Unable to connect to websites located on a certain server but have troubleshooted in several ways. Need some help!?

Question

I work for a company who hosts their client websites on a server. Recently I have been unable to access ANY of our client websites. I can use anything else on the internet but whenever I try to go to a client website located on their servers, I get a timeout message. Here is what I have done to troubleshoot and any other pertinent facts.

1) I am told there have been no changes to their server.
2) I have removed my firewall in an attempt to connect--no luck.
3) I tried connecting on my phone but cannot on there either. However, if I turn off Wi-Fi and use phone data, I can connect.
4) I tried connecting directly to my modem to avoid the router to see if that was an issue--no dice.
5) I went to the library down the street who uses the same internet provider to attempt to connect to the websites--they load there.
6) I have not done an update recently on my computer.
7) Flash and Java are up to date.
8) I have tried accessing from all three of the browsers on my computer--no luck.

My company insists that it is nothing on there end, but nothing has changed on my end and it is specifically an issue with the sites on their servers. Any suggestions? Anything else I should try? This is affecting my work so it's kind of a big issue...THANKS IN ADVANCE!

VP · Answer

I suspect a DNS issue. Perhaps a recent (company/work) change was made that hasn't quite yet filtered to the set of DNS servers that your home connection uses.  For example, every so often we'd make a change that caused our web server's IP to change.  Our guys would make the change and update the public records and we'd hold our collective breath as the changes rolled across the country.  I'm not saying that's what's happening here... but it's one possibility that fits your symptoms.

You can test this theory out in a couple of ways:

1. Enter the actual IP address of the website you want to visit into your browser. That should bypass using DNS altogether. (You can use the PING command to get the site's IP)

2. Change your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter's DNS settings and use a set of public DNS servers (like: 8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4) and see if you get in.

efflandt · Answer

Are you attempting to connect to those websites from a computer on the same LAN as the web server? Most routers do not do loopback (LAN2LAN via WAN IP) probably to avoid Internet spoofing of LAN IPs. So if that is the case, the public IPs of the sites may resolve, but when you try to access them by their public IP, your Internet router does not accept that connection from your LAN IP on the same LAN as the server. And that explains why if you disconnect your phone from WiFi and use its mobile data (instead of WiFi through your LAN) they work fine.

Not sure what you can really do about that other than using local DNS configured to resolve DNS for those sites to the LAN IP of your server. Or you could manually add name and LAN IP entries in your computer's "hosts" file which is a bit awkward in Win7 or newer, because you cannot modify that hosts file directly, you have to edit it elsewhere then copy it over the real hosts file "as administrator". &#92;WINDOWS&#92;System32&#92;drivers&#92;etc&#92;hosts

Or if you truly want to test them, you need to access them from a computer not on your LAN (possibly using your phone as WiFi hotspot or USB tethering, assuming that you have a mobile data plan that allows that).

AJ · Answer

You trying to see their website with a browser or are you trying to access their servers via RDP?

So what are you doing access their websites from the front door? If you work for a hosting company, you should be RDP into the server.

Also if this is affecting your work, why on earth are you asking here and not notifying your IT department?

Franco · Answer

Sorry about that. I did not carefully read what you said.

Someone is not telling the truth. Number 1 does not seem right to me.

If your able to connect at certain locations, and not at other locations, then my best guess is you were banned.

If the company you work, for is hosting websites, then they might have banned you from visiting the website from your current location, and not the library.

You might have a firewall problem, but not yours. The company who is hosting the website should know about firewalls.

I recommend you speak with however is hosting the website, and you can ask if you were banned.

Trending News

Unable to connect to websites located on a certain server but have troubleshooted in several ways. Need some help!?

4 Answers