edit: I changed my location and that seems to have worked for now. still a strange thing that it was localhost and not "site blocked" or something if my location was the issue. my VPN (ExpressVPN) was set to NJ. I switched to Toronto. ___ 🤷
hi all!!
has anyone else had this issue and been able to fix it? it happens on any browser (vivaldi, brave, lightning, vivandium...), phone or desktop, if I'm connected to my VPN.
I'm using startpage specifically because it's supposed to be privacy-focused... I don't want to keep disconnecting my VPN every time I have to make a search.
(internet connection is working perfectly and no issues with other sites)
(I have some other search engines I use for specific things, but looking to troubleshoot this if anyone knows the solution...)
24 Comments
Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org · 43 pts · 228d
Reminder: Startpage was sold to System1, an Ad-Company.
m33@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 228d
That doesn’t sound good 😐
raqqed@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 228d
thanks for the info! so what are recommended alternatives?
FosterMolasses@leminal.space · 5 pts · 228d
Qwant is decent, better image results too
ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 228d
Do they rate limit as hard as searx/startpage? I can search like 10 things a day on those and that just doesn't cut it with the level of ADHD I've been saddled with.
Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org · 0 pts · 228d
I just use DDG... not optimal still but I feel kinda defeated.
copyscam@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 228d
the ads have been increasingly annoying for me. still always looking for solutions to this enshitification.
douglasg14b@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 227d
Kagi.
Been using it for a couple years, everything else just feels gross now when I end up on them on a device without it.
I do a lot of technical research, so it's a good fit, if you largely just look for pop news and stuff probably not.
^Inb4 the user that always responds to Kagi mentions puts me on blast because kAGi UsEs YaNDeX^
Mobile@leminal.space · 1 pts · 226d
Well shit. Thank you for telling me this. I've been using startmail as my alternative to Proton as I de-Googled.
Currently looking to see if Startmail is also owned by System1. Anyone aware of other email services that you use?
Jerry@feddit.online · 17 pts · 229d
I deleted what I wrote before. If it federated, ignore it.
Your browser is trying to find startpage.com on your local machine instead of the Internet.
While on the VPN, open a command window and ping startpage.com. Does it return localhost or the real IP address? If it returns the real IP address, then the problem is related to the browser. Try another browser to see if it's Vivaldi-related.
If it returns localhost then maybe it's a setting in protonVPN?
This is strange. Just try to find clues.
copyscam@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 229d
thank you! yea it's really weird that it was going to "localhost" that's what was tripping me up. I tried changing locations of the VPN and that seems to have worked for now, but I don't really get why. computers, man.
FriendOfDeSoto@startrek.website · 8 pts · 229d
Tried it with VPN on and on Vivaldi on Android and it works just fine. I think you have another gremlin in your setup.
copyscam@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 229d
thanks for checking...I'm extremely confused!
hexagonwin@lemmy.sdf.org · 4 pts · 229d
why does it say localhost...? I can use startpage.com just fine through my ProtonVPN (japan)
copyscam@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 229d
that's what I'm confused about. when I turn off my VPN, it loads normally, without changing any settings within the browser or computer/phone.
hexagonwin@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 228d
try running nslookup with/without VPN, also try changing your DNS (Quad9 recommended)
Zerush@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 228d
Yes and no, what ocurred is that Startpage in default privacy mode, us an own proxy, which may enter in conflict with an VPN. You can't use an VPN or Proxy over another one. Startpage, even now owned by System one, remains pretty private.
specialwall@midwest.social · 2 pts · 228d
It's news to me that you can't connect to a proxy over a VPN.
Zerush@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 228d
It depends if the VPN skip it or not, but a VPN can enter in conflict if your connection goes already over an proxy, which is probably the case in Startpage. There are are several proxy extensions in the stores, eg. CyberGhost, and VPNLY, if you activate both, they'll give an error.
goldkiddo@feddit.it · 1 pts · 227d
mojeek best search engine
ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 228d
Glad the location reroll worked. Idk if it's related to the VPN (mullvad) but fwiw I can barely use startpage nor searx because they rate limit me hard enough that it gets in the way of my daily curiosity, without rerolling at least 2x daily that is. Oh well DDG for me I guess.
Zoma@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 226d
4get is the best search engine
user28282912@piefed.social · 1 pts · 229d
If you are using a VPN app it may be intercepting and proxying web traffic for you (whether you realize it or not). This would explain why it works when you 'turn off the vpn'.
If your VPN provider requires an app, well, that sucks and you should consider using another provider that does not.
eager_eagle@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 229d
Jerry@feddit.online · 0 pts · 229d
Undertaker@feddit.org · 0 pts · 228d
This happens unfortunately more often since a year or so with Tor as well. It should not depend on DNS because I use always Mullvad. I guess, it's a weird blocking behaviour.
That's why I switched to brave and use startpage much less