The present disclosure relates to a sensor network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, and technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the above technologies, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. A method and apparatus of a first electronic device, a second electronic device, and a server in a network are provided. The method for operating a first electronic device in a network includes determining a sub-step in progress among a plurality of sub-steps of a connection procedure with a second electronic device; and displaying information about the sub-step.