Help re Displaying a Website please

[mcdhu]

I am trying to register my lad with a cricket club via a perfectly kosher sports club hosting website. Other parents are having no difficulty getting on to this website - except me! I have tried my normal method - AOL, IE, the Google link on the 2 household PCs and my laptop always with the same result which is 'Cannot display Webpage'

The same result from all 3 computers makes me wonder if it might be a setting in the wireless modem router which I have rebooted electronically. Having looked at the settings, there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary in there.

Details are Dell PCs and laptop all running Win xp SP2, AOL Bb, Netgear wireless modem router DG 834G v3 with the latest firmware, PC Tools Spyware Doctor and Xp firewall.

I haven't had any trouble getting onto any other websites in recent history, can anyone come up with any ideas about what can be blocking this particular one?

Cheers,
mcdhu

[BOAC]

You could post the URL which would help!

Is Flash required/enabled?
Is ActiveX " "
Is JavaScript " "

For starters....................

[mcdhu]

Thank you BOAC.

1. Well, everything else works ok.
2. I thought it was not done to post urls here.........
3. It's www.sportsclubhost.com

mcdhu

[kenhughes]

Do you allow cookies? The easiest way to check whether that's the problem is to add the site (with the full URL, including the https://) to your trusted sites box - Tools/Internet Options/Security/Click on the green check mark.

[cats_five]

Have you tried contacting the people running the site to see if they can help?

[green granite]

Try typing its IP address into your browser instead of the URL: 64.187.103.246 some times it gets you through. Also it's a HTTPS site if that makes a difference to your browser settings.

[dazdaz]

Link worked for me, I'm XP SP1 IE6

[BOAC]

As Ken indicates, it is a 'secure site' which uses 'https'. It also appears to need 'scripts' enabled. Try the following:

I Explorer
Tools
Internet Options
Security - 'internet' should be highlighted. If not click on it
Custom Level
Run down until you see 'Scripting/Active Scripting'
Select either 'Allow' or 'Prompt' (If you use 'prompt' you will need to 'authorise' each script event)
OK
Yes
OK
(I think I got all the clicks:eek:)

Then try. You can always go back and reset.

PS URLs are ok as long as not 'naughty' or commercial and you are safe!

[mcdhu]

Thank you gents.

I've now tried all the suggested 'fixes' so far to no avail. - except contacting the folks running the site (in the USA - how would I do that?) - most curious!!

Surely must be in the router then?

mcdhu

PS Having a bit of trouble with a MS update re .net - could it be anything to do with that?

[kenhughes]

Assuming you have at least one of your PCs hard-wired into the router, take the cable out of the router and plug it straight into your modem. The PC should pick-up the new network settings automatically, but if a not, a re-boot will do the trick.

If you can register with the site after that, then yes, the router is the problem. Can you access other secure sites (they start with https)?

The website is an asp.net site, but I don't think having .net framework problems at your end would affect your ability to access a .net site (though that's only an opinion and could be wrong).

[BOAC]

Frustrating!

Which version of IE?

What do you see in the browser address bar when you click on the site and get the message?

I am stumped. I have located an email address for the IT man behind the site and await an answer for you!

[Saab Dastard]

Try installing firefox or opera?

SD

[In rerum natura]

AOL main page
Type CTRL+K to bring up the AOL Keywords box
Type "Secure Fix" (no quotes) + Enter

Lots of trouble with AOL UK and their DNS servers since CPW switch-over. Seems to help if you fire-up the main AOL program (rather than just using dialnb/dialbb) minimising it and then starting Firefox. Sometimes I can access your site, sometimes the look-up fails. Sorry, best I can offer.

Fellow AOL user.

[OllyTheFrog]

Hi,

I am the SportsClubHost development administrator so I'll try to help... however, from what I've read in this thread it would appear you are using AOL as your Internet Service Provider; I know of several legitimate sites that have had problems with AOL's special brand of the internet.

You mentioned a laptop - have you tried connecting it at another location (i.e. with another ISP) and calling up the site from there? Perhaps from a neighbour's house or an office?

I suspect that the problem is with the Domain Name Servers that AOL provides in that, as I said, they have been known to block legitimate sites because of some tenuous link to "undesirable" sites.

The other potential issue is your HOSTS file. This is a file on your computer which contains overrides to the DNS table and is used first by your computer to locate the IP address for a domain, before examining the ISP's DNS. Perhaps there is an entry in there (from an Anti-Spyware program) which is blocking.

