Some sites not loading?

[#1]

Is anyone else experiencing some sites not loading? Download speed isn't an issue, but some sites just aren't loading.
I am experiencing different issues (that is to say, different sites not loading) on two different plusnet connections. Though not the same sites on both connections. This has been going on for the past few weeks I think (it's taken me a while to really notice this as a problem).
I've tried various DNS settings (Plusnets, My own and Googles Public DNS) but the only way I can get these sites to load is via a VPN/Proxy.
A couple of sites that I can remember include mozilla add ons ( https://addons.mozilla.org ), the adobe flash download site, and  Ukeulele Hunt ( ukulelehunt.com ) which are currently working on my plusnet work connection but weren't working at home for the past few days.

[#2]

Hi z0mb13e,
We need some further information to diagnose this type of issue.  As soon as you are unable to load a particular page you should open a command prompt and try (e.g. www.website.com not loading):
ping www.website.com
and:
tracert www.website.com
And post the results.  This should point us in the direction of the cause.

[#3]

My first guess would be an MTU issue. What modem router do you have?

[#4]

In my travels I have encountered web browser problems with:

• Sites that use https


• Sites that use flash


• Sites that use java

In some instances the problem can be specific to a particular web browser so it is worth trying an alternate browser to see if that makes any difference.  And of course, the problem might be associated with none of the above 

[#5]

Quote from: Alex

Hi z0mb13e, We need some further information to diagnose this type of issue.  As soon as you are unable to load a particular page you should open a command prompt and try (e.g. www.website.com not loading): ping www.website.com and: tracert www.website.com And post the results.  This should point us in the direction of the cause.

I did tracert a few sites and some timed out, some didn't. Hence me trying other DNS server.
I will post some results when I find a site that isn't loading as expected.

[#6]

Quote from: sjrinfroyle

My first guess would be an MTU issue. What modem router do you have?

Could be...
I am using a zoom bridge coupled with an Asus RT13

[#7]

Quote from: ReedRichards

In my travels I have encountered web browser problems with: Sites that use https Sites that use flash Sites that use java In some instances the problem can be specific to a particular web browser so it is worth trying an alternate browser to see if that makes any difference.  And of course, the problem might be associated with none of the above

I did try the failing sites in IE after it failed in FF. The issue doesn't appear to be browser related as the sites load perfectly well if I establish a VPN to another country...

[#8]

Quote from: z0mb13e

Quote from: sjrinfroyle My first guess would be an MTU issue. What modem router do you have? Could be... I am using a zoom bridge coupled with an Asus RT13

Or a zyxel P661-H (I think) in bridge mode connected to a smoothwall box...

[#9]

Some sites that aren't loading...
Tracing route to ukulelehunt.com [96.30.58.84]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  1    2 ms    1 ms    1 ms  192.168.0.1
  2    64 ms    41 ms    46 ms  lo0-homesurf.ptn-ag01.plus.net [195.166.128.124]
  3    33 ms    32 ms    32 ms  gi2-6-605.ptn-gw01.plus.net [84.92.3.17]
  4    32 ms    31 ms    32 ms  po6.thn-gw1.plus.net [212.159.1.136]
  5    32 ms    32 ms    32 ms  po4.thn-gw2.plus.net [212.159.1.135]
  6    32 ms    32 ms    32 ms  te-3-4.car5.London1.Level3.net [217.163.45.181]
  7    45 ms    32 ms    34 ms  ae-34-52.ebr2.London1.Level3.net [4.69.139.97]
  8  101 ms  101 ms  102 ms  ae-42-42.ebr1.NewYork1.Level3.net [4.69.137.70]
  9  101 ms  101 ms  101 ms  ae-4-4.ebr1.NewYork2.Level3.net [4.69.141.18]
10  101 ms  101 ms  102 ms  ae-1-100.ebr2.NewYork2.Level3.net [4.69.135.254]
11  122 ms  122 ms  122 ms  ae-2-2.ebr1.Chicago1.Level3.net [4.69.132.65]
12  121 ms  122 ms  123 ms  ae-6-6.ebr1.Chicago2.Level3.net [4.69.140.190]
13  122 ms  122 ms  122 ms  ae-1-51.edge4.Chicago2.Level3.net [4.69.138.135]
14  121 ms  121 ms  121 ms  WiredTree.edge4.Chicago2.Level3.net [4.28.68.14]
15  124 ms  123 ms  124 ms  vl38.dsw3.chi2.wiredtree.com [173.199.135.230]
16  123 ms  122 ms  122 ms  96.30.56.25
17  121 ms  122 ms  122 ms  vps.ukulelehunt.com [96.30.58.84]
Trace complete.

