INTERNET Problem, Need Assistance

[Guest Utopia]

I am using a broadband connetion, windows xp and NOT on AOL. For some unknown reason I'm not able to access certain sites, the best example is http://www.classmates.com

 

There doesn't seem to be any logic behind this, I have checked my settings in IE and all seem proper.

 

ALSO I am having problems when I go to a web page like msn.com or iwon.com the banner ads appear as a broken page or I receive a message page cannot be displayed. This also happens on yahoo and lycos.

 

I checked with Dell, my vendor, and they were little help. They didn't feel it was a hardware issue. My warranty doesn't go beyond that.

 

Any idea on what the problem might be?

"You realize that life goes fast

It's hard to make the good things last"

[eastbayguy]

>I am using a broadband connetion, windows xp and NOT on AOL.

>For some unknown reason I'm not able to access certain sites,

>the best example is http://www.classmates.com

>

>There doesn't seem to be any logic behind this, I have checked

>my settings in IE and all seem proper.

 

Every site on the Internet has an IP address. IP is the Internet Protocol, and the address is a series of four numbers, like 207.14.53.20 which happens to be the address for this site. So that you don't have to remember all these numbers, domain names are used to translate http://www.male4malescorts.com in to the number above. It sounds like domain name service isn't working properly for some reason. It could also be that your service provider has blocked a few sites for unknown reasons. Your providers domain name server (DNS Server) could be having some trouble. It is not uncommon.

 

Who is your broadband provider? Have you tried clicking refresh a couple times when this problem asserts itself? Does it always happen or just sometimes?

 

For starters, go in to Tools, then Internet Options, then click on the Advanced tab. From the advanced menu, scroll down a little ways, and UNCLICK "Show Friendly HTTP Error Messages". In other words, you do not want the friendly (and mostly useless) error messages displayed. Get the full, nasty error message. Go to one or two sites you've had trouble with and post the first couple lines of the error message you get. Then, we'll be better able to help you.

 

Good luck.

 

--EBG

[eastbayguy]

>I am using a broadband connetion, windows xp and NOT on AOL.

>For some unknown reason I'm not able to access certain sites,

>the best example is http://www.classmates.com

>

>There doesn't seem to be any logic behind this, I have checked

>my settings in IE and all seem proper.

 

Every site on the Internet has an IP address. IP is the Internet Protocol, and the address is a series of four numbers, like 207.14.53.20 which happens to be the address for this site. So that you don't have to remember all these numbers, domain names are used to translate http://www.male4malescorts.com in to the number above. It sounds like domain name service isn't working properly for some reason. It could also be that your service provider has blocked a few sites for unknown reasons. Your providers domain name server (DNS Server) could be having some trouble. It is not uncommon.

 

Who is your broadband provider? Have you tried clicking refresh a couple times when this problem asserts itself? Does it always happen or just sometimes?

 

For starters, go in to Tools, then Internet Options, then click on the Advanced tab. From the advanced menu, scroll down a little ways, and UNCLICK "Show Friendly HTTP Error Messages". In other words, you do not want the friendly (and mostly useless) error messages displayed. Get the full, nasty error message. Go to one or two sites you've had trouble with and post the first couple lines of the error message you get. Then, we'll be better able to help you.

 

Good luck.

 

--EBG

[Guest Rendie]

Utopia

 

I'm not a PC expert, but you may also want to check the following, if all else fails:

 

1) Check your Security settings in Internet Exporer. Tools/Internet Options/Security. Use the default levels for the Internet and Restricted Zones. See if there are any Sites listed in the Restricted Zone.

 

2) Some Web sites may be blocked by the Hosts file in your machine. Check your Hosts file at C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc. The Hosts file is the one without the extension. Open the Hosts file with Notepad to view it.

Read more about the Hosts file here: http://accs-net.com/hosts/what_is_hosts.html

 

Good luck

rendie

[+ deej]

I agree with EBG that this sounds like a DNS issue. These just happen sometimes and resolve themselves over time. The global DNS system is (by design) quite self-healing but the healing isn't immediate.

 

But another consideration is warranted: the current virus, MyDoom, has many ISP's reeling from the sheer volume of junk it sends out. (It's ironic that spam is drowning out spam. ;-)) Because this virus was set to launch Denial of Service attacks against SCO and Microsoft, some ISP's were redirecting their DNS entries to the local machine. (This would explain your problems with MSN.)

 

For the past couple of days, many of the sites I routinely visit have seemed sluggish. I've just chalked it up to the pipes being clogged by the virus. The segment of the internet you're on may be under a heavier load than others.

[Guest Utopia]

I use Comcast for my ISP. I should have mentioned the problem has been going on about 2 months now. I tried to get the full error message as suggested on classmates.com but it just say page cannot be displayed then a bunch of stuff about LAN and DNS.

 

I also should mention about a month after this began I uninstalled all IE and XP updates per MS site then tried to repair IE, it didn't give me the option to uninstall it. Then I tried the sites still no good, then I reinstalled all the patches, and as you already know still no good.

 

When I try to install a new version of IE it won't let me do so. Even when I had uninstalled all the service packs, it would only let me attempt to repair. As I type this I am going to download Netscape and see if I can connect using it. If so then it is a IE problem. If not it would be a ISP problem, right? I will post back this evening.

 

I am able to ping classmates without any packets being lost yet cannot access the site. Yet when I ping lycos all packets are lost though I can acess the site with the IE cannot display this page message where the banner ads are.

 

I called comast tech support today, totally useless. Now I remember why I hadn't called them sooner .

 

My security and privacy setting are all at the default. I even tried lowering them it didn't make any difference. Same problem, what is strange I used to subscribe to classmates and never had an issue. Maybe I am being punished for not renewing .

 

Anyway, I appreciate the info and suggestions. If one of you happen to wake up in the middle of the night and say oh he should have hit the sezebo button please let me know .

[Guest Utopia]

Alright I installed mozilla and when I try to go to classmates.com it tells me connection refused? Could it be possible they are blocking my IP address or is it possible that I blocked the site via my firewall, zone alarm?

[eastbayguy]

>Alright I installed mozilla and when I try to go to

>classmates.com it tells me connection refused? Could it be

>possible they are blocking my IP address or is it possible

>that I blocked the site via my firewall, zone alarm?

 

I've had a lot of odd things happen with zone alarm. Turns out it isn't that wonderful as a firewall either. Just a suggestion, but head down to your favorite computer store and buy one of the hardware firewalls with NAT (Network Address Translation) built in to it.

 

While I won't bore you with the many reasons why, the security of a hardware firewall plus a NAT is much, much better. Lets you eliminate a lot of other stuff from your computer, such as zone alarm.

 

I use a Netgear MR314. Love it.

 

--EBG

[OneFinger]

>...I've had a lot of odd things happen with zone alarm. Turns out it isn't that wonderful as a firewall either.

 

Ditto, I got rid of Zone Alarm about 3 months ago and now use McAfee Guardian. I also had friends using Zone Alarm and they were infected with some very nasty spyware that found a backdoor. It actually hijacked their computer. Anytime they tried to go to one of their "favorites" or even typed in a URL, they were redirected to the hijackers site. It was very nasty to get rid of.

 

They also aren't using Zone Alarm any more.