Please try doing a lookup on the domain to see whether an entry exists in the DNS you're using: Click Start, then Run. Enter "cmd" (without the quotes) and click OK - a command window should open. Type in "nslookup sportsclubhost.com" (again without quotes) and press Enter. It should come back with an IP address (64.187.103.246). If it doesn't come back with that address then the issue is with the DNS tables. As site administrator I would then have to contact AOL to request that they allow our site. Please post the results of the lookup for me to check.

You could also try a proxy server, such as http://www.youhide.com/. I'm not suggesting this as a permanent solution, but it would attempt to connect you using their DNS instead of AOL's and could help further identify the problem.

[paxcommuter]

You could try the following from the command line:

ping www.sportsclubhost.com

and:

ping sportsclubhost.com

This will tell you if it's a network problem (in which case neither firefox nor opera could help), or if it's a browser issue.

You should see 'Reply from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx'.

If not you may see 'Unknown host sportsclubhost.com', in which case you have a DNS problem, or 'Request timed out', in which case it's a network connectivity problem.

If it works, and you get the 'Reply's, try installing Firefox.

[mcdhu]

Again, thank you gents for your patience and advice.

kenhughes - its a wireless modem router, I don't think I can bypass the router.

BOAC - it's the latest IE - 7 I think. Below should be a screenshot - nope, it won't paste in! When I type in the basic www.......address, the browser bar shows http://www.sportsclubhost.com/ then I get a blank page with 'done' at the bottom left then in the very bottom it changes to Waiting for http://www.sportsclubhost.comlogin.aspx and then., after a few secs I get the page which says it can't display - check spelling, internet etc

In rerum natura - no joy with secure fixes

paxcommuter - I'm not up to 'pinging' but I'll phone a friend about that.

I quite understand if you all give up at this stage - I'm a bit of a (long serving) beginner but I'll have a go at Firefox and let you know.

Many thanks,
mcdhu
This makes the Airbus seem simple!!

[BOAC]

Just worth a try - type the correct address into the window

https://sportsclubhost.com/Login.aspx

[kenhughes]

Not sure whether you've typed in the URL or copied and pasted it - but if the latter, there's a couple of problems.

1. You need a / between the .com and the Login.aspx, and
2. Don't use www. The security certificate shows up as invalid if you do - though you should still be able to bypass the warning screen and go to the site.

This is the link you should be using: https://sportsclubhost.com/Login.aspx

and if you set up the site as a Trusted Site, the address in there needs to be https://sportsclubhost.com

Re your router being a wireless one, it's usual for at least one PC to be hard-wired into it - for the initial set-up at least.

If using the above link doesn't work, try temporarily disabling Spyware Doctor and the XP Firewall - but don't forget to switch them back on once you've tried the site.

Ken

Edited to add: - :) Great minds BOAC ...

[green granite]

kenhughes/ BOAC that's why I gave him and suggested he typed in the IP address it overcomes all sorts of miss-typing and also sometimes site blocking problems by the internet provider.

[mcdhu]

Ok guys, thank you. I've done all that and still either 'Navigation to the webpage is cancelled' or 'Cannot display the webpage' is the answer.

I have checked time and time again that I am typing the right addresses and have tried all links and the IP address. Mrs mcdhu went to work and got through first time but the link from the confirmation 'noreply' email doesn't work - same as before.

So all I haven't done is the 'pinging' business and connecting my PC straight to the modem not via the router, but I don't see how I can do that when the thing is an all-in one modem router (Netgear DG834G).

Perhaps I'll register the lad via pen and paper!!

Thanks again,
mcdhu

[paxcommuter]

You should be able to ping directly from your pc, with it connected through the router (either directly or wirelessly). Assuming you're using XP, use Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command prompt. Then type

ping www.sportsclubhost.com

and press Enter.

You can do the same from within the Netgear DG834G, by logging into it using your browser, and clicking Diagnostics from the left hand side.

Having said all that, when IE asks you to check spelling and network connection, it's usually because it can't create a network connection to the web server. Assuming that you can surf other sites fine (including presumably this one), then I would assume that your router's OK, and that your own network and PC setup are fine. I'd give the ISP support a ring, as they're best placed to help you out.

[kenhughes]

Roger re the modem/router - I hadn't realised it was an all-in-one unit. That being the case, you won't be able to bypass the router.

You mentioned AOL somewhere - is AOL your internet service provider?

Having Googled your error messages, the one common thread that comes up is, it seems to be wholly AOL-based (though using IE usually fixes the problem, but not in your case). A call to AOL Customer Support may solve the problem?

