Can only access Steam through a VPN...

[rip the pope]

Forgive me if this post is a little rushed and doesn't make a lot of sense but I've had to do 7 or 8 clean re-installs this weekend so I'm a little fried. Plus I ran a marathon.

A recent Steam update caused that classic "Steam needs to be online to update problem" and after running the SteamTmp.exe the update was successful. After a recent restart, however, it wasn't working.

I tried the registry work around but the Steam installation hadn't created any registry files. I'd tried installing on my C drive and subsequently on another drive (SSD)

I couldn't fix this problem and after 3 tickets to Steam support I gave up on hearing an answer from them - all the workarounds I could find were impossible for me because of the problems listed about.

Eventually I decided to run Steam through a VPN - this worked and the update downloaded and I can now download my games. I'm of the understanding that because of Valve's ridiculous TOS I can't actually *use* a VPN to play multiplayer games (or any games??)

This has, however, fixed my problem. What do I do now?
If I don't have the VPN enabled I can't login to Steam at all (says I am offline, no registry file to edit)

I'm not running any anti-virus software save for Windows Defender and Windows Firewall (all of which are configured correctly).

Any help would be appreciated - my ISP told me to talk to Valve and I imagine Valve will tell me to talk to my ISP.

[Satoru]

If it works over a VPN then your ISP is blocking them. It's also possible your ISP's DNS servers are poisoned, since the VPN tunnel would be using it's own DNS. Try using Google DNS 8.8.8.8 instead as a test.

[schnitzeljaeger]

This guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUUzi0UHLOw solved it by circumventing the DNS. Did you try changing your standard DNS entry of your network adapter? Maybe setting it to 8.8.8.8 helps...

edit: ninja'd ^^

edit²: Don't forget to do the ipconfig /flushdns if it won't work instantly.

[rip the pope]

The plot thickens... I don't seem to have a hosts file anymore.

Although this link fixed that, for reference: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972034

I will do a reboot now and see if that fixes it.

If not I'll have to try the Google DNS!

Thanks guys :)

[Satoru]

Not having a host file isnt' that important. Genereally it should only contain 127.0.0.1 which is a loopback address.

I also am not a huge fan of hosts files since you'll forgoet you made this 'change' 2 months from now and when teh IP changes on Steam your connecion will fail again. It's a good 'test' but don't put it there permanently because it's not a permanetn fix.

the Google DNS is a better option but it is slightly more 'technical' then editing a text file so I get the appeal of the hosts file editing.

[rip the pope]

Hosts file doesn't seem to have worked - without the VPN the Steam connection times out to Valve servers (so I can't re-download my games etc.)

However, I can connect to a game (e.g Dota 2) and it runs fine. Seems just to block download servers (?).

Google DNS settings didn't work - unless I did it wrong. Connection kept dropping out. I will try again after another restart. So weird.

It's also weird that 1) Valve haven't addressed this issue and 2) an ISP would block a connection like that without justification/alerting service users.

Thanks for the tip about the hosts file, I didn't realise that so it won't be a permanent fix.

[Satoru]

If the dns doesnt fix it then it's your ISP.

ISPs block steam for various reasons. In the UK Steam is universally blocked via all mobile device connections (3g/lte/etc). Yours may fall into that category.

[stratakarius]

I fixed this by checking out my ISP's modem's firewall. I forgot that several months ago I had jacked the security up from medium to high so most ports were being blocked. This led steam and other clients to stall out which would force me to quit, reload, quit, reload until it finally worked, which i'm assuming meant that it was cycling through ports each time I reloaded.

Interestingly enough, the only client that worked the whole time was origin, but apex legends wouldn't connect. Everything connected fine with a VPN though since it used it's own DNS, but I had to configure it to port 53, which in hindsight was a port that was allowed on high security.

Long story short, that may be some folk's issue. Try turning it off for a few and see if it fixes the issue. Cheers.

[applejuice]

so what fixed it in the end?

[Iceira]

DNS is actual a option in a DHCP Scope, but it can be provide through our ISP but that dont mean you have configured it at Router, most do this automatic included NaT but its all depend on router / modem or whatever gear is from ISP

ps.
if it work with VPN that means you have a working network including ISP, how else do you think it can go from you to other network. ( if isp block it then its possible you have service on wan line like firewall or antivirus app that block it. you might have even forgot it ) and why should a ISP block anything try see them as first jump router to rest of the world that is exatly what they are ( yes there can be misconfiguretion and other things , but try talk with them first they do have support, and yes it has been seen some of them make mistakes they all think it has work that way forever then np here. things dont work like that, all real supporter - network engine has learn this along the way. things change and sometimes other things can effect it even it is complicated sometimes ask and old gamers with cobber lines what moist weather can do on transmission ohhh boy... talk with ISP there is no other way.