Troubleshooting Network Connectivity

Categories: Topics | Steam | Connection Issues

Article: 1456-EUDN-2493 FAQ ID: 11 Updated: BurtonJ 10:12, 24 September 2009 (PDT)

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Steam Support will not request your Steam account password for any reason, nor will you ever be asked to enter your Steam account password into a website form.

IMPORTANT:

Before proceeding with troubleshooting, please check the Steam Server Status page to ensure the issue which you are encountering is not related to system-wide downtime. (If you encounter any timeout errors when attempting to access Steam sites, it is very likely that there is a system-wide issue and Steam will not be accessible until the issue is resolved)

Troubleshooting Network Connectivity Issues

Please follow the steps below to diagnose network connectivity issues within Steam:

Test Your Router
Before trying anything else, try bypassing your router by connecting your computer directly to your modem.

If the issue disappears after bypassing your router, please refer to the Using a Router with Steam topic for instructions to configure your router.

Note: running your router in DMZ mode is not supported by Steam and may result in connection issues.

Additionally, wireless connections are not recommended for online gaming. To ensure reliability, make sure you are using a wired connection to the internet while playing online.
Troubleshoot all Firewalls
See the Using a Firewall with Steam topic for instructions to properly configure your firewall for Steam.

Note: If you are installing Steam for the first time or Steam has recently been updated, a
firewall may be preventing Steam from connecting to the Steam Network - even if Steam
worked correctly before the update was applied.
Try Launching Steam using TCP
Start Steam with the "-tcp" launch option. Please see the Setting Steam Launch Options topic for instructions.
Disable Background Applications
Review the Programs Which Interfere with Steam and reconfigure, disable or uninstall any programs which may be preventing Steam and Valve games from connecting.
Viruses, Trojans, Adware and Spyware
Scan your computer for Spyware, Adware, and Viruses Interfering with Steam.
Power Cycle Your Network Hardware
If the issue persists, unplug your modem and router, wait a few seconds, then plug them back in. Sometimes, these devices simply need to be refreshed.

Required Ports for Steam

All required ports to run the Steam application are listed here. It is possible that other games available on Steam will require further ports to be available.

University Networks and Proxies

Many university networks and proxies block required ports for Steam operation - please consult your network administrator to ensure the required ports are open if you are using a university network or a proxy. Ports required for Steam can not be re-mapped to HTTP or reconfigured to a custom port range.

Known issues with Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

IMPORTANT:

If you notice that your Steam connection only has issues during certain hours of the day (usually in the evenings between 5pm and 11pm), it is probable that your ISP is blocking or "shaping" your connection. Please test your connection at other hours of the day and contact your ISP directly if you believe this is causing the connection issue.

There are several ISP's which interfere with Steam traffic:

Dutch Telecom (Steam traffic blocked)
ISPFree (Steam traffic blocked)
TalkTalk (bandwidth throttling reduces download speeds)
Bluewin (Firewall blocks Steam from provider side - must be disabled through provider's service portal)
012.net (Steam traffic blocked)

There are connection issues with certain ISPs that can be avoided depending on what type of cable/DSL modem and router you have.

Please follow the guide for Client dropped by server and Warning: Connection Problem issues if this is the error you are experiencing.

Retrieved from "http://supportwiki.steampowered.com/wiki/Troubleshooting_Network_Connectivity"

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Troubleshooting Network Connectivity

Troubleshooting Network Connectivity Issues

Required Ports for Steam

Known issues with Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

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