Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

OK so am using Virgin Media 10mb, the internet drops fairly often but its now acting odd. I can go on say google, but then if i try and go on hotmail or my uni website i get timed out.

I then posted a thread on a student forum and another member from my area is having the excact same problems.

Any ideas?

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

try using the webcache.virginmedia.com proxy set to port 8080

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

I got timed out on "webcache.virginmedia.com"

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

Its not a web address!

Open up Internet Explorer, Then acroess the top choose tools/ internet options/ then in the internet options box choose the connections tab. Click on the Lan Settings and then in the lan page tick the box use a proxy server for your lan. And then put the address in there.
I did this today and it worked fine and resolved my issues of getting on certain sites.

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

That proxy thing has solved the problem BUT is it sage to use. And should i leave it like that?
I don't wana be logging into my email account and bank account whilst using a proxy that i have no idea about.

Thanks

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

That is a legitimate proxy address given above and the should be no issues logging into your bank at all.

You could try www.opendns.com which may solve your problem and it is fully reversible and takes about 2 minutes to set up, many people on here use it. If you try it untick the proxy first.

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

I know of several people haiving the same problem. Yet the tech support from Virgin seem to think its my PC and have had me restart my PC twice, ran it in safe mode and constantly being told its not their fault.

As a IT degree student being told to turn it off and is stupid!

I have somehow managed to get a free wireless modem sent out to me though :D

I rang back and this time was told their is a local fault-at first i was told their is no locad fault and its my PC. It should be fixed in the next few hours. However the customer service is not to nil!

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

I find the newsgroups are better at troubleshooting then Virgin's phone support. Plus you don't get billed if you're on a non-virgin phone-line.

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

The bank connection will be over SSL and won't be proxied.

terryw where in the country are you, Liverpool/Knowsley area by any chance? What sites can't you reach?

Check http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/12...-knowsley.html if you are in that area.

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

I have had to use the proxy since yesterday and have been unable to access (or ping) the virgin news server for 24 hours...

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

Broadbandings,

I am in the Liverpool, Knowsley area.
The sites i could not access were

world6.monstersgame.co.uk

bloodwars.net.

I could access my bank and other secure sites, so it is not an issue with secure sites but could not access the games login or board pages.

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

I am in the Liverpool area too,

I cant access some sites either. This began last night (17th sept), about 10pm.

sites I can't access include eukhost.com , boingboing.net , myspace.com
sites I can access include nytimes.com, bbc.com, guardian.co.uk

traceroutes for failing IP addresses track to knowsley and then dia a horrible death.

news.virginmedia.com also fails horribly.

I used their contact form to submit details of this outage, complete with traceroutes, etc. I will also write this information on a peice of paper and throw it down a hole, as that will help resolve the situation just about the same amount.

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

In fairness, the person sitting on the other end of the phone line (be it India, Wales or wherever) doesn't know you from Adam, has no idea you are studying for a degree and probably spends most of their time dealing with people who know little or nothing about computers.

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

Liverpool area again.

Most sites are down (but the Government is working on it and this Liverpool 08 really is helping) :D

ok sorry about that! :rolleyes:

Yes, lots of websites are not showing up here.

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

Is this related? Haven't been able to get hotmail all day,also in liverpool area,can't even get on some vm forums.Any thoughts welcome!!

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

I would say it is related.
try looking at www.myspace.com

I bet you get a time-out, or a browser connection failure like this:

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

Yes, timed out.

Same with Yahoo.com

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

I am in Liverpool and can use all of these sites, having set my proxy to the address mentioned earlier in this thread.
If you are not sure how to do it I have left a brief guideline in the thread.

As for studying IT in Uni and not knowing the difference between a proxy and a web address ?

The course has gone downhill since I did it !

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

IT courses tend to = programming, systems analysis, etc, as I remember.

Things as practical as what a proxy is just don't come into it.

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

If you call any ISP 1st line they will always try to eliminate any problems on your pc.

Recent Windows updates and security program updates have left numerous people unable to access websites or just certain sites.

So don't be to hard on them.

I would sugguest you reset your tcp/ip and winsock catalog and flush your dns resolver cache after rebooting your modem (of course). Also try disabling your security software.
And then in internet options delete all your files and reset the settings in advanced.

You might as well try it before they ask you to do it !

It does work most of the time unless there is an issue with the Isp but they don't know that as outages do not always hit every cust in the same area, it can be very random.

---------- Post added at 23:45 ---------- Previous post was at 23:38 ----------

Have I mistaken that knowledge from my GSCE or A Level then ?

Working as 2nd line Tech for a competitor, I hear this everyday.

'I am a computer tech, so i know the problems not at my end' etc........

Strangely enough 9 out of 10 times the problem is at their end !

Recent updates on vista have been a killer !

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

I have had the same problems in the Merseyside area for the last 2 days and had all but replaced the hard drive. It's a relief to think it could be Virgin.

I used the proxy mentioned above and it has helped but I still can't update AVG and there is still at least one website I can't access, I get a forbidden message saying I can't access /forums/ on this server.

Any idea when the problem will be resolved?

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

phew, at last it shows up

http://status-cable.virginmedia.com/...?ticket=800057

I haven't been able to get on the newsgroups and raise it, so I'm glad to see it at least shows as a fault now.

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

They still haven't fixed this?! :confused:

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

it's fixed for me now.
I can browse without a proxy and can contact news.virginmedia

they haven't updated the status page yet though, and probably won't until they are sure it is fixed

Re: Can't Get on Some Sites*
 

Its still not good enough, that when you call into see if there is anything wrong in the area, even after they have had lots of reports, pointing to that very fact. They still do not update the automatic message or the website to indicate there might be a problem.

48 hours after the problem starts, Virgin update the customers, this is my only experience of virgin.

It screams of a "backs against the wall and hope for the best” approach. It’s like they know it’s a problem, but if they keep hush about it, no one might notice until they get it sorted.