appears only while launching a particular game, uninstalling and reinstalling the game might help.
However, if the issue gets the hang of your Steam client, you might need to remove it completely and install it again. The easiest way is via the Apps section on your System Settings page.
Step 1 – Press Win+I on your PC to open System Settings.
Step 2 – From there, navigate to Apps using the left pane. 
Step 3 – Click on Installed Apps and find the list of applications.
Step 4 – Find Steam and use the 3 dot menu to find the uninstall option.
Step 5 – Click on the same and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process.
Later, download the latest version of Steam using the official website as it will help you better with the application’s stable and fully functioning edition.
Other than these fixes, turn off a VPN if you use one. Also, if you are facing the issue on a beta version, make sure you switch back to the official release, as it is common to face errors in beta.
After trying these regular and advanced fixes, you can use the Steam network issues. The can’t connect to Steam error is easily fixable. Try these methods and let us know which one helped you the most. Thanks for reading, good luck.
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