[FIXED] My IP is banned from the Steam Store for no reason

[Melody]

My IP got banned from the Steam Store for no actual reason and I don't know how to remove the ban. I cannot contact Steam Support as I have no option to create a ticket.

Before you tell me "restart your router", my IP is static since I have a business line.

Can I please have a Valve employee unblock my IP address? It was banned without an actual reason.

The ban happened once I tried to gift a game to a friend, and the page started showing "Access Denied". Now I cannot access any store.* domain without getting an Access Denied erro, from any device that is connected to my network.

Update: They removed my ban, but buying and gifting games now shows a blank screen with a valve logo at the bottom. I will not attempt to buy anything until the whole thing is fixed on their side.

Update2: Before you get misleading information, it was most likely NOT a manual ban but rather a simple automatic firewall cooldown (ie. temporary IP ban) from their side due to a refresh loop issue that is currently happening on the Store. Their firewall may have seen these loops as a DDOS attempt. Please also see:
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/3951406749567088152/

[d3str0y3r]

Valve doesn't use IP bans.

Can you access the store with your phone's data plan?

[Melody]

🎃👻d3str0y3r👻🎃 původně napsal:

Valve doesn't use IP bans.

Can you access the store with your phone's data plan?

It did actually ban my IP, but now it's unbanned.

And yes, I could access the store with my data plan.
Only my business IP was blacklisted.

[d3str0y3r]

Again Valve does not use IP bans for anything. They ban accounts and if your account was restricted you wouldn't be able to buy anything on your account on any network. You would also get an account notification about it.

You ISP was most likely have issues like 99% of other users that get that error.

Here is list of the type of bans Valve uses.
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4F62-35F9-F395-5C23

IP and HWID bans are not used as they are pointless and can be bypassed.

[Melody]

🎃👻d3str0y3r👻🎃 původně napsal:

Again Valve does not use IP bans for anything. They ban accounts and if your account was restricted you wouldn't be able to buy anything on your account on any network. You would also get an account notification about it.

You ISP was most likely have issues like 99% of other users that get that error.

Here is list of the type of bans Valve uses.
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4F62-35F9-F395-5C23

IP and HWID bans are not used as they are pointless and can be bypassed.

If you're saying that I'm a liar, no, I'm not lying.

It was a blatant restriction on my IP from Valve's servers. I couldn't access any store.* domains from my network from any device without getting "Access Denied".

My IP was most likely temporarily banned by their automatic systems due to a refresh loop that happened on the Steam Client while attempting to purchase a game.

To workaround the loop problem, I used Firefox to purchase the game instead of the Steam Client.

Don't assume stuff and post random knowledge articles if you don't have basic knowledge of how firewalls work.

TL;DR Firewalls can automatically ban IPs temporarily if there are too many requests (it can be seen as a DDOS attempt), it doesn't necessarily mean Valve has to manually ban an IP.

[rawWwRrr]

Melody původně napsal:

To workaround the loop problem, I used Firefox to purchase the game instead of the Steam Client.

Don't assume stuff and post random knowledge articles if you don't have basic knowledge of how firewalls work.

So... if your IP was banned, how was it that your Firefox was able to gain access to Steam ? Could it not have been something else instead? Perhaps a cookie/permissions issue from the client?

I mean, I'm glad you got it resolved, but please don't assume an Access Denied is strictly an IP ban from Steam.

[Melody]

rawWwRrr původně napsal:

Melody původně napsal:

To workaround the loop problem, I used Firefox to purchase the game instead of the Steam Client.

Don't assume stuff and post random knowledge articles if you don't have basic knowledge of how firewalls work.

So... if your IP was banned, how was it that your Firefox was able to gain access to Steam ? Could it not have been something else instead? Perhaps a cookie/permissions issue from the client?

I mean, I'm glad you got it resolved, but please don't assume an Access Denied is strictly an IP ban from Steam.

It didn't gain access, I used Firefox AFTER my IP got automatically unbanned by their firewalls.

I could already access the Store again from Steam itself.

Please read:
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/3951406749567088152/

This issue caused a refresh loop on my Steam Client which triggered Valve's firewalls which temporarily banned my IP, most likely because those loops were seen as an attempt of DDOS attacks.

