I've been running into a really frustrating issue on my personal computer. Whenever I try to open Steam, Valorant, or Viber, I keep getting a notification saying, 'This content is blocked by your IT admin.' The annoying part is that this only happens on my PC, which is connected to the internet via a LAN cable. Interestingly, I don't face this problem on my phone when connected to Wi-Fi. I've checked to see if it's my ISP's doing by trying to access some NSFW websites, and those worked fine. However, today I started receiving the same blocking notification again.
Additionally, I've noticed my PC has been losing internet connection during late hours, usually between midnight and 3 AM. While I suspect that this might be related to either my LAN cable (as the speed shifts from 1000mbps to 100mbps) or some remote changes from my ISP, it's really only happening late at night. I have tried resetting my network settings and fixing the speed drop issue by unplugging and replugging the LAN cable until it registers correctly, which is quicker than reinstalling drivers. Any tips on how I can remedy this problem?
5 Answers
Lastly, if your PC and phone are on the same ISP but only the PC is having issues, make sure you’re using a legit copy of Windows. If it's an unofficial version from a corporate disk or something, it might be locking you out due to licensing issues.
If your internet speed is dropping that low, it's possible that your LAN cable is faulty. If it's a short cable, consider swapping it out for a new one. If it's a longer cable, re-terminating the ends could solve the problem if you have the tools for it.
Have you used any company login details to install software like Office? If so, it's possible your PC got enrolled in some management settings that could lead to these types of blocks. It's worth checking.
It sounds like that blocking message might not be related to your ISP at all. Typically, ISPs are straightforward about any blocks they impose. Since you're not seeing the same issue on your phone, it's likely that the problem is local to your PC. Have you checked for any malware? Running scans could help rule that out.
Trying out alternate DNS settings can definitely help. You might want to use public DNS numbers like Google's (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) to see if that clears up the issues!
You might have some kind of Mobile Device Management (MDM) software or web filter running on your machine. This isn't related to your ISP. If you can, share a screenshot of the message you're receiving—it might help pinpoint the issue.
I've done a couple of malware scans and I'm pretty sure I'm in the clear. Is there something I can adjust in my router settings that might help? Maybe changing the DNS servers or something?