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Is Plusnet causing this problem?

Flypopa
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Is Plusnet causing this problem?

I have a problem and I wonder if anyone here can give me an answer?
I like to log in to a site that is associated with my hobby of flying model aircraft. I normally visit this site a few times a day to keep up with the chat, as I get emails when new posts have been made on the pages that I have contributed to. The site in question is www.rcgroups.com ;
The problem is that at times during the day I cannot access it. When I try I get a message, “DNS error occurred. Server cannot be found. The link may be broken”.
As an example… I managed to access it at 0910 this morning. When I tried at 1045, I could not. Maybe later on today I will be able to access it, But it is a hit or miss thing.
I contacted the administrators of the site (When I could access it) and they asked me if I could check if I could access their sister sites that use the same server, when I could not access ‘rcgroups’. Out of the three I was told to try I could only access two. When I tried the third link, I got the same error message as stated.
During the time that I cannot access that site, I can access all other web sites and pages that I normally visit.
I must add that. When I cannot access that site, I plug in my G3 dongle that I normally use with my laptop, into the PC, I can access the site.
When I try to access that site with my laptop via wifi with my Belkin route, I cannot.
This problem only started a few weeks ago and seems to be getting worse. It has been suggested that it could be MY SERVER which is PLUSNET.
Anyone got any ideas or views on this problem.

54 REPLIES 54
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

Between attempts that succeed and fail will you have reconnected the router?
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
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fourfourdevon
Grafter
Posts: 1,101
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎10-09-2010

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

Can you access other sites when you get that error?
Flypopa
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

The router has not been touched,
Yes I can visit any other sites on the web.
I have just clicked on the www.rcgroups.com in my post and cannot access.
hulls
Grafter
Posts: 1,699
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

Hi Flypopa
I just tried your link with the same result. Google found a cached copy of the page, but it would only display in text format for me. I tried just typing the address in with the same result.  Doesn't help a lot I know, but at least you're not on your own.
John
fourfourdevon
Grafter
Posts: 1,101
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎10-09-2010

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

Well I can't access the site either, although why you are getting a DNS error I don't know.
However I tried DownForEveryoneOrJustMe http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/www.rcgroups.com and it says just me.
What that means is that there is a routing problem between Plusnet and www.rcgroups.com, but as to whose fault that is, is hard to say.  But raise a ticket with (or better still get on the phone to) Plusnet and ask them to look into why you can access from their network, but that you can from other networks.
Flypopa
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

Thanks John. Are you saying that you also got the 'DNS Error' message?
When I have not been able to access the site and I have been 'Skypeing' with a mate, that lives close. He manages to acccess, but is with another server.
Flypopa
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

Quote from: fourfourdevon
Well I can't access the site either, although why you are getting a DNS error I don't know.
However I tried DownForEveryoneOrJustMe http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/www.rcgroups.com and it says just me.
What that means is that there is a routing problem between Plusnet and www.rcgroups.com, but as to whose fault that is, is hard to say.  But raise a ticket with (or better still get on the phone to) Plusnet and ask them to look into why you can access from their network, but that you can from other networks.
Well for me it proves a point that it is 'Plusnet ' that is causing the problem.
fourfourdevon
Grafter
Posts: 1,101
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎10-09-2010

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

It may or may not be Plusnet that are causing the problem.  There is a problem BETWEEN Plusnet and that site, but without knowing exactly what is BETWEEN Plusnet and that site, and how each is configured for routing, its not possible to know who is causing the problem.  At the most extreme there is only a 50% chance its Plusnet.
Flypopa
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

Ok I know what you say. But as I said, to me this is a mystery. If I were to plug in my dongle now, I can access.
So why is it at times all is OK with Plusnet, but others it is not?
What else is there between the link that could be the fault?
pierre_pierre
Grafter
Posts: 19,757
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

dont know, but I just got in OK
fourfourdevon
Grafter
Posts: 1,101
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎10-09-2010

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

Routing on the internet is at complicated, and frankly it's amazing it work at all really.
What is between Plusnet and that site?  Well almost certainly at least 1 more ISP (the ISP that hosts the website), possibly a wholesale transit carrier like level 3, and each of these (Plusnet included) will have several routers, I would estimate at least 20 points of failure between your ADSL connection and that website, but it could be 100's and some of these points of failure could be failing through no fault of any of the owners/controllers of the equipment.  As I say routing is complicated, and if you remember in the news not long ago, the Chinesse managed to redirect a huge proportion of the internet via their own routers, well, just about any ISP could do that, accidently, purposely, one website or many.
Your point of contact to get this solved is Plusnet, but wether Plusnet can solve it, or wether they need to contact someone else only they can determine, but Plusnet could be many steps away (i.e. Plusnet contacts Level 3, Level 3 contacts A.N.Other transit company, A.N.Other contacts LINX and so on until the person responsible is contacted).
Flypopa
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

I have posted the problem in the help and support, and now have to wait for a reply.
JonJon
Grafter
Posts: 92
Thanks: 6
Registered: ‎24-05-2009

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

The other thing you could try when it is unavailable is to run a traceroute to the server, which may indicate where the issue is.
i.e. Open a command prompt, and type: tracert www.rcgroups.com
The site is working for me at the moment, but as an example the traceroute shows:
Quote
Tracing route to rcgroups.com [66.228.117.24]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  1    7 ms    <1 ms    1 ms  10.0.0.1
  2    19 ms    13 ms    12 ms  lo0-central2.ptn-ag04.plus.net [195.166.130.23]
  3    14 ms    11 ms    17 ms  gi2-5-421.ptn-gw01.plus.net [84.92.2.137]
  4    11 ms    11 ms    15 ms  t2a1-ge2-0-0.uk-lon1.eu.bt.net [166.49.211.45]
  5    11 ms    11 ms    11 ms  t2c2-ge2-0-0.uk-lon1.eu.bt.net [166.49.135.109]
  6    12 ms    12 ms    12 ms  t2c1-p4-2.uk-eal.eu.bt.net [166.49.164.137]
  7    94 ms    94 ms    94 ms  t2c1-p5-0-0.us-ash.eu.bt.net [166.49.164.65]
  8  118 ms  118 ms  118 ms  po3.bbr02.tl01.atl01.networklayer.com [173.192.18.153]
  9  128 ms  128 ms  189 ms  po7.bbr02.eq01.dal01.networklayer.com [173.192.18.134]
10  150 ms  158 ms  158 ms  po5.dar02.sr01.dal01.networklayer.com [173.192.18.203]
11  140 ms  139 ms  146 ms  po2.fcr01.sr01.dal01.networklayer.com [66.228.118.158]
12  128 ms  128 ms  127 ms  www.rcgroups.com [66.228.117.24]
Trace complete.

You'll notice that between plusnet & rcgroups, there are many steps involving BT and 'networklayer.com' routers.
As mentioned previously, start with plusnet to see what they advise - although they may be limited in what they can do if a BT/networklayer server is causing the issue.
Jonny.
hulls
Grafter
Posts: 1,699
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Is Plusnet causing this problem?

I get the following message:
Quote
Oops! Google Chrome could not connect to www.rcgroups.com
Try reloading: www.­rcgroups.­com
Additional suggestions:
Access a cached copy of www.­rcgroups.­com
Search on Google:

John