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Nodster
17-02-2008, 10:19
Hi guys can anybody cast any light on this problem?

I've been unable to access the main virginmedia.com website since the early hours.

My internet connection is working fine and at top speed 20mb (well im getting 18mb right now according to speedtest.net).

Any attempt to visit virginmedia.com results a 'connection has timed out' window in firefox.

I CAN access my email by going direclty to www.webmail.ntlworld.com. But at the top of the window there is a section which normally displays info from the virginmedia.com site (virgin logo i think). This section just displays 'the connection has timed out' message. but the email part works ok!!!!

I can access virginmedia.com if I connect the cable modem to my portable with no problems.

Everything was working fine last night just before bed!!!!
Axegrinder
17-02-2008, 10:41
I can access it fine, although the service status page is very slow at loading sometimes,
Nodster
17-02-2008, 11:04
Ok Axegrinder thanks. I've just run a virus scan and spyware scan both are clean. Its strange how I can access it from my portable but not from my main pc?

Firefox and IE do the same 'timeout\page cannot be displayed' error.

Axegrinder, did you notice any reports on the service status page, cause I cant access it!

---------- Post added at 11:04 ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 ----------

OK, some more info

I can access virginmedia.com from my main PC if I go though a proxy server!!!!!!!!!
This leeds me to think that my IP address has been blocked by virginmedia.com

WTF would cause that to happen?????????
ceedee
17-02-2008, 12:09
Are you connecting your laptop and desktop via a router or by hot-swapping the ethernet cable?

If via a router, I'd suggest you reset it.
If not, my guess would be that windows has silently blacklisted virginmedia's site!
lol

Checked that window's own firewall is *actually* turned off?
(It has a habit of reactivating itself when network settings are tweaked.)
Checked your hosts file?
Which DNS are you using?
Done a traceroute?
Nodster
17-02-2008, 12:25
Hi ceedee,

I'm just hot swapping the ethernet cable.

I've checked the firewall both off and on, its was and is now on.

hosts file, DNS, traceroute - dont know what they mean - I will do some googling - unless you have some spare time to help?????
eddcase
17-02-2008, 12:27
I have no trouble accessing the site either. In fact, it loads in a blink and I'm not on 20mb.
Paul
17-02-2008, 12:29
This leeds me to think that my IP address has been blocked by virginmedia.com
Highly unlikely, what does a tracert to the site show ?
ceedee
17-02-2008, 12:40
hosts file, DNS, traceroute - dont know what they mean - I will do some googling - unless you have some spare time to help?????
The most important one right now is to check where your connection to VM's site is falling over.
For that you need to do a traceroute (aka tracert per Paul M's post) and copy the results back here.
You'll find basic traceroute instructions here (http://kb.iu.edu/data/aihy.html).
Nodster
17-02-2008, 12:41
Ok, i opened a command prompt and executed

tracert virginmedia.com and the results are

Tracing route to virginmedia.com [212.250.162.12]

over a maximum of 30 hops:



1 4 ms 6 ms 4 ms 10.225.192.1

2 5 ms 24 ms 8 ms nott-t2cam1-b-ge811.inet.ntl.com [81.109.167.133]

3 10 ms 16 ms 10 ms nott-t3core-1b-ge-115-0.inet.ntl.com [195.182.174.249]

4 10 ms 13 ms 20 ms nth-bb-b-so-020-0.inet.ntl.com [213.105.174.173]

5 14 ms 13 ms 12 ms 212.43.162.217

6 11 ms 12 ms 12 ms win-bb-b-so-100-0.inet.ntl.com [62.253.185.198]

7 13 ms 12 ms 23 ms win-dc-b-v903.inet.ntl.com [213.105.174.38]

8 13 ms 12 ms 13 ms www.virginmedia.com [212.250.162.12]



Trace complete.
ceedee
17-02-2008, 13:04
That suggests you have a *perfect* connection to VM's website.

Try a different browser?

Search your drives for HOSTS -- if it's there, open it and remove any entry to VM or 212.250.162... If it doesn't exist, ignore.
(Link to useful explanation (http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm))

Which firewall are you using on your desktop?
Have you checked to make sure that a rule isn't excluding VM's website?


Anybody else able to check that VM's default DNS is working okay this morning?
TehTech
17-02-2008, 13:16
Hi ceedee,

I'm just hot swapping the ethernet cable.

I've checked the firewall both off and on, its was and is now on.

hosts file, DNS, traceroute - dont know what they mean - I will do some googling - unless you have some spare time to help?????

Probably a silly question, but are you turning your modem off for around 5 seconds & then back on again after each ethernet lead switch around?
Nodster
17-02-2008, 13:31
Hi TehTech.

Yes, im cycling the power correctly. The modem and my connection is working on both computers, its just the virginmedia.com site that I cant access from my main pc.

Hi ceedee, I will check all that.

Im just downloading a live linux CD iso to see if I can boot from that and access the site.
I think its a windows installation issue but dont know how\what yet.