Steam error code 118: 'server may be offline,' usually it is not

Error code 118 in Steam reads 'Unable to connect to server. Server may be offline or you may not be connected to the internet.' Despite the wording, Steam's servers are rarely the issue; the client simply could not complete a connection. Firewalls and antivirus blocking the client, proxies and VPNs, router faults, and DNS problems account for most cases.

Fix it, in order

  1. Verify Steam's status from another device or network before changing anything. If Steam genuinely is down, stop here.
  2. Restart router and PC, then retry Steam before deeper changes, so you know whether the cheap fix worked.
  3. Check the firewall: make sure Steam is allowed through Windows Defender Firewall (search 'allow an app through firewall') and any third-party security suite.
  4. Remove VPNs and proxies from the path, including the system proxy setting, and test on a plain connection.
  5. Flush DNS (ipconfig /flushdns) and consider a public resolver if your ISP's DNS has been flaky.
  6. Clear the Steam web cache (Settings, Web Browser, Delete web browser cache) if only store or community pages show 118.

118 versus 105

Both codes mean the client could not talk to Steam's web servers. Error 105 leans toward name resolution (DNS), error 118 toward the connection itself being refused, blocked, or timed out, which is why firewall and proxy checks rank higher here. In practice the two lists overlap heavily, and working both sets of steps is reasonable when the first does not land.

Common questions

Everyone says Steam is up, but I still get 118. What now? Test Steam over a phone hotspot. If it connects there, your home network, router, or ISP path is the culprit; if it fails there too, the PC itself, its firewall, antivirus, or the Steam installation, is where to dig.

Could my ISP be blocking Steam? It happens occasionally through faulty filtering or routing, and the hotspot test exposes it. If the ISP path is at fault and a router restart does not help, the ISP's support line, armed with 'other networks work,' is the next step.

Related

Steam error code 105 · Steam connection error · ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED · Steam disk write error