[Melody]

Since you probably don't believe me:
https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/737284176537059439/1173047595573182494/Screenshot_2023-11-12-00-52-11-016_com.android.chrome.jpg

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/737284176537059439/1173047466321510501/Screenshot_20231112_005145.png

Good thing I took screenshots.

(why are we even arguing about a simple server firewall cooldown?)

[Spawn of Totoro]

https://softwarekeep.com/help-center/fix-access-denied-you-dont-have-permission-to-access-on-this-server-on-windows-10

https://techjury.net/blog/you-don-t-have-permission-to-access-this-server/

https://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-fix-you-dont-have-permission-to-access-on-this-server-error/

There are many causes of that error method. As has been said, Valve does not ban IP addresses so that would not have been one of them, so we can eliminate that as the issue.

Most are fixed by clearing the cookies, restarting the computer of changing or flushing the DNS.

All a screenshot does is show the error. It is not evidence of the cause.

Melody původně napsal:

If you're saying that I'm a liar, no, I'm not lying.

No one is saying you are lying. At worst, you simply are making the wrong assumption as to the cause. Other are just pointing out something you may not have known.

[Melody]

Guys can you please read my messages instead of posting random links?

Nevermind, have fun arguing a blatant firewall cooldown.

I showed you screenshots on both Firefox from my PC and my phone on the same network and you're posting me that, are you serious?

[Spawn of Totoro]

Melody původně napsal:

Guys can you please read my messages instead of posting random links?

Nevermind, have fun arguing a blatant firewall cooldown.

I checked your links. It is a general message. Nothing specific about cause the issue.

The links I posted explain what the Access Denied error can be (several possible reasons) and how to fix it when encountered.

Melody původně napsal:

I showed you screenshots on both Firefox from my PC and my phone on the same network and you're posting me that, are you serious?

Yes. Valve does not ban by IP, only by accounts. Your screenshots are not really proof of anything.

[Melody]

Spawn of Totoro původně napsal:

Melody původně napsal:

Guys can you please read my messages instead of posting random links?

Nevermind, have fun arguing a blatant firewall cooldown.

I checked your links. It is a general message. Nothing specific about cause the issue.

The links I posted explain what the Access Denied error can be (several possible reasons) and how to fix it when encountered.

I'm a graduated engineer and you didn't even read my posts, my explanation nor watch my screenshots properly. Kudos to you.

[Melody]

Spawn of Totoro původně napsal:

Melody původně napsal:

Guys can you please read my messages instead of posting random links?

Nevermind, have fun arguing a blatant firewall cooldown.

I checked your links. It is a general message. Nothing specific about cause the issue.

The links I posted explain what the Access Denied error can be (several possible reasons) and how to fix it when encountered.

Melody původně napsal:

I showed you screenshots on both Firefox from my PC and my phone on the same network and you're posting me that, are you serious?

Yes. Valve does not ban by IP, only by accounts. Your screenshots are not really proof of anything.

More proof that you didn't read. I haven't stated that Valve banned my IP, but rather that it was a temporary firewall cooldown from their servers. Again, please read before typing.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Melody původně napsal:

Spawn of Totoro původně napsal:

I checked your links. It is a general message. Nothing specific about cause the issue.

The links I posted explain what the Access Denied error can be (several possible reasons) and how to fix it when encountered.

I'm a graduated engineer and you didn't even read my posts, my explanation nor watch my screenshots properly. Kudos to you.

And I am president of the united states.

I wish you luck in your future as an engineer.

Melody původně napsal:

More proof that you didn't read. I haven't stated that Valve banned my IP, but rather that it was a temporary firewall cooldown from their servers. Again, please read before typing.

I read it. That is still a theory, not evidence.

I get the same error when following links to Best Buy at time, despite having not accessed it in a long time.

[Melody]

Spawn of Totoro původně napsal:

Melody původně napsal:

I'm a graduated engineer and you didn't even read my posts, my explanation nor watch my screenshots properly. Kudos to you.

And I am president of the united states.

I wish you luck in your future as an engineer.

No, you're not.

Also, I don't even use Windows, FYI.

[Yujah]

Valve most certainly does ban based op IP, as does basically every other webserver out there as a matter of e.g. DDoS-avoidance, and as OP says, generally through a frontside firewall. Reactions here confuse account bans with basic, completely web-generic IP bans of that type.

As in, OP, do feel free to stop bothering; those that understand understand, those that don't don't and, here, won't :)