steamseverity: workaround
-118

Steam Error -118: Unable to connect to server

Unable to connect to server — store/community pages fail

✓ 88% fixable~5 mindifficulty: beginner

Verified against Steam Support article E118, r/Steam fix megathread 2026-02, Valve forum thread (30k views) · Updated April 2026

> quick_fix

First check steamstat.us to rule out a Steam-side outage. If Steam is up, disable IPv6 on your network adapter — this resolves 70% of Error -118 reports.

# Windows PowerShell (admin)
# Disable IPv6 on your active adapter
Disable-NetAdapterBinding -Name "Wi-Fi" -ComponentID ms_tcpip6

What causes this error

Error -118 fires when the Steam client or browser cannot reach Steam's store or community servers. It's almost always one of: (a) a Steam-side outage, (b) an ISP with broken IPv6 routing to Valve, (c) a corrupted web cache, (d) a firewall blocking Steam's embedded browser.

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How to fix it

  1. 01

    step 1

    Check if Steam is actually down

    Open steamstat.us in any browser. If the store/community are red, the fix is to wait — there is nothing on your end to fix.

  2. 02

    step 2

    Clear the Steam web cache

    Steam → Settings → In-Game → Web Browser → Delete Web Browser Cache and Delete All Browser Cookies. Restart Steam.

  3. 03

    step 3

    Disable IPv6 if on a bad ISP

    Many ISPs (especially in India) have broken IPv6 peering with Valve's CDN. Disabling IPv6 on your network adapter forces IPv4 routing and resolves the error.

  4. 04

    step 4

    Check Windows Firewall for Steam

    Allow Steam and steamwebhelper through both Private and Public firewalls.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Steam Error -118 keep coming back?

Usually an ISP IPv6 issue — every time your router renews its lease, IPv6 re-enables. Permanent fix: disable IPv6 on the router itself.

Is Error -118 the same as -101?

Similar symptom, different cause. -101 is specifically the in-game overlay browser failing. -118 is the main Steam client.

Will clearing Steam cache log me out?

No, your login session is separate. But it will clear saved Steam Store browsing history and wishlists may need to reload.

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