Hello,
Weirdly lichess will not connect to my computer unless I'm connecting through a VPN. If I try through my regular network connection the website does not connect- rather, the connection simply times out. When I'm on VPN it works fine. However, I'm not sure what's going on. I'd like not to have to use a VPN as it introduces some latency into the connection that might get in the way, and it is prone to bandwidth limitations that my regular connection is not. Does anyone know why this would be happening?
Are you on school WiFi or work WiFi? Schools and companies sometimes block lichess.
No I am just on my home network, it is an apartment building.
Yeah, so ... you want to contact a website. Your computer says "No" based on the website. But, you can connect to an altogether different network, and then get access to the website.
One of these things is not like the other.
How does a VPN work? Well, it depends on the type of VPN. But, it sounds like you have a full VPN. (Which means all packets are being sent over the VPN once established.)
That means something on the home or local network is blocking LiChess somehow. Once you establish a VPN connection, those requests are tunneled through the VPN (the local network only sees the VPN connection; it could care less about what website you're contacting).
Sounds like you know and understand the above details, but, just to be sure, now you know.
That said, if you know and understand the above details, then, it's a simple matter of troubleshooting the local or home network (when the VPN isn't established). That means doing something like a dig and a traceroute to see where the packets are being dropped. If they're dropped inside the network you control, then log into whatever network appliance and adjust settings accordingly. If packets are dropped outside of your network control, then there's little you can do about it short of calling and complaining to your service provider.
Bottom line: Troubleshoot your home or local network. If that fails, call your Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you can establish a connection to LiChess, there's not a problem with LiChess. (Unless you live in a country or have a network administrator who blocks LiChess; then VPN is practically required.)
All very basic.
It could also be a DNS failure, which would be strange.
@MrCharles @Toadofsky I ended up looking up how to run tracert, dig, etc. and ran it- not sure what the results show though. Is this my ISP? What is the weak link in the chain here? Ping goes through with or without VPN, the only difference seems to be the tracert results, but I'm not sure what part of the connection is broken, because at the end it seems like a package goes through regardless, yet my computer refuses to connect.
EDIT: Nevermind, apparently it just fixed itself for no apparent reason, so now everything works, I think?
I'm guessing the weakest link is something on the PC or device; and/or on the server.
There was a case when I could run lichess from mobile data but not from the wifi in my home. It happened for a few hours a few months ago but solved itself without me taking any steps.
