By Ellie / Last Updated October 27, 2022

The remote computer requires Network Level Authentication

“So, the issue is that on my Windows 10, I received an error notice that said, ‘The remote machine you are trying to connect to requires Network Level Authentication, but your Windows domain controller cannot be accessed to complete NLA.’ I’ve already spent several hours researching this. I’d want to hear from folks who have had the same issue. Please accept my sincere gratitude.”

The Remote Computer Requires Network Level Authentication

Four solutions to “The remote computer requires Network Level Authentication” error on Windows 10, 11

According to the complete error message, users can fix this problem by disabling NLA on the remote computer when using Remote Desktop Connection on Windows 10, 11. Therefore, here we sort out four ways to achieve this.  

Solution 1. Disabling NLA using Properties

Step 1. Press Win + R to invoke the Run dialog box. Then type in “sysdm.cpl” and hit OK to open System Properties.

Run Command Sysdm.cpl

Step 2. Switch to the Remote tab and then uncheck Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (recommended).

Uncheck Identity Verification

Solution 2. Disabling NLA using Registry

Step 1. Press WIN + R and then type in “regedit” to open the Registry Editor.

Run Box Regedit

Step 2. Navigate here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > ControlSet001 > ControlTerminal Server WinStations > RDP-Tcp. On the right pane, find SecurityLayer and UserAuthentication.

Security Lyer User Authentication

Step 3. First double-click SecurityLayer and set its value to 0. Then repeat the same step to UserAuthentication.

Security Layer Value

User Authentication Value

Solution 3. Disabling NLA using Group Policy Editor

Step 1. Press Win + R and then type in “gpedit.msc” to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

Local Group Policy Editor Window

Step 2. Navigate here: Computer configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Security. On the right pane, find and double-click Require user authentication for remote connections by using Network Level Authentication.

Require User Authentication for Remote Cnnections

Step 3. Then set it to Disabled.

Disable User Authentication for Remote Connections

Solution 4. Disabling NLA using PowerShell

Users can also disable NLA on the remote computer via PowerShell on the local computer.

Step 1. Press Windows + S and then type in “powershell”, choose “Run as administrator”.

Windows Powershell

Step 2. In the PowerShell, execute the following command:

$TargetMachine = “Target-Machine-Name”

(Get-WmiObject -class “Win32_TSGeneralSetting” -Namespace root\cimv2\terminalservices -ComputerName $TargetMachine -Filter “TerminalName=’RDP-tcp'”).SetUserAuthenticationRequired(0)

Here the “Target-Machine-Name” is the name of the remote computer. For example, if the remote computer name is “member-server”.

PowerShell Target Server

Achieve remote access without disabling NLA over AnyViewer

Windows Remote Desktop can sometimes be pretty annoying as it requires lots of configuration to be used normally. Therefore, if you want remote access software which provides you with a fast and stable remote connection and at the same time, requires less configuration, here we recommend AnyViewer to you.

AnyViewer can easily connect to remote computers without any special configuration. It can be used normally as long as you can access the Internet. Follow the steps below to start free remote connections immediately.

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7
Secure Download

Step 1. Download, install and launch AnyViewer on both computers.

Step 2. Go to Log in, and then click Sign up. (If you already have signed up on its official website, you can log in directly.)

Log in AnyViewer

Step 3. Fill in the signup information.

Sign Up for AnyViewer

Step 4. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you've logged in to.

Free Editions

Step 5. Log in to the same AnyViewer account on the two devices, then you can achieve a direct connection by clicking One-click control.

Connect to My Devices

Notes:✎...
You can also upgrade your account to a Professional or Enterprise plan. What can a professional or enterprise plan brings to you:
Faster file transfer speed. Transfer speed for a free account is 500 KB/s, and for a paid account is up to 10 MB/s.
More devices can be assigned to the same account for unattended remote access.
Connect in privacy mode to protect privacy, which means the Controller can black the remote PC screen and disable the remote keyboard & mouse click.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this post mainly introduces four tested solutions to fix the “The remote computer requires Network Level Authentication” error. Besides, we also introduce an RDP alternative AnyViewer to you. With it, you are able to achieve remote connections without limitations.