Embodiments of the present invention relate to network access methods and apparatuses. One of the methods includes: receiving, by a second SGSN, a first reject cause value sent by an access network device, where the first reject cause value is sent by a first SGSN to the access network device; acquiring, by the second SGSN, a second reject cause value from itself; and sending, by the second SGSN, a softer reject cause value between the first reject cause value and the second reject cause value to the access network device.