New modem and cannot connect to the internet

Hi SelenaRose,

Let me add here what Hahn's suggestion is all about.

The Surface Pro 3 model is older, and the encryption protocols deployed in routers of the same era are often less secure, which means that the signal provided by the same router can be detected by many devices. However, the general security requirements at that time were not high, so when connecting to this router, you generally do not encounter such problems.

New modems are often equipped with more secure encryption protocols, and if the newer encryption protocols are used when manually configured, the device's signal can no longer be recognized by the Surface Pro 3. Some router manufacturers come with a preset hybrid mode that works with WPA2 alone or WPA2 and WPA3, so we recommend checking this setting. This can usually be found in the manual.

From the point of view of the problem, I don't think the problem is from your Surface Pro 3, you can do a simple test, try to connect your Surface Pro 3 to other Wi-Fi signals, such as your phone hotspot, or the public Wi-Fi in the mall, or the wireless network in a friend or neighbor's home.

Unless your Surface Pro 3 does not recognize any Wi-Fi signals at this time, we will determine that the problem may be from the Surface.

Best Regards,

Mitchell | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi Selena,

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

I'm Hahn and I'm here to help you with your concern.

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with your Surface Pro 3. Let's try a few steps to resolve the issue:

• The Windows Network Troubleshooter can help diagnose and fix Wi-Fi problems. Here’s how to use it: 

1. Select Start  and type settings.  Select Settings >System >Troubleshoot.
2. Select Other Troubleshooters.
3. Select Network Adapter>Run.
4. Follow the steps in the troubleshooter and see if that fixes the problem.

• Try connecting to a network on a different frequency band. Many consumer Wi-Fi routers broadcast at two different network frequency bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. These will appear as separate networks in the list of available Wi-Fi networks. If your list of available Wi-Fi networks includes both a 2.4 GHz network and a 5 GHz network, try connecting to the other network.
• Restart your modem and Wi-Fi router:

Restart your Wi-Fi router and modem, and then try to connect your Surface to your Wi-Fi network.

• Force a shutdown and restart your Surface: Force a shutdown and restart your Surface - Microsoft Support
• Remove and reinstall driver:

1. Select Search on the taskbar, enter Device Manager, and select it from the results.
2. Select the arrow next to Network adapters to expand the adapters list, and check to see if one of the following adapters is listed: Marvell AVASTAR Network Controller
3. Double-click your network adapter, select the Driver tab, and then select Uninstall Device.
4. Select Attempt to remove the driver for this device and then select Uninstall.
5. Restart your Surface.

• Manually update Surface drivers and firmware: Download drivers and firmware for Surface - Microsoft Support
• Run network commands:

Try running these network commands to manually reset the TCP/IP stack, release and renew the IP address, and flush and reset the DNS client resolver cache:

1. Select Search on the taskbar, and type command prompt. The Command Prompt button will appear. To the right of it, select Run as administrator > Yes.
2. At the command prompt, run the following commands in the listed order, and then check to see if that fixes your connection problem:
   • Type netsh winsock reset and select Enter.
   • Type netsh int ip reset and select Enter.
   • Type ipconfig /release and select Enter.
   • Type ipconfig /renew and select Enter.
   • Type ipconfig /flushdns and select Enter.

Regarding the Windows 11 update message, the Surface Pro 3 does not meet the official minimum requirements for Windows 11. This shouldn't affect your ability to connect to Wi-Fi, but it's good to be aware of the compatibility limitations.

I hope this helps. If there is anything not clear, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Your Sincerely

Hahn. W - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi Selena,

In addition, since the Surface Pro 3 is an older model, you also need to go to the router settings page to ensure that the router encryption method is WPA2 or a mixed mode of WPA2 and WPA3.

Your Sincerely

Hahn. W - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi Selena,

I'm sorry to hear that the issue persists. Let's try a few more steps to see if we can get your Surface Pro 3 connected:

Use network reset. Using network reset should be the last step you try. Consider using it if the steps above don’t help to get you connected.

1. Select the Start button, then enter settings. Select Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset.
2. On the Network reset screen, select Reset now > Yes to confirm.
   Wait for your PC to restart and see if that fixes the problem.

As a last resort, If you've tried basic troubleshooting options, you may need to restore or reset your Surface. If the issue occurs after a reset, then the root cause is very likely hardware related. Restore or reset Surface for Windows - Microsoft Support

Your Sincerely

Hahn. W - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hello,

Thank you for responding. I tried all of the suggestions you listed, unfortunately it still doesn't work. When I ran the Network Adapter troubleshooter it said "None of the networks you have previously connected to are in range". I kept trying to sign in during the different stages and it still wouldn't connect. Thank you for trying though.