Website not working correctly - (Solved - VPN settings)

Description of the issue:

At FoxNews.com website Article Comments section, when I click on Notifications of other Users comments, it fails to connect. It says to check my Firewall or Proxy. It goes to a different website connection first which is the problem. I know it is a settings in Brave that is preventing the connection. I just don’t which one.

At USATODAY Puzzles & Games Section none of the puzzles or games loads since it can’t play the ads. So I disabled the ads (Shield) for the website and also allow Javascript to run and enabled Flash. Still the puzzle doesn’t load until it actually plays the video ad first.

Steps to Reproduce (add as many as necessary): 1. 2. 3.
FOXNEWS
1- Click on any Fox News articles that has Comments enabled.
2-Log in and see if you have any notifications from other article’s comments.
3-Click on the other Article Comments and you will be redirected, at first, to a different website before going to the actual Fox News article with the new comments.
4-Error saying it can’t connect and to check your Firewall or Proxy settings.

USATODAY. Puzzles & Games Section.
1- Go to USATODAY and click on Crossword Puzzle to reach Puzzle and Games webpage.
2-Click on any games,
3-Click on “Play”
4-A black screen will show up with a round animated circle (the Video ad trying to run) and that is as far as it will go.

Actual Result (gifs and screenshots are welcome!):
FOXNEWS:


USATODAY:


Expected result:
FOXNEWS:
When I click on any Fox News comments to go to the new comments on a different Fox News article it will switch over without problems.

USATODAY:
When I go to play any Puzzles or Games at USATODAY they will start without any problems

Reproduces how often:
FOXNEWS and USATODAY every time.

Operating System and Brave Version(See the About Brave page in the main menu):
Windows 10 Pro 1909 Brave Version: Version 1.5.115 Chromium: 80.0.3987.149 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Additional Information:

These two websites works correctly on both Firefox and Chrome browsers. When I had an Ad Block extension on Firefox the exact same thing occurred with USATODAY Puzzles. Since the Ads were blocked the puzzles wouldn’t load and run.

Needed to delete the Ad Blocker extension for USATODAY Puzzle page to work again.

New to this Forum and I just noticed that I opened this thread in the wrong Forum. Please move it to the Website Troubleshooting Forum.

Can you test in Brave Beta (Seems to affects logins on Foxnews)

Just tested https://games.usatoday.com/games/mahjong-remix/ with default shields on Brave release, this worked fine?

I just tried Mahjong Remix with the same results as with the other games.

One of the games I play regularly by the way.

Can you tell me what Brave settings you have configured for USATODAY puzzles to work?

I will install the BETA Brave and see if it makes a difference. I will update this post with the results.

Thanks for the quick reply.

My Shield settings were default, nothing changed here. manage to play a few games of Mahjong

Beta might help, let me know

I just tried the exact link you posted with the same animated circles running with both shields enabled and disabled.

Yet this same website works perfectly in Firefox and Chrome when I had it installed.

okay, I will download the BETA and see if it makes a difference. Maybe is something I have configured in Windows or an Extension I have added causing the issue?

Does private mode help?

Ah, how to do start Private mode in Brave?

hamburger menu, open new private window

Is that the same as “Open Guest Window”?

That is the only “Open” command I have listed under the 3 horizontal stripes.

Ignore the above,

I found it as “New Private Window”

sorry, I am still familiarizing myself with this browser.

No difference in Private Window mode. Same symptoms.

Okay, Did Brave Beta help?

LoL, I finally figured what was blocking USATODAY.

I installed the BETA with the same results. Even turned off everything in Settings. No difference.

Then I remembered I have a VPN active (Surfshark) with USATODAY whitelisted on it.

Well, I turned off my VPN and USATODAY starting working normally.

Let me go to Foxs News and see if that works also. Will update this post afterwards.

I am really embarrassed now.

Foxs News is working also when I click on the Comment Notification.

All my problem was is that Brave is not compatible with VPNs.

But I can’t have my VPN disconnected to use Brave.

Let me Whitelist Fox News and USATODAY with addresses from Brave and see if that will work or not.

If it does that means I need to Whitelist is website from the actual browser that I am using.

Thank you very much for your help.

You can close or delete this thread since it is now solved.

Great to hear :slight_smile: Thanks !

VPN’s will work with Brave (I have 2), just depends what the VPN’s block etc.

I whitelisted USATODAY in Surfshark and the games worked and started without the ads.

I thought I had Fox News and USATODAY whitelisted but it seems I didn’t until now. I guess was because those two were working normally with the VPN on.

But Foxs News, even being whitelisted still can’t connected. I tried whitelisting the website that is goes to first but it didn’t work.

Let me try different settings in Surfshark and see if one them is causing the issue with Foxs news.

We block lots on both sites, having a VPN also blocking. Especially site issues, which is causing the issue. But I guess we both know now :slight_smile: If you’re using Brave, having the “VPN” Ads/tracking protections isn’t needed.

Damn, you do know your browser.

I turned off “CLEAN WEB” in Surfshark which is, as you mentioned, ad blocker and now Fox News comments is working normally.

I just tried it out now and it switched to the correct Fox articles without the error.

Thanks.

This means I can keep Surfshark active all the time except the Ad blocking feature will be off for Firefox. but that is not a big deal. I can live with that. :grinning:

1 Like