Desktop app will not connect to the steam servers no matter what I try. (Error Code E20).

[Maya64]

I have been using steam since the Orange Box.

For the last month or so, when I attempt to log in to steam through my desktop app, I get the following error:

There was an error communicating with the Steam servers. Please try again later.

(Code E20).

I can only run in offline mode and can't install any of my games, or access any online features.
I am pretty savvy when it comes to computers, but this one has me stumped.

I have tried everything on the subject I have found online, including but not limited to the following.

Restarting computer / Steam

No effect.

2. Reinstalling steam

No effect.

3. Forcing TCP mode with the -TCP command.

Instead of posting error E20, TCP mode simply leaves the login button with an eternal buffering logo.

4. Going into offline mode, then clicking online mode from there.

The online mode button has no effect at all. The menu simply closes.

5. Logging in through the website, or through help->support.

I am able to login through the website without issue.

6. All manner of networking commands: Flushing DNS, ipconfig release/renew, netsocket flushes, etc.

No effect.

7. Every possible network, virus, malware, etc. scan.

No viruses or suspicious activity of any kind.

8. Deleting localconfig.vdf on every account.

No effect.

9. Contacting steam support via tickets.

I might as well print the ticket, stuff it in a bottle, and chuck it into the ocean.

Roughly the time this started happening, I also had trouble accessing CAPTCHAs on our network, and was briefly banned from a couple benign sites I occasionally visit (for about a week). This is likely a coincidence, but a network detective might think otherwise.

Please help. I just want to try the Valheim Ashlands beta.

[Iceira]

20 ServiceUnavailable
SteamErrors.com
Valve's Comments

The requested service is currently unavailable

Our Comments

The requested service is temporarily unavailable. Analogous to HTTP 503.

Trade Offers

You may receive this result when sending, accepting, declining, or canceling a trade offer. Below is an explanation of what this result means in this context.

As the name suggests, the trade offers service is currently unavailable.

← View all response codes
← View trade offer response codes

Look like a Trade cooldown, only you know this is true or not, we dont here, we are steam users only.

[Iceira]

You can contact steam supoport, why you cant login, and i dount you have change ISP or anything like that , dont forget its actual steam server that reply amsg, so you are get a reply from the server.

[Maya64]

I appreciate the response, but I already contacted steam support and they suggested it was on my end.

The website works, but not the desktop app. It is not an issue with the login; I'm using my steam account through the website to write these messages

[Satoru]

That's again your local firewall blocking something then. The app has to communicate to various login servers as well as Steam's backend servers for various authentication and such. If you can't log in, it means your system is blocking it somehow. Or your ISP/ is blocking it.

[Maya64]

Fixed.

It was indeed a firewall issue.


At some point, during a Windows Update, Windows decided to reset all of my firewall settings and set my ETHERNET connection to public mode.


Why the actual time travelling gun slinging all knowing super saiyan ♥♥♥♥ would ethernet be marked as public????

[Satoru]

I mean on a fundamental level its better to consider your ethernet port to be on the public side as it ensures that for example, someone with virus ridden computer on your wifi network isn't suddenly trying to hijack your system via potential known vulnerabilities. A lot of companies are more or less treating even the internal network as "hostile" by default in order to mitigate the spread of things like malware/ransomware via a single computer