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Can’t Connect to a Session

Table of Contents

This article will help both therapists and clients resolve session connection issues.

Check the Basics #

Reload the webpage #

  • Reload the session webpage a few times to see if this enables you to enter your session.

Check Your Internet Connection #

  • Ensure your internet connection is stable and working for other applications. Open a few unrelated websites and check that they are loading.
  • If they aren’t, then your issue is not specifically related to Bilateral Base, and you need to restore internet access to your device.

Restart Your Computer #

  • Restarting a computer clears memory, applies updates, resets network connections, and reinitialises hardware. This often resolves software glitches and improves overall performance.

Still not working? Continue with the steps below.

Most Common Cause – Connection Blocked by Organisation’s Network #

  • Some organisations restrict what video conferencing services can be accessed via their network/Wi-Fi.
  • If you see a message on your screen saying ‘Could not connect to session’ when attempting to join a session, this may be the cause.

Steps to resolve: #

Try an Alternative Internet Connection: #

  • Connect your computer or device to a different internet connection, such as the ‘mobile hotspot’ on your phone, and try to connect to the session. If the session connects using the alternative connection, the issue likely lies with the original network blocking access to your video conferencing servers.

Settings to Unblock Network: #

Still not working? If the session doesn’t connect on either network, or you’re not connected to an organisation’s network, continue with the steps below.

All Troubleshooting Steps #

  • If the above steps have not resolved the issue, the next thing to do is look at each part of how your device is connecting to our video call servers in turn and narrow down where the issue is.

Device #

  • Try a different computer/device. If you are using your laptop, try connecting a different computer/device using the same Wi-Fi/internet connection. This will narrow down whether the issue is specific to your device.
  • Works on another device – the issue is likely the setup/software on your device. Go to the next section, ‘Software’.
  • Doesn’t work on another device – the issue is more likely to be related to your internet connection or possibly our servers. Skip the software section and continue to steps under ‘Internet Connection’.

Software #

If you’ve identified that the issue only occurs on your original device, try the following:

  • Open Session in Private/Incognito Mode: Using incognito browsing can resolve issues by not using cached data, cookies, or extensions, ensuring a clean state for websites to load properly. Search how to do this.
  • Update Your Browser: Ensure you are using the latest version of your web browser. Sometimes, outdated browsers can cause connectivity issues.
  • Try a Different Browser: Using a different browser can resolve issues by bypassing browser-specific bugs and compatibility problems. For example, if you’re using Firefox, try Chrome.
  • Disable Antivirus Software: Disabling antivirus temporarily can resolve issues by preventing it from mistakenly blocking legitimate applications or network connections.
  • Disable VPN or Proxy: Disabling a VPN or proxy can resolve issues because these services can interfere with network connections or cause compatibility problems, allowing direct access to the internet and improving performance.

Internet Connection #

  • Check that your computer is definitely able to access the internet by going to a few other unrelated websites to see if they load.
  • Trying a different internet connection, for example, the hotspot on your mobile phone, will identify if something about your internet connection is blocking the connection. You can then ask the relevant person to enable access to our video conferencing servers using the following information: Network Configuration Settings.

Internet Servers #

  • Bilateral Base Server Failure: The issue could be a failure of our servers. However, because we have multiple servers running at all times, any failure will be instantly resolved by another server ‘stepping in’, so it is rare that this is the issue. You can check our video conferencing infrastructure status at Server Status.
  • General Internet Infrastructure Failure: The issue might be due to a failure with a part of the general internet infrastructure rather than your specific device. Problems with internet service providers, regional outages, or issues with the website’s server can affect connectivity and performance. In such cases, the problem is beyond your device and will be resolved once the broader internet issue is fixed. You could do a search for general outages in your area.

Contact Support #

  • If you’ve tried all the above steps and still cannot connect to your session, please contact our support team for further assistance.