How to Fix “The Remote Computer Requires Network Level Authentication (NLA)” on Windows

How to Fix “The Remote Computer Requires Network Level Authentication (NLA)” on Windows "Windows’ remote access technology is quite incredible. It allows you to easily troubleshoot issues, download files, or configure some settings on your remote PC. However, it’s frustrating when you encounter issues while trying to connect to a remote PC. Just when you’re about to get connected, you see an error message that reads “The Remote Computer Requires Network Level Authentication (NLA)”. Lucky for you, we’ve got all the solutions that’ll help you resolve this issue. So, let’s dive in and fix your remote connection problems. 1. Check Your Internet Connection In most cases, this issue might stem from your PC and not the remote machine. So, resolving it will involve configuring a few settings on your device. To get started, you’ll first have to ensure that there aren’t any issues with your internet connection. here are some quick fixes that could help: Check all your network cables and ensure there are no loose connections. Ensure your internet connection is active and stable. Start by testing your Wi-Fi speed with a speed test tool. If the internet speed is okay, consider resetting your router and refreshing your connection. 2. Restore the Network Settings to their Default You’re likely to bump into this error based on how you’ve configured your network settings. So, you could resolve the problem by restoring your network settings to their default. Now, here’s how you can restore the network settings via the Command Prompt: Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box. Type CMD and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt. Type the following command and press Enter: netsh int ip set DNS From there, type the following command and press Enter: netsh winsock reset 3. Disable and Re-Enable NLA Settings Via System Settings Disabling and re-enabling the NLA settings on your device could help. Let’s take a look at how you can do this: Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box. Type sysdm.cpl and press Enter to open the System Properties window. Navigate to the Remote tab. Uncheck the Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (recommended) box. Click Apply and then click OK. Restart your PC to save these changes. Next, re-enable the NLA settings by following these steps: Open the System Properties window as per the previous steps. Check the Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (recommended) box. Click Apply, click OK and then restart your PC to apply these changes. 4. Disable and Re-Enable NLA Settings Via PowerShell If the system settings didn’t resolve this issue, then PowerShell could help. So, we’ll explore how you can disable and re-enable the NLA settings with this tool. To get started, here are the steps to follow: Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box. Type PowerShell and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated PowerShell window. Next, type the following command: $TargetMachine = “Target-Machine-Name”(Get-WmiObject -class “Win32_TSGeneralSetting” -Namespace root\cimv2\terminalservices -ComputerName $TargetMachine -Filter “TerminalName=’RDP-tcp'”).SetUserAuthenticationRequired(0) Replace the “Target-Machine-Name” command with the name of your device. From there, press Enter to run the command. Finally, restart your device when the process is complete. Now, re-enable the NLA settings by following these steps: Open PowerShell as per the previous steps. Enter the same command but replace SetUserAuthenticationRequired(0) with SetUserAuthenticationRequired(1). Press Enter to run the command and then restart your PC when the process is complete. 5. Configure NLA Settings Via the Local Group Policy Editor Are you still struggling to resolve this issue? Let’s now try configuring some NLA settings using the Local Group Policy Editor. To get started, press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Security. Double-click the Require user authentication for remote connections by using Network Level Authentication option on the right. In the next window, check the Not Configured or Disabled box. Next, press Apply, press OK, and then restart your PC. Finally, follow these steps to re-enable the NLA settings: Open the Local Group Policy Editor and navigate to the Security option as per the previous steps. Double-click the Require user authentication for remote connections by using Network Level Authentication option. In the next window, check the Enabled box, press Apply and then press OK. Restart your PC to apply these changes. 6. Update or Reinstall the Network Drivers This issue might be caused by corrupted or incompatible network drivers. So, you can either update or reinstall these drivers to get rid of this error. Firstly, try updating your network drivers by following these steps: Press Win + X and select Device Manager from the options. Double-click the Network adapters option to expand it. Right-click your PC’s network adapter and click Update driver. Next, select Search automatically for updated driver software. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. In case the issue persists, try reinstalling the Network adapters through these steps: Open the Device Manager and expand the Network adapters option as per the previous steps. Right-click your PC’s network adapter and select Uninstall device. Navigate to the Action tab and select Scan for hardware changes. Restart your PC to apply these changes. 7. Use Windows’ Built-In Troubleshooters Windows’ built-in troubleshooters can help resolve this issue. In this case, we’ll tackle the problem by running the Internet Connections troubleshooter, Network Adapters troubleshooter, and the Incoming Connections troubleshooter. Let’s start by running the Internet Connections troubleshooter: Navigate to Win Start Menu > PC Settings > Update & Security and select Troubleshoot on the left-hand side pane. Click the Internet Connections troubleshooter on the right-hand side pane and press Run the troubleshooter. From there, run the Network Adapters troubleshooter. This will find and fix problems with the network adapters on your device. To run the tool, here are the steps to follow: Open the Troubleshoot settings window as per the previous steps. Click the Network Adapters troubleshooter on the right-hand side pane and press Run the troubleshooter. Finally, run the Incoming Connections troubleshooter. This helps find and fix incoming computer connections. Here’s how you can run this tool: Open the Troubleshoot settings window as per the previous steps. Click the Incoming Connections troubleshooter on the right-hand side and press Run the troubleshooter. Restart your PC to apply all these changes. Easily Connect to Your Remote Windows PC Tired of seeing “The Remote Computer Requires Network Level Authentication (NLA)”? Simply apply any of the fixes we’ve recommended and you should be good to go. And if the issue persists, try applying these fixes on the remote device. However, you’ll have to do this physically on the remote device or ask someone else to help you out. Share Share Tweet Email How to Set Up Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection New to Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection? Here's a detailed setup guide to using RDC on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices. Read Next Related Topics Windows Windows Windows Errors About The Author Modisha Tladi (72 Articles Published) Modisha is a Tech Content Writer & Blogger who’s passionate about emerging tech and innovations. He enjoys doing research and writing insightful content for tech companies. He spends most of his time listening to music and also likes playing video games, traveling, and watching action-comedy movies. More From Modisha Tladi Subscribe to our newsletter Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals! 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