If the Covenant Eyes software on your Mac® computer is having trouble connecting to our database, you may receive a Network Down? Covenant Eyes is unable to connect to the internet. Error M201: Could not connect to server or Blocking service limited. Error M201: Could not connect to server error message. This article will walk you through how to fix the M201 error message:
- Restart Your Mac
- Check Your Internet Connection
- Update Covenant Eyes
- Try Another Connection or Reboot Your Router
- Check for Conflicts
Restart Your Mac®
Although this is a simple step, restarting your Mac® can help re-launch Covenant Eyes and your internet connection:
- From your Mac® desktop, click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen.
- From the menu, select “Restart…”
- Your Mac® should automatically restart. After the restart, try and access the internet and see if the error message pops up. If you still can’t access the internet, read the next section of this article.
Check Your Internet Connection
Check if you’re connected to a WiFi network:
- From the top right-hand corner of your Mac® menu bar, select the WiFi network icon (it looks like an inverted pyramid).
- If your Mac® is connected to a WiFi network, the icon next to the network will be highlighted.
- If you’re not currently connected to the desired WiFi network, select the WiFi name from the drop-down menu. Then, if prompted, enter the WiFi network’s password and click the “Join” button.
- Now try and open an internet browser (like Google Chrome or Safari) and try to go to a website. If you can access the internet, you’re all set!
Check if you’re connected to a network with an Ethernet cable:
- Make sure the cable is securely plugged into both your computer and router.
- Make sure your router is securely plugged into the wall and that your router is on.
- Restart the router by unplugging it from the wall (for about ten seconds) and then plug it back in. Give your router a moment to reboot, your computer a moment to recognize the network, and attempt to find your network icon again and connect.
- If you are still experiencing network connectivity issues after restarting your router, contact your internet service provider.
Update Covenant Eyes
Try to update Covenant Eyes on your Mac®:
- From the top right-hand corner of your Mac menu bar, select the Covenant Eyes icon (it looks like an eyeball).
- From the drop-down menu at the bottom, next to Screen Accountability™, you’ll see the Covenant Eyes version number.
- Login to My Account to see if the Covenant Eyes version number matches the one on your Mac®. If the Covenant Eyes version on My Account is different/newer than the version on your computer, download and install it.
Try Another Connection or Reboot Your Router
Switch networks or switch your connection to see if there’s an underlying issue with your current connection:
- If there are other WiFi networks available, try to connect to a different WiFi network.
- If you can turn your phone into a mobile hotspot, turn on your hotspot and then try to connect your Mac®.
- If you’re currently trying to connect to a public hotspot (coffee shop, hotel, or airport), accept the terms and conditions page for the network.
If the M201 error message goes away after you switch to another WiFi network or hotspot, there may be a conflict on your network (see the “Check for Conflicts” section of this article), or your internet router isn’t emitting a strong internet signal.
To restart your router, unplug it from the wall for about ten seconds and then plug it back in. Give your Mac® about 1-7 minutes to re-recognize and connect to your WiFi and then try to access the internet.
Check for Conflicts
If you use another filtering service or parental control software with Covenant Eyes, the other service may “fight” with our filter. This may result in no internet access or otherwise “safe” sites being randomly blocked. Review our list of known filtering conflicts to see if you’re using another program that conflicts with Covenant Eyes.