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IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

omeadhra
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎01-01-2016

IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

I have Windows 10, IE11, Norton AV, on oldish Dell PC. My wife has a Compaq PC, Win8.1, Norton AV. Both connect to web by ethernet through a Thomson Gateway TG585. I have never had problems with any website - except one. It is a Northern Ireland  government archaeological search site that is important for my research. It is at http://apps.ehsni.gov.uk/ambit/Disclaimer.aspx and switches to ../ambit/default.aspx when a search is requested. When I enter the search parameters it informs me that it is waiting for a reply, then comes up with 'This page can't be displayed'. It is the same on my wife's machine. The IT people at ehsni cannot replicate it. It has done this since I got BB and the router some years ago, using XP and IE7. It also fails on my PC in Firefox, Chrome and Edge.  I can rule out the following causes at my end - IE add-ons; connection; compatibility view; router firewall; Norton firewall; router DNS; blocked cookie.
Please, has anyone a solution. I suspect either the router or something in Plusnet security.
56 REPLIES 56
jab1
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Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

Just tried it for you (using Firefox + W7) and had no problem (apart from a slowish response).
My router is a TG582N
John
omeadhra
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎01-01-2016

Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

John
Thanks. I'm baffled, but perhaps it is now more likely to be the router or plusnet security. Maybe I should ask for a replacment router from plusnet - but it has never given me any other trouble. I also thought it might help to take my PC to another place, with a different set-up. At least if it worked I would know it wasn't my PC that was doing it.
Richard
tmoscrop
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Registered: ‎31-12-2015

Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

Hi Richard,
It is possible that the website in question is being blocked by our safeguarding service if you have that active. You can choose to turn it off, or change your settings at any time by logging into your member centre on our website. Alternatively, If you've gone down every other avenue besides testing a new router then there is a chance the router is the cause of the problem. If you don't have another router to hand then you can get one from us by contacting our customer options team on 0800 013 2632, they will be happy to review your account and help you towards getting a new router from us.
I do hope this helps.
jab1
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Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

Richard
As I'm on PlusNET (ADSL), running through a PN supplied router, I don't think it is a router problem - could be wrong, I'm not a network engineer - the only things different are your OS's (W10/8.1 against W7) and the fact that you have a software firewall.
If you have a chance to take your PC elsewhere (and I know that won't be easy - glad I have a couple of laptops), I think that might be a good idea - the fact that I can access the site kind of rules out a PN security issue, and TBH I'm not aware of anything in PN supplied routers which would cause this.
John
jab1
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Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

Quote from: tmoscrop
Hi Richard,
It is possible that the website in question is being blocked by our safeguarding service if you have that active. You can choose to turn it off, or change your settings at any time by logging into your member centre on our website. Alternatively, If you've gone down every other avenue besides testing a new router then there is a chance the router is the cause of the problem. If you don't have another router to hand then you can get one from us by contacting our customer options team on 0800 013 2632, they will be happy to review your account and help you towards getting a new router from us.
I do hope this helps.


Ooops, should have checked. Embarrassed
I still can't see it being a router issue if every other site loads OK though.
John
spraxyt
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Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

Richard,
The site behaves OK for me using Windows Vista with Firefox. I'm on fibre with a TG582n router. The Plusnet firewall and Safeguard are both off.
However, the following information...
Quote from: omeadhra
... When I enter the search parameters it informs me that it is waiting for a reply, then comes up with 'This page can't be displayed'. It is the same on my wife's machine. The IT people at ehsni cannot replicate it. It has done this since I got BB and the router some years ago, using XP and IE7 It also fails on my PC in Firefox, Chrome and Edge.. ...

... seems to eliminate most local environment effects. "Some years ago" probably eliminates Safeguard, but for the record have you activated that? Also what Plusnet firewall setting do you have?
I'm wary of Norton blocking sites, though I assume "eliminating this" means it was temporarily turned off?. However if you can try your PC, or your wife's PC on another connection (even non-Plusnet) it should confirm the problem is not PC related.
David
David
omeadhra
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎01-01-2016

Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

to John and David
Most grateful for your help. Today I tried a friend's laptop through my WIFI, so same router and PN. It hung on precisely the same search point on the problem web site. I know nothing of PN safeguard or PN's firewall, so I wouldn't know how to check those. But I do know that the web-site in question sends a token of some sort, a cookie?, and  this is clearly being blocked. My PC gives a message 'waiting for response' before it times out after a couple of minutes.
So It seems fairly clear that the problem lies either with the router software or settings or with PN's firewall. But I use the web actively and no other site has ever been blocked in this way.
To the PN respondent - it seems a pity to change the otherwise superbly functioning router, but if you think I should, just say. Can PN check anything in their protection software first, though?
Richard
omeadhra
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎01-01-2016

Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

Discover that both PN safeguard and PN firewall are turned off. Leaves the router as the suspect! But why would it select a single site?
Richard
Anotherone
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Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

Can you get to the site using it's IP address?
Townman
Superuser
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Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

