Perplexity Something Went Wrong + Network Errors – How to Fix

Step-by-Step Fix

The combination of "Something went wrong" and a network error on Perplexity points to a connectivity problem between your device and Perplexity's servers. This is a network-layer issue, not a browser rendering or account problem. Work through these steps in order.

Step 1: Disconnect Your VPN

VPNs are the single most common cause of this specific error combination on Perplexity.

1. Find your VPN client in the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac)
2. Click Disconnect or Turn Off
3. Wait 10 seconds for the connection to fully drop
4. Reload perplexity.ai and run your query
5. If the error is gone, your VPN's exit server is either blocked by Perplexity or is interfering with the streaming connection

If you must use a VPN: try switching to a different server location. US East, UK, or Germany servers tend to have fewer issues. Avoid servers in countries with high AI tool abuse rates, as those IP ranges are more commonly blocked.

Step 2: Switch to a Public DNS Server

Your ISP's DNS server may be returning outdated or incorrect IP addresses for Perplexity's API subdomains.

Windows:

1. Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center
2. Click your active connection > Properties
3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties
4. Select Use the following DNS server addresses
5. Set Preferred DNS to 8.8.8.8 and Alternate DNS to 8.8.4.4
6. Click OK and run ipconfig /flushdns in Command Prompt

Mac:

1. Go to System Settings > Network
2. Click your active connection > Details > DNS
3. Add 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google)
4. Click OK, then run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache in Terminal

After changing DNS, reload Perplexity and test.

Step 3: Test via Mobile Hotspot

This is the definitive test to determine whether the problem is your local network or Perplexity's servers.

1. Enable the personal hotspot on your phone (iOS: Settings > Personal Hotspot; Android: Settings > Network > Hotspot)
2. Connect your computer to the phone hotspot via Wi-Fi or USB tethering
3. Open perplexity.ai and run the same query that failed
4. If it works on hotspot: your home or work network is the cause (router, DNS, ISP, or firewall)
5. If it fails on hotspot too: check perplexity.ai/status for a service incident

Step 4: Check Your Router and Firewall Settings

Home routers with advanced security features can block AI service endpoints.

1. Restart your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in
2. After the router reconnects (usually 1 to 2 minutes), test Perplexity
3. If you use router-level DNS filtering (Pi-hole, NextDNS, or router parental controls), check whether perplexity.ai or its subdomains are on the blocklist
4. If you are on a corporate or school network, contact IT to confirm Perplexity is not blocked by the network firewall

Corporate firewalls often block AI tool domains at the category level — individual domain exceptions can be requested from your IT administrator.

Step 5: Check Perplexity's Status Page

Before spending more time on network troubleshooting, confirm the issue is not a platform-wide outage.

1. Open perplexity.ai/status in a new tab
2. Check for any active incidents under Search, API, or Core Infrastructure
3. Look at recent incident history for outages that started around the time you noticed the error
4. If an incident is active, all you need to do is wait — the error will resolve automatically
5. Follow @perplexity_ai on X (Twitter) for real-time status updates during incidents

Step 6: Try a Different Browser

Browser-specific network settings or extensions can cause connection issues that present as network errors.

1. Open Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari (whichever you do not normally use)
2. Navigate directly to perplexity.ai — do not use a bookmark or saved session
3. Log in and run your query
4. If it works in the new browser, a configuration setting or extension in your original browser is interfering with the connection

Step 7: Clear DNS Cache and Network State (Advanced)

If other steps have not resolved the issue, resetting your device's network state can clear stale connection data.

Windows:

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
netsh winsock reset

Restart your computer after running these commands.

Mac:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

After the reset, reconnect to Wi-Fi and test Perplexity again.

Why This Happens

The "Something went wrong" + network error combination specifically indicates that Perplexity's UI made an API request to its backend but received no valid response — either due to a connection timeout, a refused connection, or a dropped streaming response.

The network error component separates this from other "Something went wrong" cases (which can be server-side content errors) and pinpoints the problem to the transport layer:

• VPN exit node blocks — Perplexity blocks IP ranges associated with known bot traffic or abuse. Many VPN providers share exit IPs with these ranges.
• DNS resolution failures — Incorrect or cached IP addresses for Perplexity's API subdomains cause connections to go to the wrong server.
• Streaming connection interruptions — Perplexity uses long-lived streaming connections for AI responses. Firewalls and proxies that terminate long-running HTTP connections will break these streams.
• ISP throttling — Some ISPs throttle or deprioritize traffic to AI service domains during peak hours.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Retrying without switching networks. If you retry 5 times on the same network that is causing the error, you will get the same error 5 times. The mobile hotspot test (step 3) is essential to determine whether this is a network-level issue.
• Disabling only your browser extension VPN. If you use a system-level VPN client, disabling a browser-based privacy tool is insufficient. The system VPN keeps routing traffic even when the browser extension is off.
• Using a VPN to bypass the error when a VPN is causing it. Users on broken networks sometimes try to "fix" network errors by enabling a VPN — but if a VPN is already causing the problem, adding one on top makes it worse.
• Ignoring corporate or school network restrictions. If you are on a managed network, the firewall is the most likely cause and browser-level troubleshooting will not help. Always test on a personal connection first.
• Not flushing the DNS cache after changing DNS servers. Changing to a new DNS server does not immediately take effect if your device is caching the old DNS results. Run ipconfig /flushdns (Windows) or the Mac equivalent immediately after changing DNS.

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