NTL proxies causing major problems?

I have noticed a few problems since NTL introduced their trasnparent proxy cache to my area. HTTP pipelining often results in half loaded pages, but worst of all is the fact that the proxy cannot always be detected.

Try going to a few different sites that claim to detect if you are using a proxy. Some will detect it, some won't. Try these two:

http://www.all-nettools.com/pr.htm
http://www.broadband-help.com/cm_dia...bhab=-1&init=1

The first says I am behind a proxy and correctly finds my IP, the second says no and returns the IP of the proxy

This makes some sites impossible to use. For example, Tekheads.co.uk. The log-in page detects the proxy, but the catalogue page does not so it looks like your IP changed when moving around the site and you get logged out again. It's impossible to buy anything. Forum sites linked to a BitTorrent tracker don't work either.

Anyone else get this? I emailed NTL but no response, so I'm going to try phoning. Not that it will help, but oh well.

[Neil]

Moved to Proxy Discussion Forum.

[badnbusy]

Yeah. I have this problem too. Many sites don't detect your real IP (either because the coding is bad, or they don't realise some people are on proxies)

In any case, I think you have a good right to complain at ntl here. It's frustrating...

In terms of fixing it - theres not a lot any of us can do It's all down to how ntl want to play it (the fact proxies do cause problems no matter what the benefits are) doesnt seem to interest ntl...

mojo, i tried the sites you mention for proxy checking and both say i have no proxy.

[badnbusy]

Originally Posted by tony

mojo, i tried the sites you mention for proxy checking and both say i have no proxy.

Damn, you're lucky then!

Originally Posted by badnbusy

Damn, you're lucky then!

How do you mean lucky ?

If both are saying you don't have a proxy, then maybe they have not enabled the transparent proxy in your area. In that case, you are lucky, and it seems like we are the test subjects.

I might have to change ISP if this doesn't get sorted out. 750k will be nice but it's only any good if it actually works.

[hawkseye000]

Originally Posted by mojo

HTTP pipelining often results in half loaded pages

hmm ive been having a rough ride in this department in the last few days...
pages aren't appearing properly, i have to refresh about 4 times per page, sometimes it says page not found, other times it ignores formatting and i get basically the text of the page with no images / background colour....

i am willing to wait a few days before kicking off to ntl because it may have some relation to maintanance for the upcoming upgrades... or maybe i should set a proxy instead of leaving it transparent?...

Originally Posted by mojo

If both are saying you don't have a proxy, then maybe they have not enabled the transparent proxy in your area. In that case, you are lucky, and it seems like we are the test subjects.

I might have to change ISP if this doesn't get sorted out. 750k will be nice but it's only any good if it actually works.

I still get the same problems as others here, page not displayed, losing connection to sites for up to 15 minutes at a time and then i specify a proxy and all works ok ish. All this talk of speed increases, i would like to get the 150k i pay for, which rarely goes over 128k at present and is mostly in the 80-90k range.
Plus the news server is stop and go, email, what a larf that is.
I'm offski to adsl when the wires are sorted because nothing seems to get fixed with ntl.

I've been looking at ADSL as well. It would mean ditching the NTL digital TV and phone line as well.

It used to be that cable companies would come into an area and offer a crap service but at a lower price than everyone else. Now they offer a crap service and charge more, while claiming it's faster but of course that only really counts if you can actually access the damn page.

I'm going to phone them either tomorrow or Monday. Now I have a speaker phone I don't mind so much as long as it's a free call. I usually phone it in as a fault (since it is), and faults are a free number. If they pass you over, make sure they agree that you won't get charged.

[patrickp]

Originally Posted by mojo

If both are saying you don't have a proxy, then maybe they have not enabled the transparent proxy in your area. In that case, you are lucky, and it seems like we are the test subjects.

I might have to change ISP if this doesn't get sorted out. 750k will be nice but it's only any good if it actually works.

I can confirm that some connections/areas are proxy free: ever since I got broadband here (Lewisham & Greenwich) late last year, I haven't been on a proxy - great joy!

However, I got the speed upgrade a few days ago (600 - 750K), and the evening after getting it, suddenly got that surfing in cold treacle syndrome... went to All Nettools and, yes, I'd been proxified. Changed to a different proxy and things are much improved, but it's not like those carefree days when I had a proxy-free connection...

The Winnersh proxies seem to be having big problems at the moment as well. If I go through the Winnersh proxies I get pages that contain various elements that refuse to load, if I switch to a different proxy then everything loads just fine.

[td444]

Dont be fooled by the proxy's, the new Netapps actually forward the originating IP in the header. Proxy tests that dont use that info will spot the proxy - http://www.proxyinfo.co.uk/check.php.

Originally Posted by td444

Dont be fooled by the proxy's, the new Netapps actually forward the originating IP in the header. Proxy tests that dont use that info will spot the proxy - http://www.proxyinfo.co.uk/check.php.

I'm not quite sure what your point was here, but that site shows my proxy address as my real address. This page should show if you are using an ntl transparent proxy - http://romulas.zmnt.co.uk/forum/vars.asp

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by Paul M

This page should show if you are using an ntl transparent proxy - http://romulas.zmnt.co.uk/forum/vars.asp

Just tried that. Seems the transparent proxies in Cambridge are still turned off