Hi Richard,
How have you ruled out DNS?
There is an odd-ball issue with TG582n and Win8/8.1/10 where for an unclear reason DNS lookups from the router DNS proxy are resolved to 198.18.1.X addresses - these are known as spoofed addresses.
One way of 'fixing' this issue is to put the DNS server addresses into the PC's NIC settings.
HTH is of some whelp.
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

omeadhra
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎01-01-2016

Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

Anotherone - no idea of the IP address (don't think a gov dept would give it to me).
Townsman - Not sure about the DNSs. Went through Control Panel and put in alternative DNS server IPs as suggested by PN somewhere. No difference. My router is TG585 v7, not 582. Read in a PN Thomson Gateway forum that the firmware 8.2.2.23.0 could not deal with PPTP / VPN. What are these, and could they be a problem? In other words would a firmware upgrade work?
Richard
Anotherone
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Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

As has already been suggested by jab1 and spraxyt, as this appears to be the only site you are having problems with, it won't be the modem/router causing the issue, and for the same reasons, the 582n spoofing issue would be a red herring even if you were using a 582n. So a new modem/router or firmware upgrades are really irrelevant to this specific problem. Do not be tempted into taking Plusnet's latest modem/router (the 2704n) for an extended contract either, it's locked down firmware is very restrictive and has a variety of issues detailed elsewhere on these boards and will not solve this particular problem. Unless you wish to use Virtual Private Networks (VPN) you need not worry about PPTP.
If you really want to convince yourself it's not your modem/router, then borrow one that's not locked to any ISP.
When you say in your OP that you've ruled out Norton, I take it that you've either disabled it or uninstalled it to rule it out, or your friend's laptop did not have Norton or other AV that was disabled to check.
Quote from: omeadhra
....But I do know that the web-site in question sends a token of some sort, a cookie?, and  this is clearly being blocked. My PC gives a message 'waiting for response' before it times out after a couple of minutes.

I don't see this as anything being blocked if you've checked browser settings to allow cookies on 3 different browsers, the response you see is pretty standard for a failed DNS lookup.
Quote from: omeadhra
So It seems fairly clear that the problem lies either with the router software or settings or with PN's firewall. But I use the web actively and no other site has ever been blocked in this way.

That's an incorrect conclusion and that's exactly why, as two other have also said, it won't be anything to do with router software or it's firewall or any other firewall unless you've added (in error) some exception to your own software firewall.
What DNS addresses are you using? Plusnet have two sets of default addresses 212.159.6.9 & 212.159.6.10 also 212.159.13.49 & 212.159.13.50 so it may be either of those if the 585 is set to default to use the automatic settings. If you want to try alternate DNS on your PC, I'd suggest trying 4.2.2.3 (level 3) and 8.8.8.8 (google).
IP addresses of sites are not confidential or secret, that's precisely what DNS does, you type in a site name and DNS looks up the IP address to route to the site. If you know the IP address of the site you should be able to use that so that DNS is not involved.
The IP address of the site is 194.32.30.8  BUT although I can get to the site using the link (url) from your OP, I cannot get to it (or pages on it) using the IP address. There must be something weird about the way the site is set up and/or the DNS entries on the resolvers you are using that I don't understand.
I've attached an edited screen grab (middle/end section of page is omitted). When you hover over the NIEA logo top left it's clickable to the address mentioned www.ni-environment.gov.uk which gives a "Page not found" error at https://www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/  Shocked
Note it's a Beta site Roll_eyes - However from that page, click >Home >Sitemap >Historic Monuments >The Monuments and Buildings Record >Northern Ireland Sites and Monuments Record (towards the end of the page) it takes you to https://www.doeni.gov.uk/services/sites-and-monuments-record (screen grab attached) and try clicking on the big link. Somehow I suspect that may not work for you either.
Worth mentioning that clicking on the Accept or Decline at the bottom of the page (see 1st screen grab) seems to make no difference to subsequent attempts to visit the page. Decline just seems to close the tab - the cookies created don't prevent a further visit and clicking Accept takes you to the default Search form at http://apps.ehsni.gov.uk/ambit/Default.aspx. After that, further visits to the Disclaimer page don't offer the Accept or Decline (unless you delete the cookies).
Other than trying the alternate DNS I suggested - 4.2.2.3 and 8.8.8.8 I don't know what else to suggest at this point apart from deleting all the relevant cookies, disabling AV and Firewalls (if not tried) before trying again, it might also be worth checking you don't have an entry in a Hosts file that's prevent you visiting the page.
ejs
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Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

It shouldn't be anything to do with DNS. After getting to the search form http://apps.ehsni.gov.uk/ambit/Default.aspx , DNS has already done its job of looking up the IP address for apps.ehsni.gov.uk , and then there won't be another DNS lookup on submitting the search details (unless perhaps if there was a several minute gap between loading the search form and pressing the search button), the "waiting for reply" status also indicates a request was sent to the site, so it's not a DNS  problem.
Perhaps check the router's log to see if contains any log entries from the times you try to use that website.
Oldjim
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Re: IE11? blocking response to search of website. 'Can't display page' error

I tried using search for Coen's Fort under site name and got this but searching for Church in type worked