Have you ever faced a sudden obstruction in accessing your friends along with the chats while running Steam? Is not it a matter to be cheesed off?
If you need to deal with this off and on, no worries. I am here to help you out.
As a tech geek, I did a lot of study on it and came up with several ideas. I believe the solutions will be pretty detailed but precise for you to follow and perform accordingly. So, without wasting time, let’s get the ball rolling.
Keep reading till the last. Please, do not skip anything so that you can vanish all the subtler doubts that come to your mind.
Let’s get started.
Why does Friends Network Unreachable Error Occur?
You all know, Steam is a trendy global platform to get connected with other players and friends. It is the ultimate digital distribution service for video games where you have the option to play, discuss or create games. Over 30,000 games are under your instant access. To take your gaming experience to the next level, it is inevitable to meet new people, join new groups and chat with members.
However, sometimes you may receive an error message Friends Network Unreachable. There are diverse aspects of this error, and lots of matters may trigger this. So, before proceeding further, I want to put some light on its reasons, what it actually means, and how you can settle it down.
What is Friends Network Unreachable error?
The Friends Network Unreachable error on Steam will prevent you from accessing your friends’ list and communicating with them. In the message, you will get another note that says, This failure may indicate that your local network is offline or that the Steam Friends servers are currently offline. Fortunately, this sort of error is quite common on Steam and easily fixable.
By the way, there are lots of points that actively roll behind this error happen. Despite that, I can state some significant ones like- unstable or poor internet connection, any nuanced change in Steam properties, problems with Steam Friends servers, any glitch in Steam due to using the Steam beta version, corrupted cache files, etc. are most accountable.
Also, check out our separate post on how to add a new Steam Library Folder.
How to Fix Friends Network Unreachable Error on Steam?
When you log in to Steam, it tries to connect friends’ networks but fails. Then, you receive the error message as I mentioned above. After analyzing the entire issue coupled with the reasons, I am now in a position to summarize some top-tier solutions.
If you do not know how to fix the Friends Network Unreachable Steam error, just try the following solutions one by one.
Here are the methods to fix Friends Network Unreachable error on Steam:
1. Restart your System and the Steam
Whenever any problem occurs to your technological gadgets, regardless of the type of error, users believe and love to restart their system right away. Interestingly, they can manage to solve the issue with just a simple reboot.
I will prescribe the same thing in the case of software as well. So, if you struggle with the Friends Network unreachable error, close the Steam app and relaunch it. In case the error remains, restart your computer as a prompt retort. I Hope, things will be fine.
2. Check your Internet Connection
A stable internet connection is a prerequisite to running Steam smoothly. Sometimes, users cannot understand the ups and downs of network signals, but it implicitly affects the software and causes malfunction.
Not always will the internet be the culprit of this error; nevertheless, there are cases reported that the error occurred owing to a poor internet connection.
So, check the signal strength. If you find anything crucial, contact your local service provider for further instructions.
Also check our exclusive tutorial on how to stream Origin games over Steam.
Any browser stores certain files and data for a quick loading next time. Sometimes, the browser cannot differentiate between genuine files and corrupted files or data, and thus, it saves all of them. As a result, the files or cookies saved in the browser cache memory initiate different types of errors.
Here are the steps to delete cookies in the Steam web browser:
- Open Steam and sign in to your account.
- Tap on Steam at the top-left. A dropdown menu will appear.
- Choose Settings from the dropdown.
- Select Web Browser from the left pane.
- Tap on DELETE WEB BROWSER CACHE and DELETE ALL BROWSER COOKIES on the right of the Steam window.
- Click on OK when you are done.
- Close the Steam app, and relaunch it.
Now, check if the Friends Network unreachable error still persists.
Check out the easiest way to access the Steam screenshot folder and Change its location.
4. Change Steam Properties
If any of the previous methods do not work that way, give changing the Steam properties a shot. This hack worked for several users; therefore, I recommend you consider it though there is no such official response from Steam regarding this.
Here are the steps to change Steam properties:
- Locate the Steam shortcut on your desktop.
- Right-click on it.
- Choose Properties from the dropdown. A window Steam Properties will open.
- Navigate to the Shortcut
- Add -nofriendsui to the Target Just add, please, do not delete anything.
- Click on Apply, and then OK to save changes.
If this does not work, you can add another code -nofriendsui -nochatui to the Target field.
5. Opt-out of the Beta Mode
As the beta versions of any software are mostly for testing purposes, using Steam beta may cause you to suffer from errors, bugs, and glitches. So, exit the beta program.
Here are the steps to opt-out of the beta version of Steam:
- Open the Steam
- Click on Steam at the top-left.
- Go to Settings from the dropdown.
- Tap on Account from the left pane.
- Locate the Beta participation section, and click on the Change
- Click on None-Opt out of all beta programs.
- Click on OK and relaunch the app.
Now, check if you can access your friends on Steam.
6. Update the Network Adapter Driver
Oftentimes, it happens when your network adapter drivers get outdated, and consequently, the internet connection suffers. Thus, users face this sort of error on Steam. So, it is better to stay updated with the network adapters.
Here are the steps to update the network adapter driver:
- Go to the Start
- Type Device Manager in the search bar, and click on it from the suggestions.
- Locate the Network adapters from the list.
- Tap on its left to expand the drivers.
- Right-click on it, and click on Update driver.
- Tap on Search automatically for drivers.
Now, wait until the process finishes. The Windows will automatically search and install the necessary drivers for your system.
7. Change the Public DNS Server Address
If nothing I mentioned above works, the last resort for you is to change the DNS server address.
Here are the steps to change the public DNS server address:
- Open the Control Panel.
- Choose Network and Internet.
- Tap on Network and Sharing Center.
- Click on Change Adapter Settings from the left pane.
- Right-click on the Ethernet A dropdown will show up.
- Choose Properties from the dropdown.
- Make sure the box next to Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP /IPv4) is checked.
- Click on Properties at the right-bottom of the prompt.
- Check the box Use the following DNS server address.
- Set the Preferred and Alternate DNS server values to 1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1, respectively.
- Click OK to save changes.
Restart your computer and check if the situation improves.
Check out the easiest way to fix Origin won’t go online error.
Conclusion
After trying these methods, I believe there will be no fence between you and your friends. Access your friends on Steam, chat and play with them, and enjoy. And, if you have any better method to handle the error, please let me know.
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Happy Steaming!
