Member Avatar for robync

I am having browser problems. I cant get in to 3 sites i view regularly and i know the sites are not down coz my friend has been there to check. I have tried system restore and it doesnt fix the problem.
Any ideas?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by gerbil

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Brief recap: reported inability to reach a few regular sites while others worked; ran basic reachability checks and noted ICMP/blocking behaviour and that access by numeric IP was possible for at least one site, and later reported the problem cleared by the next morning. That pattern (temporary failure then recovery) usually points to transient DNS or routing problems or to intermediate filtering, not to a persistent local browser configuration error.

Practical diagnostics to run if the problem returns (Windows environment):

  • Check name resolution with a DNS lookup tool to confirm whether the hostname resolves to an IP.
    nslookup example.com
  • Clear local DNS cache and reset the network stack, then reboot.
    ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
  • Inspect the local hosts file for any hard-coded entries for the affected host:
    C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

    (Use an editor with administrative rights; remove suspicious lines and save.)

Other checks and context:

  • Some servers block ICMP, so a failed ping is not proof the web server is down; accessing by IP can succeed only when the server’s default site responds (virtual-hosted sites may still fail).
  • Verify browser proxy settings, test with a different browser or device, and try the sites from another network (mobile tethering) to separate local-from-ISP issues.
  • Check router firewall, parental filters, and any antivirus/web‑filtering modules that can block specific hostnames.

What to collect before escalating:

  • Timestamped DNS lookup output and a route trace, exact browser error messages (DNS failure vs connection timeout), and whether access by IP works. These items make it far easier for an ISP or site host to identify transient routing/DNS faults. Caution: editing hosts or resetting network components requires administrative privileges and a reboot.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for gerbil

i haven't got a clue. yet. try a ping: go start >all programs > accessories > command prompt.
type:- ping hostname, and press Enter -where hostname is the name of one of those sites [don't include the protocol]
eg ping www.coldcustard.com [see? no http stuff] [and i hope that eg aint a baaad site..i made it up].
type exit to quit.
Anyway, read what it returns. It's pretty self-explanatory. You can do this from the RUN box too, but the screen will not hang around once it's completed its task, so you have to speed read.

Member Avatar for robync

i haven't got a clue. yet. try a ping: go start >all programs > accessories > command prompt.
type:- ping hostname, and press Enter -where hostname is the name of one of those sites [don't include the protocol]
eg ping www.coldcustard.com [see? no http stuff] [and i hope that eg aint a baaad site..i made it up].
type exit to quit.
Anyway, read what it returns. It's pretty self-explanatory. You can do this from the RUN box too, but the screen will not hang around once it's completed its task, so you have to speed read.

Hi there, I did the ping test and got..
request timed out
request timed out
request timed out

ping statistics 144.140.78.199:
packets: sent =4, received = 0, lost =4 <100% loss>

Member Avatar for gerbil

Sigh.. some sites block pings - they see them as a waste of server time... of course MS is one of them... I tried a ping and got the same result as you, but then i put the IP in an IE address bar and it opened [dbweb with aust sports and clubs list].
Is this the URL you use? An IP..?
Or is there another plainlanguage URL? Because I cannot find the hostname...
I shall have to ponder this one...

Member Avatar for robync

Gerbil, Thanks for you help. Everything is fine this morning.

Member Avatar for gerbil

that's fine, robync... it would be a problem exterior to your pc most of the time anyway. Another interesting one to try, same method, same command line syntax as above is tracert [trace route]. With that one you can see where your ping travels on its way to the site. eg:-
tracert
-you close cmd window to stop it, or ctrl-C to stay in cmd window. give it a try for fun.

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