eero's connection articles point to a short list of causes. Older devices can fail to join networks with an eero 6 or eero Pro 6 because of outdated wifi drivers, and eero names certain Intel wireless adapters that support 802.11ac but misbehave with Wi-Fi 6 routers; update the driver, and if the network keeps its old name your Windows PC may need to forget the network and reconnect.
The checks in more detail
Make sure the device is not paused or blocked: a blocked device cannot join at all, even with the correct password, while a paused device joins but cannot browse. Check the password, the network name and that the guest network is not the one selected. Toggle wifi off and on so the device can re-scan, and restart the eero the device should be using. If a device connects to a far eero, check Client Steering.
For setup problems, a solid blue LED means ready for setup and flashing blue means Bluetooth pairing. If the app says it cannot connect to the internet, follow the offline steps. For gadgets that only support 2.4 GHz, check that the network offers it and keep the device close during setup. A last resort is to remove the device from the network in the app and add it again. When only one device fails and every other device joins, treat the device as the suspect: update its system software as well as the wifi driver, and try forgetting the network on it.
If a phone shows the network but cannot join, check that a private address or VPN setting on the phone is not interfering, then toggle it. Note the exact error text; it usually names the cause.
Differential
Likely causes of “eero mesh wifi will not connect one device”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
An old wifi driver
What separates it The device cannot see or join the network because its wifi driver is outdated
How to confirm Update the wifi driver on the device, and then try to join the network again
- 2
A blocked device
What separates it The join fails even with the right password because the device has been blocked in the app
How to confirm Unblock the device in the eero app, and then try to join the network again
- 3
A paused device
What separates it The device joins but cannot browse because it has been paused in the app
How to confirm Resume the device in the app, so that it can browse the internet again
- 4
Wrong network or password
What separates it The device cannot join because the network name or the password was entered incorrectly
How to confirm Check the name and the password of the network, and type them in carefully
- 5
A stale saved network
What separates it Windows will not reconnect because it holds a stale saved copy of the network
How to confirm Forget the network on the device, and then join it again from the start
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The device, its operating system and its wifi adapter
- The exact error message that the device shows when it tries to join
- Whether other devices can join the same network without trouble
- Whether the device is paused or blocked in the app
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the app
ReversibleCheck the app to confirm that the device is not paused or blocked, and unblock it if it is.
Toggle wifi
ReversibleToggle wifi by turning it off and on again on the device, to make it search from scratch.
Forget and rejoin
ReversibleForget and rejoin the network, by removing the saved network on the device and adding it afresh.
Update the driver
ReversibleUpdate the driver for the wifi adapter on a Windows computer, since old drivers fail on Wi-Fi 6.
Move closer
ReversibleMove closer to the eero during setup, so that the device has the strongest signal possible.
Restart the eero
ReversibleRestart the eero from its more options menu in the app, which keeps all of your settings.
Reset if needed
ReversibleReset the eero with a hard reset if a setup is stuck at flashing blue, then set it up again.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Wi-Fi 6 and 7
- Older adapters have trouble with Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 eeros such as the Pro 6 and Max 7.
- Beacon
- The Beacon is a wireless node, so devices connect through it after pairing.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the eero Pro 6E, eero Outdoor 7.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If several devices fail, restart the eero and check ISP settings
- !If only one device fails after a driver update, contact the device maker
- !If the eero cannot be seen in setup, hard reset it
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Older drivers and Wi-Fi 6.
Forgetting and rejoining.
Paused versus blocked devices.
Joining devices.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why can my old laptop not see the network?+
An outdated wifi driver with Wi-Fi 6.
What is the difference between paused and blocked?+
A paused device joins but cannot browse; a blocked one cannot join.
What does flashing blue mean?+
A flashing blue light means that the eero is waiting for Bluetooth pairing.
Do I need to forget the network?+
Sometimes, when the network name is unchanged.
Does the guest network affect this?+
Yes, choose the right network name, since the guest network has a different name.
Can smart devices join?+
Most need 2.4 GHz and a nearby eero.
How do I add a device?+
Through the app or by joining the wifi.
Does a restart help?+
Yes, restart the eero, since that often clears a problem that stops a device joining.
How many devices can an eero network handle?+
It depends on the model; eero lists device capacity for each.
Can I use eero with a VPN?+
eero passes VPN traffic through but has no network-wide VPN.