WebSockets have been a long time coming. They allow for truly live content to be displayed on web pages as if they were dynamic applications. Grammarly’s server accepts only these kinds of connections, allowing clients to be embedded within the website to connect to Grammarly.
To test whether you have WebSockets connections in your browser, go to https://app.grammarly.com/diagnostic-test
Does anything in your test results say Failed? That might be the root of the problem. Several things may prevent WebSockets from working or may block them entirely:
- Older browsers
- Some download managers
- Some mobile carriers
- Some firewalls
- Some antivirus software
- Some Internet service providers
- Strict configurations on routers
Software that blocks WebSockets by default:
- ZoneAlarm Firewall (Adding exceptions for Grammarly does not help. Even if you turn it off, it will continue to block Grammarly until it is uninstalled.)
- AVG
- Avast
- Bitdefender
- IObit Malware Fighter
- Internet Download Manager
- Superfish VisualDiscovery
- Avira Browser Safety
- Browser Guard
- Pokki
- Smart Panel
If one of these programs is installed on your computer, this might prevent you from establishing the connection with Grammarly’s server.
If none of these programs are installed on your computer but you are still experiencing issues related to your network configuration, we encourage you to get in touch with your network administrator and ask them to check out the following articles on troubleshooting the issue: WebSockets Support Q&A for System Administrators