I keep seeing sites getting stuck loading from addthis.com, specifically s7.addthis.com
Tracing route to e2943.c.akamaiedge.net [92.123.168.20]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  1    2 ms    1 ms    1 ms  192.168.0.1
  2    34 ms    33 ms    33 ms  lo0-homesurf.ptn-ag01.plus.net [195.166.128.124]
  3    32 ms    32 ms    48 ms  gi2-6-605.ptn-gw01.plus.net [84.92.3.17]
  4    33 ms    35 ms    31 ms  t2a1-ge2-0-0.uk-lon1.eu.bt.net [166.49.211.45]
  5  137 ms    77 ms    32 ms  166-49-135-22.eu.bt.net [166.49.135.22]
  6    32 ms    32 ms    32 ms  gi2-6.lonse1.London.opentransit.net [193.251.150
.225]
  7    36 ms    35 ms    35 ms  tengige0-15-0-2.lontr1.London.opentransit.net [1
93.251.129.69]
  8    *        *        *    Request timed out.
  9    40 ms    40 ms    40 ms  xe-6-1-3-0.auvtr3.Aubervilliers.opentransit.net
[193.251.129.121]
10    40 ms    39 ms    41 ms  a92-123-168-20.deploy.akamaitechnologies.com [92
.123.168.20]
Trace complete.

tracert addons.mozilla.com
Tracing route to redirect-com.glb.mozilla.com [63.245.209.37]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  1    1 ms    1 ms    1 ms  192.168.0.1
  2    35 ms    32 ms    31 ms  lo0-homesurf.ptn-ag01.plus.net [195.166.128.124]
  3    34 ms    32 ms    31 ms  gi2-6-605.ptn-gw01.plus.net [84.92.3.17]
  4    36 ms    32 ms    34 ms  t2a1-ge2-0-0.uk-lon1.eu.bt.net [166.49.211.45]
  5    34 ms    31 ms    32 ms  ge-2-1-0.mpr1.lhr2.uk.above.net [195.66.224.76]
  6    32 ms    31 ms    33 ms  ge-2-1-0.mpr1.lhr2.uk.above.net [64.125.28.141]
  7  106 ms  108 ms  105 ms  so-1-1-0.mpr1.dca2.us.above.net [64.125.31.186]
  8  114 ms  105 ms  105 ms  xe-0-3-0.cr1.dca2.us.above.net [64.125.29.17]
  9  139 ms  138 ms  138 ms  xe-1-3-0.cr1.iah1.us.above.net [64.125.31.213]
10  171 ms  169 ms  178 ms  xe-1-3-0.cr1.lax112.us.above.net [64.125.26.122]
11  189 ms  170 ms  169 ms  xe-2-1-0.cr1.sjc2.us.above.net [64.125.24.18]
12  171 ms  170 ms  170 ms  64.125.28.17.available.above.net [64.125.28.17]
13  171 ms  171 ms  170 ms  64.125.189.26
14  171 ms  171 ms  171 ms  te-8-2.core2.sjc.mozilla.net [63.245.208.98]
15  172 ms  171 ms  171 ms  static-redir-com.nslb.sj.mozilla.com [63.245.209
.37]
Trace complete.

[#10]

A while ago, maybe a month or two, there was someone who posted on this forum who could not access the internet at all except via the VPN to his work network.  I cannot remember how this problem was resolved,  router issue maybe?

[#11]

Quote from: ReedRichards

A while ago, maybe a month or two, there was someone who posted on this forum who could not access the internet at all except via the VPN to his work network.   I cannot remember how this problem was resolved,  router issue maybe?

That is always a possiblity. My home router setup is new as my old setup was getting flaky.
The current setup at work has been in place for over a year and has been very stable. That said the sites that weren't loading at work are now starting to work again, albeit with long load times. So I will ignore that for the time being and just assume that was a coincidence.
So if it is my router, why do these sites load over VPN but not without? What settings should I be looking at?
If I remember correctly the MTU is set to 1492.
I also had fun and games getting the bridge to connect (see http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,97742.16.html) where I had to set the UBR with PCR (Unspecified Bit Rate with Peak Cell Rate) set at 1143.
Everything was working well initially... that said I had to reinstall the main laptop recently as it was also pretty flaky... I really need to eliminate the laptop as the culprit...

[#12]

Have you done a factory reset on your router - I had a very similar problem ~ 9 months ago with mine - in desperation I reset and reinput all the connection info ...and hey presto! the problem vanished ! Absolutely no idea why, and nobody else at the time, could explain.