My game wont load on my wifi but will load when i connect my mobile hotspot

Question

My game wont load on my wifi but will load when i connect my mobile hotspot

Athena Ramirez 0

So, for the past year or so a game hasn't been loading correctly. no matter what I do whether it's restarting my laptop, resetting it, uninstalling and reinstalling the game, verifying the game files, cleaning out my laptop, checking for viruses, as well as downloading Cloudflare, the game just won't load. Though Cloudflare seemed to work for about a week or two but after it went back to not working. The only thing that seems to work is when I connect my laptop to my mobile hotspot and the game will load how it's supposed to. Other games load perfectly fine on normal Wi-Fi, and I can watch shows/movies on streaming services. I did the port forwarding last night but I haven't checked if that worked but will check when I get home from work later. But if there is anything else someone knows I can do, PLS I'd really appreciate it.

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Answer 1

It sounds like you're experiencing a network issue that affects only the specific game when using your Wi-Fi, while it works fine with your mobile hotspot. Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try:

Check Firewall Settings: Sometimes, the firewall settings on your router or computer may block certain game traffic. Ensure that the game is allowed through the firewall.
DNS Settings: Try changing your DNS settings to a public DNS like Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1). This can sometimes resolve connectivity issues.
Router Configuration: Since you mentioned port forwarding, ensure that the correct ports for the game are forwarded on your router. You can also try resetting your router to factory settings and reconfiguring it.
Network Quality: Check for any bandwidth limitations or Quality of Service (QoS) settings on your router that might prioritize other traffic over your game.
Update Network Drivers: Make sure your network drivers are up to date. Sometimes outdated drivers can cause connectivity issues.
Test with Another Device: If possible, try loading the game on another device connected to the same Wi-Fi network to see if the issue persists. This can help determine if the problem is with your laptop or the network itself.

If none of these steps work, you may want to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for further assistance, as there could be issues with your internet connection that are not apparent during regular use.

References:

Answer 2

David-M 112.1K Independent Advisor

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

Please clarify the following:

Do you have a third-party antivirus installed? If yes, which one?
Do you have any VPN software installed? (Even if it's not running at the moment) If yes, which one?
What game are you trying to run, and is it through a launcher (Steam, Epic, etc.)?
Have you checked if your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is blocking or throttling connections to that specific game server?
Do you know if other devices on the same Wi-Fi network experience the same issue with the same game?

I await your reply.

Athena Ramirez 0 Reputation points

2026-01-16T17:12:36.71+00:00

I have Norton for the anti-virus but I recently got it because that was my concern that there was a virus. no vpn software. Vrchat is the game and its through steam. I don't have another pc so I can't test it on another computer. how would I go about checking if my ISP is blocking the game server?
David-M 112.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-01-16T17:28:36.03+00:00
My suspicion comes from the fact that the game works when you use a mobile hotspot. If the issue were with Windows or your computer, the game wouldn't suddenly start working on a different connection. And since other games run fine on your regular Wi-Fi, the problem isn't with the Wi-Fi itself. The most likely explanation is that your ISP is blocking or interfering with traffic to this particular game server, possibly even intentionally.

The best way to check is to find the IP or domain address of the game server and run a ping (or better yet, a traceroute "tracert") from the command prompt. This will show whether your connection is being stopped or delayed along the route, and can help confirm if the ISP is the source of the problem.

Open Start and type cmd, right-click on "Command Prompt", and select "Run as administrator".

Type the following command and press Enter:

ping <game IP or domain>

Or this command:

tracert <game IP or domain>

(You can try both commands if you want.)

(Ideally, the above test should be performed on both networks to ensure that the game server responds to pings.)

Another option is to try using a free VPN while connected to your Wi-Fi. Just make sure beforehand that the VPN you choose allows gaming traffic, since some providers block or limit those connections.

Feel free to ask back any questions.

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My game wont load on my wifi but will load when i connect my mobile hotspot

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