Some users have complained that they are unable to connect to CSGO Server. When trying to connect, the game says Connecting to the CSGO Network. This issue is usually related to your network, but sometimes, it is can be caused because of the app as well. In this post, we are going to talk about this issue and see what can be done to fix it.
Why wont my CSGO connect to the network?
There are various reasons which can stop CSGO from connecting to the network. We have mentioned some of the most common ones below, but they are not all, there are some other less-common causes. However, we have mentioned all the possible solutions hereinafter.
- CSGO might fail to connect to the network due to some glitch. There can be glitches in the network or in your computer.
- You may also face the issue in question if Data Execution Prevention is disabled. More on that later.
- Corrupted game files are another reason for this issue.
As mentioned earlier, this list can be longer, but we are not going to find causes, we will fix them. So, let us go to the troubleshooting guide.
Fix Connecting to the CSGO Network error on Windows PC
When you see the Connecting to the CSGO Network error while playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive game you could try some of the common solutions to fix the problem:
- Reboot your computer
- Restart your network devices
- Try re-connecting to the servers
- Turn on Data Execution Prevention
- Check CSGO Server Status
- Opt in and Out of Beta
- Repair Game Files
- Try Google DNS
- Check your firewall security
- Troubleshoot in Clean Boot
Let us talk about them in detail.
1] Reboot your computer
Let us start by restarting your computer. Restarting will resolve any glitch that you may have and also stop any processes that can cause trouble for you. So, go ahead and restart your system, then open the game and see if it’s connecting.
2] Restart your network devices
After rebooting your computer, we need to restart your router and make sure that it’s there is no network glitch that you are facing. Follow the prescribed steps to restart your router the right way.
- Turn off your router and unplug them.
- Wait for 5 minutes and then plug the router back in.
- Turn it on and see if the issue persists.
Hopefully, this will do the job for you.
3] Try re-connecting to the servers
- Open CSGO game.
- Queue up for Match-making (MM) in any mode.
- Resume search after 1 minute. Make sure not to close the game at this point.
- Do the Match-making search again, after a couple of minutes you’ll connect to the servers automatically and back online.
- Cancel search.
4] Turn on Data Execution Prevention
Data Execution Prevention stops malware from running in the memory of your Windows computer. A lot of users have claimed that they were able to resolve the error in question just by turning on DEP. We are going to do the same and see if it works. Follow the prescribed steps to do the same.
- Search for “Advanced System Settings” and open it.
- Click on the Settings button from the Performance section.
- Go to the Data Execution Prevention tab.
- Select Turn on DEP for All Programs and Services Except those I select.
- Click Apply > Ok.
Now, open the game and see if it’s connecting.
5] Check CSGO Server Status
You should also check the server status of CSGO and make sure that it’s not down. We have a list of free down detectors, you can use any one of them to know the status. If the server is down, all you have to do is wait for the developers to get the issue resolved.
6] Opt in and Out of Beta
For some users, opting in and out of Steam Beta worked. This works because it refreshes your account. We are going to do the same and see if this does our job.
- Open Steam.
- Go to Steam > Settings.
- Click on Change from Beta Participation.
- Select Steam Beta.
Now, try playing the game and see if it works.
To opt-out of Steam Beta, you need to go to Steam settings, then change Beta Participation to NONE- Opt out of all beta programs. Hopefully, this will do the job for you.
7] Repair Game Files
CSGO may also fail to connect to the server if the game files are corrupted. Let us repair the game files and see if that works. You can follow the prescribed steps to do the same.
- Open Steam.
- Go to Library.
- Right-click on your game and select Properties.
- Click on Local Files > Verify the integrity of game files.
Once the files are repaired, your issue should be resolved.
8] Try Google DNS
Next up, let us set up Google DNS and see if that works. This is a known fact that switching to Google DNS does help in eliminating network issues. You can try to do the same and see if that helps. So, check our guide on how to switch to Google Public DNS, do that, and see if that helps.
9] Check your firewall security
It’s quite possible that your firewall is blocking CSGO from communicating to the Internet. To make sure that’s not the case, and you’ve allowed the game to pass through the Windows Defender Firewall do the following.
- Type Windows Defender in the Search bar and click Windows Defender Firewall to open it.
- Next, click the Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall link visible under the side panel on the left.
- Find Counter-Strike: Global Offensive entry in the list and make sure both boxes marked against it are checked.
- If you cannot find the CSGO entry in the list click Allow another app and add it manually to the Defender Exception list.
10] Troubleshoot in Clean Boot
If nothing works, then we need to put a bit of blame on third-party apps. To know which program is interfering with your game, perform Clean Boot. Then try disabling programs one by one and see which one is the culprit. Finally, uninstall the troublemaker and your issue should be resolved.
Read: CSGO takes a long time to start in Windows 11
How long is CS: GO usually down?
CSGO servers are up and running most of the time but there can be instances where servers can be down for a few minutes for maintenance. As such, Steam servers can be down for maintenance anywhere between 5 to 10 minutes. If the company is rolling out some hefty updates, the servers may remain unresponsive for 15 or 20 minutes. Players can check the status by visiting this link.
