Cannot Access Certain Websites From My Laptop

Mackass · 19 Jun 2011 at 20:09

Here at home, I have Virgin Broadband 30Mb cable broadband installed, with a SuperHub router.

The following websites do not load on my Sony Vaio laptop running Windows Vista:
- www.twitter.com
- www.linkedin.com
- www.wikipedia.org
- www.successphotography.com

Those are to name but a few, I always get "connection timed out".

However, those websites are accessible by other family members on their laptops and pcs, going through the same router, so this indicates that our SuperHub router may not be at fault.

This then all points to a problem with my Sony Vaio laptop. However, I can access those websites through other connections (friends houses using the same laptop etc) without any problems, therefore this indicates that my Sony Vaio laptop may also not be at fault.

My laptop is virus and spyware free, and is running NOD32 Antivirus and ZoneAlarm Firewall. The problem exists on both Firefox and Internet Explorer, wired or wireless connection, and even with all security programs turned off whilst in safe mode with networking. I have checked the Windows Hosts file, reinstalled my Network Card Drivers, tried disabling a few security options via the SuperHub router, but no luck.

The websites only work at home if I access via Virgn Media's 8080 Proxy, but that's not a solution, it's just a way around the problem. Call centre staff are non the wiser.

Anybody got any ideas?

Crowort · 19 Jun 2011 at 20:48

Is the laptop set to automatically retrieve dns address from the router?

Mackass · 20 Jun 2011 at 11:50

Not sure, where do I see that setting, is it within the router homepage settings?

Crowort · 20 Jun 2011 at 12:08

Depends on which OS is on the laptop how you get to it. But it is in the properties of the wireless card, under internet protocol version 4 > Obtain DNS address automatically.

Mackass · 20 Jun 2011 at 21:54

Just checked and yep it's already to to obtain DNS address automatically.

HangTime · 21 Jun 2011 at 00:57

Mackass said:
When I try to do 'cmd \k tracert on successphotography.com' I get the error 'unable to resolve target system name...'

That's because it will be trying to traceroute a hostname called "on"

Also at least with my DNS servers successphotography.com doesn't resolve, you should be using www.successphotography.com.

Mackass · 21 Jun 2011 at 02:12

You are correct!

Just done the trace route properly and I've got the following results. Not sure what any of it means though.

Tracing route to www.successphotography.com [193.195.219.10]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 10 ms 10 ms 13 ms 10.31.44.1
2 18 ms 18 ms 8 ms brnt-core-1b-ae1-1432.network.virginmedia.net [213.104.146.169]
3 65 ms 9 ms 122 ms brnt-bb-1b-as1-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.174.249]
4 33 ms 10 ms 8 ms brnt-tmr-1-ae5-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.159.50]
5 9 ms 10 ms 9 ms telc-ic-1-as0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253.185.74]
6 9 ms 9 ms 19 ms linx-2.router.demon.net [195.66.226.12]
7 11 ms 11 ms 15 ms park-core-1-g6-0-0.router.demon.net [194.70.99.10]
8 10 ms 9 ms 9 ms park-inside-3-g1-0-0.router.demon.net [193.195.25.13]
9 15 ms * 13 ms no-dns-yet.demon.co.uk [193.195.176.50]
10 17 ms 12 ms 21 ms no-dns-yet.demon.co.uk [193.195.219.10]

Trace complete.

Mackass · 24 Jun 2011 at 01:33

Still cannot access certain websites, can only access through proxy server websites.

Anyone else have any ideas? I've tried everything which googling has suggested, but no luck yet.

anything I don't mind · 24 Jun 2011 at 12:57

Manually set your DNS on the router to opendns or google dns and see if you can resolve it that way.

try to contact the websites by going to the IP address.

Mackass · 15 Aug 2011 at 19:08

Sorry for the late reply.

By manually setting the DNS, is that a solution, or a way around the problem? Going to the website ip address also brings no luck.