Cannot load certain websites 2

[mjrh]

For example, the following sites do not load in either Netscape 4.77 nor in Explorer 5.5.

http://canada411.sympatico.ca

http://www.ttc.ca

http://www.honesty.com

http://www.geocities.com

http://members.aol.com

My bank is at

http://www.scotiabank.ca,

this leads me to non-related website. However, if I drop the

http://www and

just use

http://scotiabank.ca

it's OK. Similarly,

http://www.macromedia.com

loads nothing but

http://macromedia.com

works OK.

Since both browsers illustrate the same problem, I suspect that the problem is Windows 98 based? I suspect that some security setting is at the root?

Thanks,

MJRH

 

[mjrh]

Hello Paul,

No problem, we all need our beauty rest

Thank you for the info. And, yes, I use Access Manger to connect to my ISP.

Have sent you the trace route file as well.

Thanks,

MJRH

 

[mjrh]

Hello,

Talked to my ISP user help and they had me try all sorts of things. Now I can connect directly to

http://www.scotiabank.com

but not the others.

For the first time they admitted that there might be something wrong with their cash system. They had me send them the trace route file. They asked that I check periodically the web sites that do not work as they work on 'the problem.' If in 48 hours I am still having the problems, then I should contact them again.

Will keep you posted.

Thanks

 

[paulwood]

Glad to hear the ISP may at last be taking responsiblity! It will be good to be able to know whether the web cache is working or not, it certainly seems implicated by some of the symptoms.

I look forward to hearing it's all sorted! s-)

 

[rtshort]

Strangely enough, I have found on a few computers I serviced about the same problem. I disabled the virus software and all of the sites loaded as they should have.If not a virus program then it may be something else in the background. Just a thought from prior experence. Every day above ground is a GOOD DAY!!!

 

[mjrh]

Hello rtshort,

I tried it but I am sorry to report that the problem must be elsewhere because the usual web sites still did not load.

Thank you for your suggestion. It helps eliminate possible causes.

MJRH

 

[mjrh]

FOLLOW UP: The ISP user help called back and this time I spoke with a network expert for 45 minutes. We tried all sorts of weird and wonderful things. Saw many settings I never knew existed. But nothing fixed the problem. It seems that I may have to reload windows 98! But first, they would like me to borrow a PC, load their connection software and try the websites that do not load on my PC. If that works then -- a loading I will go! If not, then they will need to check my physical connection.

Thank you for your interest and help. If you have other suggestions, please do not hesitate to post them.

MJRH

 

[mjrh]

Case closed?

Got another call from User Support. This time from someone even higher up the chain. Again we did
all sorts of things including erasing and reinstalling wsock32.dll. Still no joy. Then we uninstalled and reinstalled their software. You guessed it -- not a fix. Finally, they gave me their proxy server
address and we tried it -- JOY OF JOY it solved the problem. Or did it. I can get to all those websites that were a problem before, but why do I need a proxy connection when no other user
does?

Thank you all for your help.

MJRH

 

[butchrecon]

Glad to see your ISP came through for you. Proxy for an ISP? I think they have something screwed up on their end. James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

 

[paulwood]

Probably what they really pointed you at was a functioning webcache. Either their transparent cache wasn't working properly or they should have done this a long time ago. Either way it's not your setup, as James said, it's a problem with their network.

Glad it's sorted.

 

[mjrh]

Note with thanks Paul and James.

Michel

 

[butchrecon]

No problem. Thats what we are here for. We learned just as you did. James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

 

[paulwood]

If only all ISP's were as helpful, eh? LOL

You're very welcome.

 

[mjrh]

Hi Paul & James,

In case you can tell what exactly it points me to, here is what they gave me as an address for their proxy server:

chsmc.bellglobal.com on port 80

Thanks,

Michel

 

[paulwood]

Hi Michel

chsmc.bellglobal.com on port 80 is a proxy server attached to the standard HTTP port 80. This means that all http requests are handled by a server with previously viewed sites cached on harddisk to speed up viewing on further access. This is because it reads the site off its harddisk rather than actually going to the site and downloading it. It depends on how the server is configured as to whether this works well, or sometimes at all. What your ISP has done is specifically point you to a proxy server they know will work.

It may help to know many Sympatico users seem to have the same problem, check out the (no longer active) user site at

http://sympaticousers.org/

Happy surfing!