Nintendo Switch error codes explained: 2110, 2137, 2618 and 2811

A Nintendo Switch error code has two halves. The first four digits tell you which part of the system failed, and the last four narrow it down. Codes starting 2110 are about getting the console onto your network. 2137 and 2811 codes appear when downloading or using the Nintendo eShop. 2618 codes appear when online matchmaking fails.

Everything below comes from Nintendo's support articles for each code. Nintendo lists Switch 2, Switch, Switch Lite and the OLED Model on all of them, so the meanings are the same whichever console you have.

Is Nintendo's network down?

Check our Nintendo Switch Online status page for live checks and player reports. Nintendo also publishes a Network Maintenance Information and Operational Status page on its support site, which lists planned maintenance and current problems for the eShop and online play. Two codes point at Nintendo itself: 2811-7503 and 2811-7504. Nintendo says they mean an error connecting to the service, likely from a temporary outage or heavy traffic, and its first instruction is to wait and try again.

2110 codes: connecting to your network

• 2110-1100: "Unable to connect to the Internet". The console couldn't detect any network that matches the ones saved in its internet settings. Usually the router is out of range, switched off or has changed its name. Check airplane mode is off, move closer, and select your network again.
• 2110-2003: a wireless problem. Nintendo says codes in this group generally mean the console failed while first connecting to the router, usually before it was given an IP address. A wrong Wi-Fi password is the classic cause. Re-enter it carefully, checking capital letters and symbols.
• 2110-2000 to 2110-2899: the same stage of the connection. On a cable, Nintendo's steps are to reseat the Ethernet cable, then try another cable and another port on the router.
• 2110-3127: Nintendo says this indicates a problem with the DNS being used, either a wrong DNS address typed into the console or a fault with your provider's DNS. Set DNS Settings to Automatic first. If that fails, Nintendo suggests entering a public DNS by hand (step 6 below).

2137 and 2811 codes: eShop and downloads

• 2137-8056: "Unable to communicate with the server. The network may be busy or the signal strength may be poor. Please try again later." It appears when downloading a game or opening the eShop. Check Nintendo's network status page for maintenance, then update the console and move it closer to the router.
• 2137-8006: the connection probably timed out during a download. Nintendo puts it down to a slow connection, interference or weak Wi-Fi.
• 2811-5001: an error connecting to an online service such as the eShop, which Nintendo says is likely caused by your network environment: DNS, interference, weak signal or an unresponsive router. If it persists, Nintendo suggests checking whether parental controls on the router are blocking the console.
• 2811-7503 and 2811-7504: the service itself is struggling. Wait.

2618 codes: online play and NAT

2618-0516 appears when matchmaking fails. Nintendo says it generally means your network isn't well suited to the direct console-to-console connections that online games use, most likely because of its NAT type. Nintendo's steps are short: if your console's network settings show an IPv6 Connection option, turn it off; restart the modem and router; then run the connection test again to see whether the NAT type has improved. Nintendo also points out that the other player's NAT type matters too, so if you only fail to connect to one friend, the problem may be at their end.

Nintendo's fixes, in order

1. Restart the console. Hold the POWER button for at least three seconds, choose Power Options, then Restart. Sleep mode doesn't count.
2. Move closer. Nintendo recommends being within 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 metres) of the router while you troubleshoot. Take the console out of the dock if you need to.
3. Power cycle the modem and router. Unplug both for 30 seconds. Plug the modem in first, wait for its lights to settle, then the router.
4. Set the connection up again. From the HOME Menu open the settings, then Internet, Internet Settings, pick your network and type the password again.
5. Try the other Wi-Fi band. If your router has separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network names, connect to the other one. Nintendo notes that Bluetooth headphones can interfere with 2.4 GHz.
6. Enter a DNS by hand. In Internet Settings choose your network, Change Settings, DNS Settings, Manual. Nintendo's example is Google's public DNS: primary 8.8.8.8, secondary 8.8.4.4.
7. Clear interference. Move the router somewhere central and raised, away from metal objects, speakers, power strips and cordless phones.
8. Test another network, such as a phone hotspot. If the console connects there, the fault is your router or provider. If it fails on several networks, Nintendo asks you to contact its support team.

What is different on Switch 2

Nintendo uses the same error codes on Switch 2 and has added the newer console to its existing articles instead of writing separate ones. The differences it documents are in the menus. On Switch 2 your saved Wi-Fi networks are listed under Saved Networks, where the original Switch calls them Registered Networks. Clearing the cache, which Nintendo suggests for 2137-8056, is under System, Data-Clear Options, Clear Cache on Switch 2, and under System, Formatting Options, Reset Cache on the original Switch. Clearing the cache doesn't delete games or save data.

Wired connections

A cable avoids most 2110 and 2137 codes. Docks with a built-in LAN port take an Ethernet cable directly. Older docks without one need a USB LAN adapter, and Nintendo says a Switch Lite needs a licensed accessory to use one at all. If a wired console still shows a 2110 code, Nintendo's order is: reseat the cable, restart the console, restart the router, try a different cable, then a different router port.

Is it your Wi-Fi or Nintendo?

• Your network: the code starts 2110, the connection test in Internet Settings fails, or other devices in the house are offline too.
• Nintendo: the connection test passes, the code starts 2811 or is 2137-8056, and it appears in the eShop or when going online in several games. Check our Nintendo Switch Online status page.
• One game only: if other online games work, that game's servers are the likely cause, not the console.

What not to do

None of Nintendo's articles for these codes tells you to initialise (factory reset) the console, and doing so risks losing save data that isn't backed up. The furthest Nintendo goes is suggesting you ask your router's manufacturer about a firmware update or resetting the router. Leave the manual DNS setting in place only if it fixed the problem: Nintendo describes it as a test, and Automatic is the normal setting.

Related fix guides

• Wi-Fi connected but no internet: how to fix it
• DNS server not responding: how to fix it
• PlayStation Network not working: sign-in and connection fixes
• Can't sign in to Xbox: how to fix Xbox network problems