Cannot load certain web sites - Emirates, Tripadvisor etc.

[StreetCowboy]

My family and I are having trouble accessing certain web sites from our apartment in Bangkok; I enclose below a copy of the message I sent to the building administrator after I spoke to the manager in the office:

__________________________

We have a problem with the internet. We can connect OK to all the wifi connections in Lasalle Suites, as I showed you this afternoon.

Most web sites we can access OK, but some sites, we cannot access. This is the same for my laptop, my daughter's laptop, our iPads and my iPhone. We can use the same devices to connect OK at other places - at school, or at my office.

The web sites affected include:

Emirates Airlines

www.emirates.com

TripAdvisor

www.tripadvisor.com

Etihad Airlines

www.etihad.com

Atlantis Hotel

www.atlantisthepalm.com

I think that the problem may be with the Domain Name Server at the Internet Service Provider, so I think that you will have to contact the Internet Service Provider - please forward this message on to them.

________________________________

As mentioned, I have tried the same web sites from my office, and from my kids' school, and could access the sites mentioned, but the problem affects all our devices while in the apartment, including the laptops used when at school / in the office. Other sites I can access no problem.

1) Does anyone else have this problem?

2) Does anyone have any suggestions what the problem might be?

3) Does anyone have any suggestions what I could do, or the building management could do, or the ISP could do, to address the problem?

I'm going to leave the office manager to deal with the problem with the ISP this evening, and come back to it in the morning...

Thanks in advance for any suggestions,

SC

Edited February 13, 2014 by StreetCowboy

[Chicog]

Change your DNS. You can use Google's 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

Try that and see if it fixes the problem.

https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/

[schondie]

If you're using the apartment wifi and not your own modem then you can't change the DNS settings. I think the apartment has a blocklist of sites.

I've experiences the same in the past. Websites that were of no consequence to Thai laws were blocked for some strange reason. I think the apartment owners hired an IT person to install the the software and they just used a generic Apache server DVD to set up their internet, copied from an American company as half the websites were news sites and relevant to Americans only.

You could try a site like www.mousematrix.com to try and connect to some of the websites you've mentioned. If they load, your apartment has a website blocklist. I asked the owners to unblock sites but they didn't have a clue about what I was talking about so you'll have to use other methods to connect to the sites you want to access.

PM me if you need some advice.

[Chicog]

Or, as listed in another thread, you can try Google Chrome with the ZenMate addon.

[jimmybkk]

Download CCleaner from Piriform, run it and let it do its thing, then try again.

[StreetCowboy]

Thank you for your help - alas, to no avail.

I changed my setting for DNS, and ran CCleaner, and I was able to load the Emirates web site one time, but then the problem returned - although now I get a different message:

__________________________

Network Error (tcp_error)

A communication error occurred: "Connection reset by peer"

The Web Server may be down, too busy, or experiencing other problems preventing it from responding to requests. You may wish to try again at a later time..

______________________

which is a standard message if the web site can't be reached.

I think the Google DNS slows down my browsing, so I'm going to give up on it.

SC

Edited February 14, 2014 by StreetCowboy

[sirchai]

What if you'd use a program such as "Super Hide", which will enable you to change your IP address into one of many other countries. Works perfectly for me.

If that would work, (let's hear the experts first) please page me and I can send you a good program.- .

[KhunBENQ]

Just some statements (not really solving your problem though);

I am not having the problem (all open OK).

I am using Google DNS (for problems with other [german] websites) and there is no slowdown of browsing.

The mentioned websites are definitely not on any Thai blocking list.

If so, you would experience either a status message from the browser "Waiting for MICT" or an explicit "not allowed" message from MICT.

There is a serious problem with the internet connection.

To do a thorough test of your internet connection:

http://netalyzr.icsi.berkeley.edu/

Its very "technical" and requires you to allow Java code to be executed.

There will always be a lot of warnings and error messages and you probably need help in interpreting the report.

It is possible to share the report (a unique URL) though some people hesitate to make their IP adress visible.

Would be helpful, if you share some information about your connection (DSL, WiFi, provider?).

You also did not state the exact error message when trying to connect.

Is it a "Server not found" message or something different?

DNS problems result in "Server not found".

Some DNS problems can be resolved by "flushing the DNS cache".

To do so, open command prompt and type:

ipconfig /flushdns

Also useful: try another browser (e.g. Chrome if you use IE/Firefox).

Maybe the problem is burried in some browser settings.

And as mentioned by @Chicog: Chrome with ZenMate would surpass a DNS problem.

Edited February 15, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[StreetCowboy]

Just some statements (not really solving your problem though);

...

Thanks for that. Unfortunately, I'm only rarely at home, and on my way back overseas. I can get to the affected web sites at the airport, and my wife was able to access them at the mall with her iPad.

The building is apparently connected to AIS; we have a number of wifi points we can connect to - one side of the apartment accesses one, the other side can easier see the wifi points in the adjacent block.

The problem resolved itself one evening this week, then returned.

When I changed to the Google DNS, I accessed one of the sites once, then the problem resumed...

It's frustrating, but fortunately it's not flight-booking season yet.

Thanks again for all your help - I have left it with the building manager to resolve with the ISP, and I'm trying to reconcile my wife with booking the summer flights at the mall...

SC