can't connect to motorola modem

Are you asking why you can’t connect to Motorola modem? We have the answers in this guide!

If you’re having a hard time getting through and connecting to your WiFi modem, you know there’s something wrong.

You try to join, but it keeps dropping you, and you don’t see the connected WiFi icon on your device’s status bar.

To connect to your Motorola modem, you first have to perform a power cycle. This should flush out any glitches that are preventing you from connecting. You can also let your device ‘Forget’ your WiFi, then reconnect to it by entering the password. Connecting to the 5G WiFi will also help fix this issue.

Now that you know some of the quick ways to resolve this problem let’s look at the reasons why this happens in the first place.

Why Am I Unable to Connect to Motorola Modem

If you are having a hard time connecting to your modem, you will suspect several culprits. It’s recommended you refresh your modem and phone’s connections.

It can easily be a network software glitch causing the issue and disconnecting you.

Here are some of the problems you need to take a close look at to determine what’s causing the error:

1. Connectivity Issues

Your modem or phone can suffer from connectivity issues with their WiFi modules. They will not be able to connect to the network.

2. Bad WiFi Settings

WiFi settings can also be corrupted, especially if they are not refreshed for a long time. This can happen to any of your devices, which can cause this error.

3. Congested Network

Your WiFi networks can get crowded, especially if multiple devices are connected. It can randomly kick out devices and will have a hard time reconnecting.

4. Outdated Firmware

Your modem must run on the latest firmware. Outdated ones can affect your connectivity and suffer from incompatibilities with newer software on your phones or computers.

These are the problems that you’re going to encounter if you cannot connect to your Motorola modem.

Let’s move on to the complete fix guide so you can get it to work!

How to Fix Can’t Connect to Motorola Modem

fix can't connect to motorola modem

Before we go further into the troubleshooting steps, we recommend restarting your modem to reset its connection settings.

Doing this will flush out any temporary causes of this problem and save you a lot of time if it works.

In case it doesn’t, here are the next steps that you need to perform:

Solution #1: Forget WiFi Network and Reconnect

Refreshing your connection is one of the quickest ways to restore the link between your device and modem.

forget wifi password

It will release and renew its IP address so the modem can validate the new connection. Doing this also deletes the connection settings, including the WiFi password.

Here’s how to forget or delete the WiFi connection:

On your iPhone:

  1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
  2. Select WiFi.
  3. Tap on the connection you want to remove.
  4. Select Forget this network.
  5. Click on Forget to confirm.

On your Android:

  1. Go to your phone’s Settings.
  2. Select Network & Internet.
  3. Tap on WiFi.
  4. Select the WiFi connection you want to forget.
  5. Tap the Forget button.

You can also perform this on a PC by clicking on the WiFi icon on your status bar and right-clicking on the connection. Select Forget, then reconnect again.

Note: To reconnect, you will need to enter the password again as this deletes the network settings for that WiFi connection.

Solution #2: Change Your Modem’s WiFi Password

If forgetting your WiFi network does not do the trick, you can change your modem’s password.

This would be a handy step, especially if you forgot your password after you deleted the network settings in the previous step.

change modem wifi password

Here’s how to change your modem’s WiFi password:

  1. Open the Motorola Configuration Manager of your modem.
  2. Log in using the username: admin and password: motorola.
  3. Click on the Wireless tab, then select Primary Network.
  4. Delete the current WPA pre-shared key.
  5. Type in your password and reboot your modem.
Alert: The username and password for your Motorola modem are case-sensitive.

Of course, you can verify first that you have typed in the correct password on the device that will not connect. It could simply be a matter of you not entering the right one.

Solution #3: Change the Channel of Your Modem

Even though they’re on different networks, WiFi signals run on the same frequency.

This means that if there are multiple wireless networks in your area, they can get congested.

Motorola modems have a feature that you can use a different channel to isolate your network from everyone else.

Here’s how to change the WiFi channels on your modem:

  1. Log in to your modem’s dashboard.
  2. Select Advanced found in the top-right corner.
  3. Choose Wireless, then Basic.
  4. Click on the 2.4 GHz tab, and change the channel.
  5. Do the same on the 5 GHz tab. Change to 161/80.
Note: For best results, restart your router and any other device that connects to it.

Solution #4: Update your Modem’s Firmware

update modem firmware

Updating your modem’s firmware is one of the best ways to resolve different issues, including when your devices cannot connect to it.

Your modem could have corrupted files that affect its performance and connectivity.

Before starting this process, you will need to download the latest firmware files for your modem from the Motorola website. You also want to note where you saved it to make the process a lot easier later on.

Here’s how to update your Motorola modem’s firmware:

  1. Log in to your modem’s dashboard.
  2. Click on Admin, then Upgrade.
  3. Click on the Select File button.
  4. Find the firmware file you just downloaded.
  5. Select Load to start the process.
Note: It’s important that you do not turn off your modem as it is updating. Wait for the “Firmware Upgrade success” notification to appear on your screen.

Solution #5: Reset the Network Settings on Your Phone

Even after the upgrade process, your device is still unable to connect to your Motorola modem. We can rule out an issue with it.

We move our attention to the device that wants to communicate with the modem as it could be suffering from a few problems that need addressing.

A complete reset of its network settings should give your phone a clean slate.

It will flush out all the settings, including the bad and corrupted ones. It can request new ones that should allow it to connect to your modem.

network settings phone

Here’s how to reset the network settings on your phone:

On your iPhone:

  1. Tap the Settings app on your phone.
  2. Go to General.
  3. Select Transfer or Reset Device.
  4. Choose Reset.
  5. Tap on Reset Network Settings.

On your Android:

  1. Go to your phone’s Settings app.
  2. Select System, then Advanced.
  3. Tap on Reset Options.
  4. Select Reset network settings.
  5. Tap on Reset settings to confirm.
Note: Your device will restart after you choose to reset network settings. After it boots up, it will clear all your connections.

If these steps do not resolve the issue and you’re still unable to connect to your modem, contact Motorola for technical assistance.

They will be able to figure out and guide you on the next steps you need to take, especially if your modem needs repairing or replacement.

Read Next: How to Change WiFi Channel On Motorola Router?

Bottom Line

Can’t connect to Motorola modem? Now you can fix it with the troubleshooting steps we described in this guide.

Follow them, and you’ll be able to use your modem in no time. You don’t even need any technical experience since the steps are easy to perform.