Windows 10 devices cannot access router settings page (R6250)

[hammy434]

So after many hours of troubleshooting (resetting router, reflashing firmware, trying multiple devices) I think I've found out why I get the message "192.168.1.1 refused to connect": Windows 10. All non-Windows 10 devices can connect to the settings page fine, but all my Windows 10 devices fail and get that message. And on my laptop, it gets the refused message on Windows 10, but when I restarted the router and tried a linux live usb on the laptop, it connected to the settings page fine. So I think it's some sort of issue between Windows 10 and the router.

Anyone have any advice on how to fix this? I kind of need the settings page to work on Windows 10 as that's the main OS I use.

Thanks! 🙂

[TheEther · Accepted solution]

Did you try different browsers?

Try disabling the Windows Firewall, temporarily.

[TheEther]

Are you using Kaspersky?  It's notorious for blocking access to the router.  Some people have had to reinstall it in order to gain access.

[hammy434]

I'm using avast. I tried disabling it but I still got refused to connect.

[hammy434]

Also if it helps, once the router has refused to connect on one device, it will refuse to connect on every single other device whether it's a windows 10 device or not until the router is restarted.

[TheEther]

Frankly, that's really odd behavior.  Do you have anything else in your network?  Switches?  A second router?  Is Internet Connection Sharing enabled on any of the PCs?

[hammy434]

I did have switches and an AP in my network before, but all the recent testing I've been doing has been with it disconnected from my main network, and whether the device is wired, wireless, on its own or with other devices connected to the router, it still seems to just refuse windows 10 devices. I don't think Internet Connection Sharing is enabled on any of the PCs, I've never really heard of that and I'm guessing it's not something I could really enable by accident.

Also the problem first started when I connected an old router to use as an AP but forgot to disable DHCP on it, but I'm not sure if this is just coincidence as even after resetting and reflashing it refuses Windows 10 connections to the settings page, and happens when it's disconnected from my main network.

Maybe it's some sort of setting specific to Windows 10? Or a security setting in the router? I really don't know what I'm talking about tbh but just wondering if there's any settings I can change to try and fix it.

I'm gonna upgrade a Windows 7 computer that can access the settings page to Windows 10, just incase it's a huge coincidence that my 3 Windows 10 machines can't access the router but all others can.

Also sorry for writing so much lol.

[TheEther]

Are your Windows machines treating your network as public or private?  If it's public, then Windows may be trying to protect you.  Set the network to private.   OTOH, this doesn't explain why non-Windows 10 devices stop working, too.  Bizarre.  I don't have this problem with my Windows 10 machines.

[hammy434]

It was public on my laptop. I tried setting it to private and restarting the router. Didn't work. So then tried restarting laptop and router. Didn't work. I didn't have this problem on Windows 10 until recently (until I added the AP, but I think this might just be a coincidence).

I'm upgrading a Windows 7 machine that can access the router fine now to Windows 10 to see whether it can still access it on Windows 10.

[TheEther]

Is there, by any chance, an IP address conflict?  Perhaps another device is using the same IP address as your router.

[hammy434]

I don't think so... How would I check? Surely when I restart the router and connect ONLY my laptop it'd be kind of impossible for IP address conflicts anyway? Or am I talking BS? Lol

[TheEther]

Yeah, no real chance for a duplicate address in that situation, unless your laptop is using a static IP that matches the router.  

Technically, when you restart a router, you should force all your devices to renew their DHCP leases.  The router loses track of pre-reboot leases, so it can conceivably assign an address to a device when that address is already in use by another device.

[hammy434]

Just a quick update. I upgraded a Windows 7 computer to Windows 10 and that managed to access the router settings page fine. So now I think it could be a program, setting, update, or something which I've done on my Windows 10 machines, but I can't really think what it could be right now :/. I've been busy over the last couple of days with exams and stuff but I'll be able to test further on Wednesday, if anyone has any suggestions in the meantime it would be much appreciated, and thanks TheEther for all your help so far! 🙂

[TheEther · Accepted solution]

Did you try different browsers?

Try disabling the Windows Firewall, temporarily.

[hammy434]

I fixed it. Turns out it was a chrome browser extension (hotspot shield), although for some reason, it gets refused in Microsoft Edge as well on my laptop even though that has no extensions, but all other computers are fine on Edge and Chrome (as long as I disable hotspot shield on Chrome). Thanks for all your help!!!