I keep having network/connection issues

With internet-based applications like SIRIUS, your internet and network connection are key role for a proper use of the application. In many cases there isn't an error with the entire underlying system, but instead a network condition that's causing things to not work right. There are several things to check on if you're experiencing network connection issues, and these have been detailed below.

Firewall

We do understand that many organizations prefer to route their network traffic through a firewall to improve privacy and security. However, because SIRIUS is a peer to peer service, we do need some traffic to be allowed through the firewall. We require that outgoing traffic via TCP and UDP on port 443 is open, so this change will need to be made by your network administrator.

Proxy or VPN

At the moment we don't use a static range of IP addresses for SIRIUS's servers, so we don't recommend using SIRIUS behind a proxy or VPN. In some cases users will have initial success using SIRIUS behind these services, but in many cases those users do end up experiencing connection issues at some point in time.

Network Latency

In some cases it's possible that the connection problems don't derive from your actual internet speed, but instead your connection to your service provider. The most common point where this can happen is your WiFi router. WiFi routers have the best performance when your computer has direct line of sight to router. In situations where there is one or more walls between you and your router, it's possible for your network speeds to slow, and for the connection to your network to degrade. A good way to test if this is happening is to run a internet speed test in varying locations to see if the speeds change. If it seems you have unreliable WiFi, consider connecting your laptop directly with the router using an ethernet cable. We recommend you to read our article about Network Requirements.

Other Situations

In a few countries like Russia, China, and the UAE, we're aware of restrictions that have been put in place for peer to peer applications like SIRIUS. In many of these areas we've had reports from users that they have spotty access to SIRIUS, or that our service doesn't work for them at all. Unfortunately because these are government-level restrictions, there isn't anything we can do to address these types of situations.