Can't Access Gmail in the evenings and some other web sites....

[#1]

Hi all,
I am wondering if anyone else has similar issues with PlusNet?
Since we have had PlusNet we have never been able to use Gmail, I guess disappointed with the quality of the service, in terms of the ability to access things like gmail over the web. (Everything else works well and PlusNet are good). 
Ebay is similar, slow or no access, I have no idea why, maybe a DNS issue with PlusNet?
Anyway I have had support tickets and been told to turn the router off and on again, which is very nice, but my experience and ability is a little beyond that.
Some sites work, like bbc.co.uk and various other ones I try, if a little slow from time to time, but some just refuse to work like gmail, hence my feeling it might be loss of DNS look up.
The result is day after day we can't access gmail, we get a page not found message, or if we do get there and try to click on something we end up getting the page not found then, so basically it is unusable.
Here is where we start to make some progress however, my employer has a VPN for which they use Demon as their ISP.
If I connect to the VPN via my PlusNet connection and then browse the web, hey presto I can access gmail and other web sites to my little hearts content.
It has even got to the point that when I played StarCraft 2 at the weekend, Sunday mornings, I have to connect to the VPN at work, if I don't I'll get dropped for more than 60 seconds of non activity after about 30 minutes of play time. (The PlusNet connect stays up the whole time, just packet loss I guess, but don't know).
I have asked PlusNet for my contention ratio, but they fobbed me off. I wonder what it might be?
Anybody have any similar feedback? If something similar effects more people, maybe PlusNet will look in to it?

[#2]

Hi Pickypicky,
As you get better responses via a VPN to another ISP this makes me think that it might not be directly line related, just wondering if you've run a speed test of late to see how the line is performing over all.
Also have you tried specifying alternate DNS servers such as google's?

Quote

I have asked PlusNet for my contention ratio, but they fobbed me off. I wonder what it might be?

Contention hasn't been a factor in ADSL for quite a long time (since ADSL max was launched 5 or 6 years ago) sorry if you weren't given an accurate answer there all the same.

[#3]

Have you tried changing your DNS servers to Google's (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.8.4) As per Adam's reply above.)
I assume you are using Plusnet's DNS Servers (212.159.13.49, 212.159.13.50, 212.159,6.9) - just a thought.
I have never had any problem accessing gmail.com (whether using Plusnet's DNS server or Open DNS which I use instead of Plusnet.)

[#4]

Hi,
Thanks for the information.
I'll run the line test and post the results later tonight. I do generally run a test and the results are good, we are quite far from the exchange.
I guess your talking about the google public DNS project, no I have not tried it but will do so tonight and post the results.
I guess I'm kind of sad as I'm quite interested in looking into this.  

[#5]

Quote

I guess I'm kind of sad as I'm quite interested in looking into this.

That must mean most of us on here are sad in that case
A lot of people tend to favour google's open DNS, I'd advise giving that a try. Let us know how it goes.

[#6]

SAD = Sagacious and discerning!!

[#7]

I think there are some problems with ebay and gmail.
Last few days some ebay pics struggle to appear. And similarly on gmail I have no problem with web access but with pop access several accounts just keep timing out.
ebay are always messing with their site and gmail are also doing updates so I suspect this problem, for me anyway, is just directly related to their sites.

[#8]

Here is my speed test

You might not think it is so good but that is actually a really good speed, as I said before we are long way from the exchange by road.
So with ping and 'speed' everything is good in my opinion.
As they say good honest broadband.
And almost by devils luck I get home tonight and it works fine, access to gmail and ebay, so I can't try to the DNS idea, but I am using,
Primary DNS Server: 212.159.6.9
Secondary DNS Server: 212.159.6.10
at the moment.
When/If the issue comes up again I'll try the DNS and post back here.

[#9]

You can change the DNS in your router settings.
I use Google which is 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
or there is Open DNS which is  208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

[#10]

Hi, Have been using pnet for a year and have no problems with gmail. In fact I use my gmail for 95% of emails, rarely use my PN address. However there has been a lot of forum discussion re gmail not accepting or recognising the PN plus.com address and the very variable time taken to receive gmail. I have experienced variable times on my own tests but I ran a test this morning and it took 3mins for a pnet email sent to my gmail address to arrive.

But, there was a message from Google with the email which said:

"Gmail couldn't verify that plus.com actually sent this message (and not a spammer)"

Hope this might add a bit of information to the slow email/gmail issue but regret that personally I can't add any further comments to your post.

ps Am using Gmail on my PC, tablet and phone without problems.

[#11]

That message is likely because we don't publish SPF records for customers' username.plus.com addresses. If so, it's expected, but thanks for mentioning regardless.