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startpage.com blocking VPN? (lemmy.ml)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/privacy@lemmy.ml
14 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

edit: I changed my location and that seems to have worked for now. still a strange thing that it was localhost and not "site blocked" or something if my location was the issue. my VPN (ExpressVPN) was set to NJ. I switched to Toronto. ___ 🀷

hi all!!

has anyone else had this issue and been able to fix it? it happens on any browser (vivaldi, brave, lightning, vivandium...), phone or desktop, if I'm connected to my VPN.

I'm using startpage specifically because it's supposed to be privacy-focused... I don't want to keep disconnecting my VPN every time I have to make a search.

(internet connection is working perfectly and no issues with other sites)

(I have some other search engines I use for specific things, but looking to troubleshoot this if anyone knows the solution...)

This site can’t be reached localhost refused to connect. Try: Checking the connection Checking the proxy and the firewall ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED Check your Internet connection Check any cables and reboot any routers, modems, or other network devices you may be using. Allow Vivaldi to access the network in your firewall or antivirus settings. If it is already listed as a program allowed to access the network, try removing it from the list and adding it again. If you use a proxy server… Go to the Vivaldi menu > Settings > System > Open your computer's proxy settings > Network & internet > Proxy and deselect "Automatically detect settings".

all 14 comments

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[–] 18 points 10 months ago (1 child)

I deleted what I wrote before. If it federated, ignore it.

Your browser is trying to find startpage.com on your local machine instead of the Internet.

While on the VPN, open a command window and ping startpage.com. Does it return localhost or the real IP address? If it returns the real IP address, then the problem is related to the browser. Try another browser to see if it's Vivaldi-related.

If it returns localhost then maybe it's a setting in protonVPN?

This is strange. Just try to find clues.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 10 months ago

    thank you! yea it's really weird that it was going to "localhost" that's what was tripping me up. I tried changing locations of the VPN and that seems to have worked for now, but I don't really get why. computers, man.

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    • [–] 8 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Tried it with VPN on and on Vivaldi on Android and it works just fine. I think you have another gremlin in your setup.

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    • [–] 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    why does it say localhost...? I can use startpage.com just fine through my ProtonVPN (japan)

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    • [–] 3 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    Yes and no, what ocurred is that Startpage in default privacy mode, us an own proxy, which may enter in conflict with an VPN. You can't use an VPN or Proxy over another one. Startpage, even now owned by System one, remains pretty private.

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  • [+] 2 points 10 months ago (1 child)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago

    It depends if the VPN skip it or not, but a VPN can enter in conflict if your connection goes already over an proxy, which is probably the case in Startpage. There are are several proxy extensions in the stores, eg. CyberGhost, and VPNLY, if you activate both, they'll give an error.

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    • [–] 2 points 10 months ago*

    Glad the location reroll worked. Idk if it's related to the VPN (mullvad) but fwiw I can barely use startpage nor searx because they rate limit me hard enough that it gets in the way of my daily curiosity, without rerolling at least 2x daily that is. Oh well DDG for me I guess.

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    [–] 2 points 10 months ago

    4get is the best search engine

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    [–] 1 point 10 months ago

    If you are using a VPN app it may be intercepting and proxying web traffic for you (whether you realize it or not). This would explain why it works when you 'turn off the vpn'.

    If your VPN provider requires an app, well, that sucks and you should consider using another provider that does not.

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