Failing to connect to one website

Scottyboy · Sep 03, 2007, 00:50:26

Hi, Ive had a look through the forum using search but havent found anything that may answer my question.

As of Friday evening I have not been able to get onto one specific website via my connection. Now the obvious question "Is the site down?" Well I know its working fine as I can access the site using my works laptop and through their vpn. I have no idea what could be causing the issue.

I try to tracrt to the site and get "unable to resolve target host name" Ping also fails.

I can access this forum ok as Im posting now and no problems with others. So I am confused to say the least. I have emailed Idnet but Im not sure its specific issue with them.

Any ideas?

Lance · Sep 03, 2007, 07:28:06

It sounds like you have a DNS issue. You could try opening up command prompt (Start > Run and type: cmd <enter>) and then typing: ipconfig /flushdns and see if that clears the bad DNS entry.

Scottyboy · Sep 03, 2007, 08:57:32

Thanks. I got the impression that it may be DNS related. Ive tried flushdns and it was completed successfully but I still cannot access the website.

Lance · Sep 03, 2007, 09:08:00

Could you try swapping the DNS entries in your router to the ones detailed here? This will determine if the bad DNS entry is on IDNet's DNS server.

p.s have a welcome karma, as no-one else gave you one!!!

Rik · Sep 03, 2007, 09:33:18

Hi Scotty

If you want to give us the url, we can check the site and see whether it's a general issue or one specific to you. One thing that can cause this behaviour is the MTU setting. What are you using?

Scottyboy · Sep 03, 2007, 09:42:20

Thanks for the Karma.

Ive just tried that and still no luck. This I know has got to be something to do with my network settings.

The only thing I can think off which may have played some part was a network error encoutnered while trying to stream some media to my ps3 the other night. Didnt think much about it at the time. I have a Linksys router PS3, wired into it. And 3 pcs no wireless. All of them have access to the internet right now I can surf as normal apart from this one site!

Scottyboy · Sep 03, 2007, 09:44:07

Quote from: Rik on Sep 03, 2007, 09:33:18
Hi Scotty

If you want to give us the url, we can check the site and see whether it's a general issue or one specific to you. One thing that can cause this behaviour is the MTU setting. What are you using?

Hi Rik,

The site does seem to work. its www.ziip.co.uk as i can access it through my works vpn. My mtu settings are on AUTO?

Rik · Sep 03, 2007, 09:45:55

It seems to be a DNS issue, I get a "failed to find" error. I've had a word with support and they are checking it.

Lance · Sep 03, 2007, 09:47:11

From work, and therefore not my IDNet connection, it works fine.

Scottyboy · Sep 03, 2007, 09:48:49

Quote from: Rik on Sep 03, 2007, 09:45:55
It seems to be a DNS issue, I get a "failed to find" error. I've had a word with support and they are checking it.

So does that means its the websites issue? Sorry not clued up on all this jargon.

Rik · Sep 03, 2007, 09:49:00

Thanks, Lance, that seems to confirm the problem, Tim has it in hand.

Rik · Sep 03, 2007, 09:50:54

Quote from: Scottyboy on Sep 03, 2007, 09:48:49
So does that means its the websites issue? Sorry not clued up on all this jargon.

It suggests that there's an issue with the IDNet DNS servers not finding the site. Support are working on it, but in the meantime, you could use the OpenDNS servers by entering their IP address into your router, 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. (DNS = Domain Name Service, the servers that translate a URL into an IP address.)

Scottyboy · Sep 03, 2007, 09:57:29

Quote from: Rik on Sep 03, 2007, 09:50:54
It suggests that there's an issue with the IDNet DNS servers not finding the site. Support are working on it, but in the meantime, you could use the OpenDNS servers by entering their IP address into your router, 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. (DNS = Domain Name Service, the servers that translate a URL into an IP address.)

Ah ok. Thanks. I thought I tried that open dns but perhaps I didnt do it right. I wil try again. I guess I just enter that info into dns1 and dns2 ?

Rik · Sep 03, 2007, 09:59:59

That's it. Of course, if that doesn't work either, we have a very strange problem.

Scottyboy · Sep 03, 2007, 10:14:42

Quote from: Rik on Sep 03, 2007, 09:59:59
That's it. Of course, if that doesn't work either, we have a very strange problem.

Well that still didnt work for me. But chances are Im not doing something right.

Rik · Sep 03, 2007, 10:15:01

I've just noticed this thread on ThinkBroadband. The OP can't resolve one site when using his Netgear, but if he swaps to a Voyager, it resolves.

I wonder if it's the same issue?

Scottyboy · Sep 03, 2007, 10:21:40

Hmm. Well I use a Linksys WAG354G and have done for some time with no problems accessing the site before. So it has happened suddenly if it is the same problem.

Scottyboy · Sep 03, 2007, 10:23:08

Il try resetting factory defaults. And if that fails I have an old belkin kicking about.

Il be back later.

Rik · Sep 03, 2007, 10:28:05

Good luck, let us know how you get on. If I hear back from support, I'll post here.

Simon_idnet · Sep 03, 2007, 11:27:26

Hi Scottyboy

www.ziip.co.uk now resolves correctly. After spending 20 mins on hold with EUKDNS who look after the domain they came back to say that "it was being blocked". I did ask why but she said that the reason was "not specified" - I didn't fancy waiting another 20 mins to get to the bottom of it.

Cheers
Simon

Scottyboy · Sep 03, 2007, 11:29:36

Thanks Simon. Yeah just realised it has come back online.

Thanks for the help to all.

Rik · Sep 03, 2007, 11:30:22

Thanks for the update, Simon. Pesky firm.

colirv · Sep 03, 2007, 15:38:05

Quote from: Scottyboy on Sep 03, 2007, 10:14:42
Well that still didnt work for me. But chances are Im not doing something right.

I had trouble getting OpenDNS to work. It turned out I was altering the DNS settings in my computer. I changed these back to auto and added the new DNS settings to my router instead (via the CLI). That worked - well it did when I redid it and added "saveall"!. Fine now.