Can't get ip data!

hey guys, i'm totally stuck here and getting really frustrated. i saw the 'IP lookup API for noobs?' thread and thought i had it, but nope. i just can't get any ip data back from this geolocation API, it's driving me nuts.

i'm trying to integrate a simple IP geolocation service into my app to show users their approximate location on first visit. should be straightforward, right? well, for the past few hours, i'm hitting a brick wall. i've signed up for a few different free-tier APIs, got my keys, but nothing works.

here's what i've tried so far:

• using the official python client library for one of the APIs.
• making direct cURL requests from my server terminal.
• double-checked my API key like 10 times, generated new ones too.
• checked my server's outbound firewall rules (as far as i know, nothing is blocking port 443).
• tried different IP addresses (my own, google's 8.8.8.8, etc.).

every single time, i get some kind of connection error or a timeout. it's like my server just can't reach the API endpoints. for example, when i try a simple cURL, this is what i get:

curl: (7) Failed to connect to api.example-geo.com port 443: Connection timed out

or if i use the python library, it's usually something like:

requests.exceptions.ConnectionError: ('Connection aborted.', ConnectionResetError(104, 'Connection reset by peer'))

i'm literally pulling my hair out. is there some common server setting i'm missing for outgoing API calls? or maybe a specific `ip data` provider that's known to be super reliable for initial setup? i just need to get *something* working so i can move on. any pointers at all would be a lifesaver.

thanks in advance!