Can't connect to 1 web site

[plmurray]

There is one web site I can't connect to using its name. If I use its IP
address I can get there but can't move around from page to page. I get the
message "IE cannot display the web page". I have friends who can connect to
the web page using its name. As far as I know there is only one web site so
affected, I seem to be able to connect everywhere else.

Operating System : XP Home SP3 auto-updated
Browser: IE and/or Firefox
Internet : Cable 2MB - computer connected to modem by cable
TCP/IP settings: both IP address and DNS sever address obtained automatically
ISP: Virgin (UK)
web site required: avonscouts.org.uk
IP address of required web site: 91.103.218.30

I have contacted Virgin who say they think it is my computer problem.

I feel there must be something lurking in the nether regions of my machine,
can anybody help me to find out where and what it is?

Plmurray

 

[RobertVA]

There is one web site I can't connect to using its name. If I use its IP
address I can get there but can't move around from page to page. I get the
message "IE cannot display the web page". I have friends who can connect to
the web page using its name. As far as I know there is only one web site so
affected, I seem to be able to connect everywhere else.

Operating System : XP Home SP3 auto-updated
Browser: IE and/or Firefox
Internet : Cable 2MB - computer connected to modem by cable
TCP/IP settings: both IP address and DNS sever address obtained automatically
ISP: Virgin (UK)
web site required: avonscouts.org.uk
IP address of required web site: 91.103.218.30

I have contacted Virgin who say they think it is my computer problem.

I feel there must be something lurking in the nether regions of my machine,
can anybody help me to find out where and what it is?

Plmurray

Some possibilities (might not be a complete list):

Erroneous data on the Domain Name Server (DNS). When an Internet client
program uses a URL your computer accesses a remote server that looks up
the IP address in a database. Occasionally there are corrupted entries
in these databases. Sometimes you have to wait for the data to be
updated with the correct data.

The computer is being redirected by an entry in your hosts file (no
extension). Load the Hosts file into Notepad and let us know if there is
a line containing the affected domain name.

 

[plmurray]

Thanks Robert

There is no mention of the domain name in Hosts

So, if it is the DNS in error, should I bring this to the attention of my
ISP? Might the ISP be able to give me an alternative DNS?

Plmurray

 

[RobertVA]

Thanks Robert

There is no mention of the domain name in Hosts

So, if it is the DNS in error, should I bring this to the attention of my
ISP? Might the ISP be able to give me an alternative DNS?

Plmurray

IF a bad DNS record is the cause, the solution may have to come from the
registrar that the web site deals with. When someone registers a domain
name (web site, news server or email server) the registrar places a
record containing the domain name and IP address in a system of
interconnected DNSs, which periodically mirror each other (copy each
other's data). The error might keep reoccurring until the server that
originated the corrupted data is corrected.

I not a big expert, but comparing a tracert (in the command prompt) on
the domain name to a tracert on the IP address MIGHT show some
indication of where the problem DNS entry is being utilized.

 

[plmurray]

Thanks again, Robert

I think your confidence that the DNS servers would look after themselves has
been proved correct.

I have done nothing and this morning everything works just fine.

Incidentally I have always told my children, when they complained of feeling
unwell, that drinking lots of water and a good night's sleep cures 99% of all
known illnesses. I did not know that it also works with computers (although
I did not drench it with water).

Thanks again for your time and interest.

plmurray

 

[John Wunderlich]

Thanks Robert

There is no mention of the domain name in Hosts

So, if it is the DNS in error, should I bring this to the
attention of my ISP? Might the ISP be able to give me an
alternative DNS?

Plmurray

:

There's nothing to say that you have to use your ISP's DNS Server.
Try OpenDNS. It's free...

<https://www.opendns.com/start/>

HTH,
John

 

[Jamie Neve]

Virus scan, then make sure IE proxy settings are to default, sometimes they
change if some software needs them to.