Windows stops at Let's connect you to a network when wireless is off, the router is stale, the network name is hidden, the Wi-Fi driver is missing, or setup needs a live connection before it continues. Current Windows Home and Pro setup requires internet, so the fix is to get the PC online through Wi-Fi, Ethernet, hotspot, cellular, or a driver load. Work through the checks below in order, starting with the setup screen and ending with reinstall media only when setup itself is broken.
Connect from the setup screen first
Choose your Wi-Fi network on the Let's connect you to a network screen.
Select Connect.
Type the Wi-Fi password carefully.
Select Next to continue Windows setup.
When your network is missing, try another trusted listed network, the other Wi-Fi band, or a phone hotspot before treating Windows setup as the problem.
Check the wireless basics
Some laptops include a physical Wi-Fi switch or a wireless function-key control. Turn Wi-Fi on from that switch or key first; an indicator light usually shows when wireless is enabled.
Move the PC closer to the router or access point, then try the network again from the Let's connect you to a network list. Five full signal bars mean the strongest signal.
If the router shows separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz names, choose the other band from the setup screen, select Connect, enter the network password, and continue.
When the expected network does not appear, open the router admin app or web interface and enable SSID or network-name broadcast, then return to Windows setup.
Restart the modem and router
Use this when the Wi-Fi network appears but connection fails, or when other devices also have trouble getting online. A stale modem or router connection blocks Windows setup from moving past the network page.
Unplug the Wi-Fi router power cable.
Unplug the modem power cable.
Remove the modem backup battery if the lights stay on.
Wait at least 10 seconds.
Reconnect the modem and wait for its lights to stop blinking.
Reconnect the router.
Wait a few minutes, then try the Windows setup network list again.
Use Ethernet for a simpler connection
Ethernet fixes setup stalls caused by weak Wi-Fi, wrong Wi-Fi bands, or unreliable wireless discovery.
Plug an Ethernet cable into the PC's Ethernet port.
Connect the other end to a LAN or Ethernet port on the router.
Keep the cable out of the router's Internet or WAN port.
If the PC has no Ethernet port, connect a USB-to-Ethernet adapter.
Return to Windows setup and continue once the wired connection is detected.
Share internet from a phone or PC
On Android, swipe down from the top of the screen.
Tap Hotspot.
If Hotspot is missing, tap Edit and drag Hotspot into Quick Settings.
On iPhone or iPad, open Settings.
Tap Personal Hotspot or Cellular > Personal Hotspot.
Turn on Allow Others to Join and stay on that screen.
On another Windows 11 PC with internet, open Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot.
Choose the connection to share under Share my internet connection from.
Choose Wi-Fi or Bluetooth under Share over.
Turn on Mobile hotspot.
On the stuck PC, select the hotspot name from the Windows setup Wi-Fi list, enter the hotspot password, and select Connect.
Carrier hotspot limits or charges apply, and USB tethering during fresh setup needs the required USB tethering driver already available.
Install missing Wi-Fi drivers during setup
If no Wi-Fi networks appear because Windows lacks the adapter driver, load the driver during setup.
- 1.On another device, download the Wi-Fi adapter driver from the PC or adapter manufacturer.
- 2.Unzip the driver and copy the extracted .inf file to the root of a USB flash drive.
- 3.On the stuck PC, select Install Drivers on the Windows setup network page and install the driver from the USB drive.
- 4.If that button is not available, press Shift + F10, run diskpart, then run list volume to find the USB drive letter.
- 5.Return to Command Prompt, run pnputil /add-driver D:\*.inf using the correct USB drive letter, then run pnputil /scan-devices.
- 6.Retry the setup network list and connect once your Wi-Fi adapter appears.
Create or use the Microsoft account elsewhere
Use this when the PC is already online but setup fails while creating or signing in to a Microsoft account. At that point, the network page is no longer the real problem.
On another phone or computer, go to Microsoft's account creation page.
Select Create free account.
If account creation fails on the new PC, create the account with another sign-up method or on another device.
Use that Microsoft account on the Windows setup screen.
You can also sign in during setup with an existing Microsoft account.
After setup, switch or add accounts from Settings > Accounts > Your info, then use Sign in with a Microsoft account instead or Sign in with a local account instead when the option appears.
Repair networking after reaching the desktop
After setup, open the Get Help app and run the automated Network and Internet troubleshooter. It runs diagnostics and attempts to fix most network problems automatically.
Use the taskbar Network, Sound, or Battery icons to confirm Wi-Fi is on and connect to your network. Also open Settings > Network & Internet > Airplane mode and turn airplane mode off.
If the PC saved a bad Wi-Fi profile, open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, select the network, choose Forget, then reconnect with the correct password.
For deeper adapter problems, open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset, select Reset now, then select Yes. This removes and reinstalls network adapters and resets network settings.
Avoid outdated bypasses and rebuild broken media
Skip OOBE\BYPASSNRO and local-account URI workarounds such as start ms-cxh:localonly.
Treat those commands as outdated setup tricks, because current Windows Home and Pro setup requires internet and Microsoft has announced removal of the bypassnro script from newer Windows 11 builds.
For a work, school, or custom-deployed PC, contact the IT admin instead of changing setup policy yourself.
If setup still fails after connectivity and drivers are handled, use a working PC to open Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page.
Under Create Windows 11 Installation Media, select Download Now.
Run MediaCreationTool.exe.
Choose Create installation media for another PC.
Select the language, edition, and architecture.
Choose USB flash drive or ISO file.
Boot the stuck PC from the USB drive or DVD and reinstall Windows 11.
Use fresh x64 installation media for this path; Microsoft's Media Creation Tool does not create Arm-based installation media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Windows stuck on Let's connect you to a network?
Windows gets stuck there when Wi-Fi is disabled, the signal is weak, the router or modem needs a restart, the network name is hidden, the Wi-Fi driver is missing, or setup still needs internet before it can continue.
Can I skip Let's connect you to a network in Windows 11?
Current Windows Home and Pro setup requires internet. Use Wi-Fi, Ethernet, a hotspot, cellular, or a driver load instead of relying on older bypass commands.
What should I do if no Wi-Fi networks appear during Windows setup?
Turn on any laptop wireless switch, move closer to the router, confirm the router broadcasts its SSID, then load the Wi-Fi adapter driver with Install Drivers or pnputil from a USB drive.
Will a phone hotspot work for Windows setup?
A phone hotspot works when the PC Wi-Fi adapter is detected. Turn on Android Hotspot or iPhone Personal Hotspot, then connect to it from the Windows setup network list.