You try to open the website from the office.
The page never loads.
Sometimes the browser shows a connection error.
Sometimes the request simply times out.
Yet the same website opens instantly at home.
Same device.
Same browser.
The only difference is the network.
In many cases, the website itself isn’t down.
Your company network may be blocking the server’s IP range.
How IP-Based Blocking Works
Corporate networks often control access using IP filtering rules.
Instead of blocking a domain name, the network blocks specific IP address ranges.
- Cloud hosting providers
- Foreign server locations
- Unverified external services
- Recently created infrastructure
If the website’s server belongs to a blocked IP range, the connection will fail.
Why Some Services Are Affected
Many online platforms host their services on shared cloud infrastructure.
If a corporate firewall blocks that infrastructure’s IP range, multiple services can become inaccessible.
This explains why some websites work normally while others fail to load.
Signs an IP Range Block Is Causing the Issue
- The service works on mobile data
- The website loads normally on home Wi-Fi
- Only the company network blocks access
- Other cloud-based services behave similarly
These patterns often indicate that the corporate firewall is blocking an IP range.
What You Can Do
- Ask the IT team whether the service IP range is restricted
- Check whether the platform is hosted on a blocked provider
- Try accessing the service from another network
If the IP range is blocked by company policy, only administrators can modify the rule.
If a website works everywhere except your company network,
the site itself usually isn’t the issue.
The network may simply be blocking the server’s IP range.