FRIENDS & CHAT is a Steam feature that most users have been accustomed to using for quick chat and staying up to date. However, the menu will occasionally fail to load and display the perplexing Friends Network Unreachable error.
Don’t be concerned if you’re having the same problem. Here’s a simple guide that may be able to assist you in resolving the issue. Simply work your way down the list until you discover one that works for you.
How to fix Steam Friends Network Unreachable
- Fix 1: Clear Steam cache and cookies
- Fix 2: Join or exit Steam Beta programs
- Fix 3: Update your network adapter driver
- Fix 4: Revert Steam to an older version
- Fix 5: Power cycle your modem & router
- Fix 6: Is it a server issue?
This error can be caused by a bad network connection on your or your friend’s end, a Steam bug, or a server fault. So, it’s recommended that both you and your friends should be trying these fixes to rule out the culprit.
Fix 1: Clear Steam cache and cookies
Steam saves files and data so that the same information can be loaded faster the next time. However, the cached data may have become incorrect, inaccurate, or obsolete over time, causing the friends list to cease loading.
To clear Steam’s cache, follow these steps:
1. Start Steam and log in with your account.
2. Choose Steam > Settings.
3. Choose Web Browser, then choose DELETE WEB BROWSER CACHE and DELETE ALL BROWSER COOKIES respectively. Once you’ve done, click OK.
4. Exit Steam.
5. Relaunch Steam, then check to see if your friends list appears correctly. If you answered yes, congratulations! If the Friends Network Unreachable problem persists, proceed to Fix 2 below.
Fix 2: Join or exit Steam Beta programs
Steam Beta is a program/mode in which players can sign up for and test game and client upgrades before they go live. Because it is a testing tool, it may be prone to bugs that cause the friends list loading issue. In some cases, though, the problem is only found in the official edition.
In this case, try switching to the opposite mode to see if that helps you recover your friends list.
To join or leave a Steam Beta program, follow these steps:
1. Start Steam and log in with your account.
2. Go to Steam > Settings.
3. Choose Account, after that, choose Change… in Beta participation section.
4. Choose an option to change your participation state in the pop-up window. Then press OK.
5. Exit Steam.
6. Start Steam and check to see if your friends list is visible. If you answered yes, congratulations! If the problem persists, try Fix 3 (below).
Fix 3: Update your network adapter driver
A network adapter driver is a piece of software that allows your network adapter to communicate with your computer system. If your network adapter driver is incorrect, obsolete, or corrupt, your internet may be unstable or unreliable, resulting in the Steam Friends Network Unreachable issue. As a result, you should upgrade your network adapter driver to determine if the problem is resolved. If you don’t have the time, patience, or skills to manually update the driver, Driver Easy can do it for you.
Driver Easy will automatically detect your system and locate the appropriate drivers. You don’t need to know what operating system your machine is running, you don’t need to be concerned about downloading the wrong driver, and you don’t need to be concerned about making a mistake during installation. Driver Easy handles it all.
With either the FREE or Pro version of Driver Easy, you can update your drivers automatically. However, with the Pro version, there are only two steps (with full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):
1. Download and install Driver Easy on your PC.
2. Run Driver Easy and select Scan Now from the menu. After that, Driver Easy will check your computer for any problematic drivers.
3. Select Update All to have all the missing or out-of-date drivers on your system immediately downloaded and installed (this requires the Pro version– you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).
Note: You can do it for free, but it is partially manual.
4. To make the modifications take effect, restart your computer.
5. Check to verify if your Steam buddies list is properly shown. If you answered yes, you’ve solved the problem. If it doesn’t work, try Fix 4 below.
Fix 4: Revert Steam to an older version
It’s possible that the Friends Network Unreachable problem is due to a defect in the current version. You might adjust the properties and revert the client to an older version as a workaround to test if this is the case.
The procedure is as follows:
1. Right-click Steam on your desktop and choose Properties.
2. Select the Shortcut tab in the Properties window. Leave a space to the end of the field (…steam.exe”) in Target and type -nofriendsui. Then, to apply the changes, click OK.
3. Check to determine if you have access to Steam’s friends list.
4. Return to your desktop and repeat step 1 to open the Properties window if the problem persists.
5. Locate Target in the Shortcut tab, add a space to the end of the field (…–nofriendsui), and then type –nochatui. Then, to save the changes, click OK.
6. Check if the Friends Network Unreachable error has been resolved by launching Steam.
Fix 5: Power cycle your modem & router
An overflooded router&modem in your local network may cause the Friends Network Unreachable problem. You can do a power cycle on your modem router to clean off the old memory. Your network devices can cool down and receive a new IP address by power cycling, which entails the turn-off-turn-on tactics.
The steps are straightforward:
1. Remove your modem (and, if applicable, your router) from the power outlet.
2. Allow your modem (and router) to cool for 60 seconds.
3. Reconnect the network devices and wait for the indication lights to return to their regular state.
4. Your computer should be restarted.
5. Check to see if your friends list is available by launching Steam.
Fix 6: Is it a server issue?
If you’ve tried everything above and your chat list still doesn’t appear, it’s possible that the Steam Friends servers are down. In this instance, you may have to wait while the programming team attempts to regain the function.
If you’ve any queries, check this video:
This concludes this article. Hopefully, it has assisted you in resolving the Friends Network Unreachable problem. You are invited to leave a comment section if you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions.