Embodiments of this application disclose a network access method, used to restrict a network access range of a terminal device, to meet a requirement for restricting the terminal device within a specified range. The method in the embodiments of this application includes: receiving, by an access management network element, information about an area accessed by a terminal device; obtaining, by the access management network element, information about an area allowed to be accessed by the terminal device; and determining, by the access management network element based on the information about the area accessed by the terminal device and the information about the area allowed to be accessed by the terminal device, whether to allow access of the terminal device.