Brave browser not working on specific router

Description of the issue:
Brave browser is not working on my primary router/network. Websites won’t load, and I get a proxy error message. Other browsers work fine on this router, but Brave does not. When connected to an extended network, Brave works without issue. This problem started recently and it used to work fine on this router a few months ago.

Actual Result (gifs and screenshots are welcome!):
Brave browser shows a proxy error message and doesn’t load websites when connected to the primary router/network.

Expected result:
Websites should load normally on the Brave browser while connected to the primary router/network, similar to other browsers.

Reproduces how often:
Every time I try to use Brave on the primary router/network.

All other browsers (Safari, etc.) work fine on the same router.

Brave works when connected to an extender for the same network.

The issue started recently; Brave used to work perfectly on the primary router just a few months ago.

Secure DNS is turned off.

Tried clearing cache and cookies, but the problem persists.

Private browsing also doesnt work

Brave version: 1.76.74
MacOS version: 15.3.1

Please edit your Original Post (“OP”) above, to include:

  • Brave Browser version numbers
  • MacOS version numbers

In a Brave Browser New Window, go to:

  • brave://settings/clearBrowserData Advanced tab

Time range: All time

ENABLE:

  • Browsing history
  • Download history
  • Cached images and files

Click Clear data


Fiddle with, toggle, the DNS settings:


In a Brave Browser New Window, go to:

brave://net-internals/#dns

Click on Clear host cache

Next, same window, select “Sockets” on the left.

Click Close idle sockets

Click Flush socket pools

Quit everything and Restart your computer.


A simple online test webpage to reach:

https://test.nextdns.io/

Test - compare results:

  • Brave Browser New Window
  • Brave Browser New Private Window

Extensions testing

  • Disable ALL extensions that you have added; then test for issue
  • Enable extensions, one at a time, in order to individually test for issue
  • Enable combinations of extensions, in order to see which combinations of extensions will work without encountering the issue

Launch Brave, go to Menu --> More tools --> Add profile and create a new browser profile (this will not overwrite the user’s current profile, and the user is free to delete the new profile after testing).

Close the user’s original profile window so only the new profile window is open.

Test the issue.


Hi Thanks for the reply,

updated the orignal version to include MacOS and Brave versions. I tried all of the above trouble shooting steps but still facing the same issue. When I restart all the old tabs load properly but whenever I try to search anything on this network, this is the error I’m getting (image attached). **weird thing is that all other browsers like safari is working just fine.

I would test with only 1 Internet browser window open. I would not have any extra browser windows/tabs existing/operating.

Just 1 Brave Browser window:

The object of the exercise, is to successfully reach and display/render a website on the Internet.

For such testing, you want the lightest load.

Open a Brave Browser New Window and enter into its URL address field:

  • https://test.nextdns.io/

You would do all that, with the newly created profile - created for test purposes.


Also, open 3 MacOS Terminal.app windows.

Terminal.app window #1, command:

  • ping -c 50 -i 2 [local area network gateway IP address for network router]

Terminal.app window #2, command:

  • ping -c 50 -i 2 [your ISP's primary DNS server number - ie. its IP address]

Terminal.app window #3, command:

  • ping -c 50 -i 2 test.nextdns.io

You are looking for inconsistent PINGs, interruptions.

Hey,
thanks so much for the detailed response, but I’m not sure how but just tried using the network again and it started working. Probably one of the earlier troubleshooting steps worked, I just had to restart brave again. thanks again!

1 Like