Can't access https CP with specified port

[ogwi]

I'm trying to access the control panel of valuewebhosts.com (http://www.valuewebhosts.com) at https://www.valuewebhosts.com/cgi-bin/axs/ax.pl?https://www.valuewebhosts.com:2083 (Member Login link from their home page)

I just get the standard "The page cannot be displayed" error. I've had a long email trail with valuewebhosts, but without success. I've also tried ntl tech sup, but they couldn't come up with anything. I've tried just about every setting in IE know to man!

I'm using IE6 (upgraded from 5.5 to see if it helped), with a USB cable modem on Windows 98SE. The last thing we tried was connecting (Host Address - 213.232.71.40, Port No - 2083) using hyperterminal, and this said that I was connected.

I have not had any trouble with any other url. Any ideas?
ogwi

[Paul]

Works here - do you have a manual proxy server specified in IE ? or maybe a firewall of some sort blocking access ?

[Bifta]

Normally it's actually specifying a proxy server that causes the failure, if you do have one specified, unspecify it. The same thing occurred with an old host of mine when I was an NTL customer.

[Paul]

Normally it's actually specifying a proxy server that causes the failure, if you do have one specified, unspecify it. The same thing occurred with an old host of mine when I was an NTL customer.

Yes, manually specifying a server for http/https will break it, hence my question. Either you remove the proxy or add an exception rule. However - you will usually get some sort of error message rather than just "page cannot be displayed".

[Stuartbe]

Works fine for me without a proxy but does not work with any ntl one !

Pem is spot on m8... Ditch the proxy or add an exception rule.

[Tricky]

NTL do not allow 2083 through their proxies so don't specify a manual setting in IE.

[ogwi]

NTL do not allow 2083 through their proxies so don't specify a manual setting in IE.
Thanks for the info. However, I do not specify a proxy server (afaik - unless there's a way other than Tools>Internet Options> Connections> Lan Settings?).

Any other ideas?

[ogwi]

Yes, manually specifying a server for http/https will break it, hence my question. Either you remove the proxy or add an exception rule. However - you will usually get some sort of error message rather than just "page cannot be displayed".
I haven't got a proxy specified in IE (Tools>Internet Options> Connections> Lan Settings) but when I did try one (on the advice of NTL tech support) I got a different, specific, error; something like "Tunneling or Port not allowed". Does that sound like what you'd expect? If so, does that suggest it's not a proxy problem?

Cheers all
ogwi:)
Warning: The comments above are my own and not necessarily those of a sane person.

[Paul]

Yes, that suggests it is not a proxy problem - a local firewall blocking your access seems the most likely now.

[ogwi]

Yes, that suggests it is not a proxy problem - a local firewall blocking your access seems the most likely now.
Sorry I didn't give all this info before but, afaik, I have no firewall in place; I've certainly never knowingly installed or activated one (as I mentioned, I'm using windows 98 so the recent security problems passed me by:) ).

Any other ideas, or ways of checking?

[Ian-Highlander]

Does the username and password get carried over in the URL and if it does did you apply the most recent Internet Explorer patch from Microsoft.

If the answer to both is yes then your problem is that the latest patch from Microsoft removes Internet Explorers ability to carry username and password information in any URL. I had the same problem with a website control panel I use.

See http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-004.mspx and http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN;834489 for more information.

Hope this helps.

[Xaccers]

Also http://cp.gisol.com for the reg fix to get it working

[Ian-Highlander]

Heh, which is funnily enough the one I was talking about that I had problems. It was me that notified them of the problem originally, I still have the email thanking me for bringing it to their attention that half their customers couldnt access their control panel.

As a side note, other browsers work fine, I usually use Opera or MyIE2 to access my Gisol control panel.

[ogwi]

Does the username and password get carried over in the URL and if it does did you apply the most recent Internet Explorer patch from Microsoft.

Thanks. Unfortunately (?) the answer to both is no i.e. it's not a user-specific page, it's just trying to get to the logon screen! And I haven't patched IE6, ALTHOUGH I only downloaded it last week to try to solve this/rule out browser problems.

Still no closer :(

[ogwi]

I feel the need to recap with all available info, in case anyone has any other ideas out there:

I'm trying to access the control panel of a web host: valuewebhosts.com (http://www.valuewebhosts.com/) at https://www.valuewebhosts.com/cgi-bin/axs/ax.pl?https://www.valuewebhosts.com:2083 (Member Login link from their home page; this is not a user-specific page, it's just their login screen)

I just get the standard "The page cannot be displayed" error. I've had a long email trail with valuewebhosts, but without success. I've also tried ntl tech sup, but they couldn't come up with anything. I've tried just about every setting in IE know to man!

I have tried (at NTL's suggestion) adding a proxy server (Tool>Internet Options>Connections>Lan Settings), following which I got a different error (Tunneling or port not allowed); this ties up with a suggestion that the port (2083) is not allowed by NTL proxies.

I'm using IE6 (upgraded from 5.5 to see if it helped), with a USB cable modem on Windows 98SE. I have no firewall and now (after the experiment) no proxy specified.

The last thing we tried was connecting (Host Address - 213.232.71.40, Port No - 2083) using hyperterminal, and this said that I was connected. Valueweb hosts suggest this indicates I can get to the server and port, but it is a browser issue causing the problem.

Suggestions so far are: SSL browser settings (both enabled), "Enable Integrated Windows Authentication" browser setting (now enabled in IE6), proxy (ntl's prohibited access, none now specified), firewall (none), IE6 issue with user embedded in URL (not the case).

I have not had any trouble with any other url. Any ideas?

[Ian-Highlander]

Out of morbid curiosity have you tried getting to it with another browser other than IE (Mozilla, Netscape, Opera similar) ?

[ogwi]

Out of morbid curiosity have you tried getting to it with another browser other than IE (Mozilla, Netscape, Opera similar) ?
Well thanks for that! I have dowloaded Opera and tried to get in; first I got a certificate error but when I accepted it it went straight in!

So until someone comes up with a better answer, web host cp is via opera.
Cheers:)

[Strzelecki]

I access this very same control panel through http://www.valuewebhosts.com:2083 and have never had any problems through IE and I'm on the manchester proxy.