Green Granit - indeed you did. Sorry, forgot about that one.

[BOAC]

Cor! Don't we like a difficult one to crack! No reply yet from website man. This was the email address [email protected] - they seem to be a sort of hosting outfit and the site constructor is called Oliver Haskell.

Since you do not report problems with other sites I assume your router is ok. However, can you access other https sites such as bank log-ins etc?

Have a look at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926431 and maybe start at Method 2?

Various other Googles suggest updates for Media Player11 at fault???, try 'refresh' page a few times or 'rewind' to IE6

[dj Mcrae]

You could try logging in with a proxy server which should transform your Aol IP and login to the page you require.... Rather than configuring one, use a ready made one.

here try this web page proxy to get around the traffic filter

nav to this page http://www.zacc.info/ then enter your link

I tested it and it seems to work fine as in letting traffic to your required page.

[OllyTheFrog]

There have been plenty of replies from "website man", just not posted through to the forum. Hey, moderator, please allow my posts!

I am in the process of resolving this issue. It is either AOL or NetGear-related. Connecting via Proxify works.

[OllyTheFrog]

Thanks to all for your comments and assistance.

I had contacted mcdhu off-forum and we have established that this is most likely an AOL problem. When he uses an anonymous proxy (Proxify) he gets to the log-in screen. When he does an NSLOOKUP on sportsclubhost.com he gets a time-out error. Now, if there was a "non-existant domain" error or something else of that sort then I would have immediately concluded some sort of active blocking from AOL, either generally or in the parental controls for mcdhu's account.

However, the timeout, and the DNS address of www.routerlogin.com (http://www.routerlogin.com) (i.e. the NetGear router) clouds the issue somewhat.

I've suggested that he use OpenDNS instead of the ISP default DNS servers to see whether that sorts out the problem, but even if it does, that will not help for any other AOL users out there!

I've known colleagues have issues with AOL before. Either to do with banned IP address ranges, reverse DNS problems, spurious caching policies, and - on the face of it - a certain amount of incompetence on AOL's behalf.

My personal opinion is that AOL has got to be the worst choice of ISP these days. I used CompuServe back when, and it was great, but that was before the world wide web. Since then, AOL is a dinosaur that refuses to die. Having said that, it is only my opinion, and I do not have any wish to refuse access to our site to AOL subscribers!

Has anyone else experienced problems? Are there any other AOL users out there who could try to access www.sportsclubhost.com (http://www.sportsclubhost.com) and see whether they get to the login page?

[TheQuietLife]

If you are still testing this, keep in mind there is a message on the website:

Please Note:
The system may be unavailable on Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd May 2008.
We are moving the site to a new server to improve response times for our users.
We apologise for any inconvenience.

[OllyTheFrog]

I am the SportsClubHost administrator. I am in contact with mcdhu and am working to resolve his problem which is totally unrelated to any server move which has yet to take place. I'm sorry that my two lengthy posts to this forum have not appeared yet (whereas one short one did - odd!) as they would have clarified matters and saved people time and effort.
Thank you all for your assistance.
This issue will now be dealt with off-forum.

[mcdhu]

Yes, Olly the frog is sorting it but it will be intersting to see which particular keystroke will fix it!

The AOL Bb man in Madras made me fiddle with the packet size setting in the router but, funny old thing, no result.

I'll let you know the outcome.

Many thanks,
mcdhu

[kenhughes]

The keystrokes to fix it are

del aol*.*

:ok:

PS Don't do that - just in case it works and deletes every instance of AOHell off your PC :)

[BOAC]

Actually, Ken, we've discussed this here before on PPRune, and unfortunately there are a lot more key presses to do to rid yourself of it:{. Registry keys abound after uninstall, start-up items etc, so your last line is good advice, of course:ok:

[In rerum natura]

AOL/Carphone Warehouse DNS servers 92-31-241-20 and 92-31-241-21 cannot resolve www.sportsclubhost.com (http://www.sportsclubhost.com) (AOL 9.0VR under XPSP2).

The old AOL DNS server 205-188-146-145 works perfectly (AOL9.0 under 98SE and AOL7 under 98SE). Using AOL9.0 under 98 SE, 205-188-146-145 only becomes available after full ScreenName log-on through the main AOL program.

205-188-146-145 is not used at all by AOL9.0VR under XPSP2.

DNS info from winipcfg on 98SE and ipconfig/all on XP.

Unfortunately AOL is a black hole that's sucked me in over the last 13 years.

[mcdhu]

Finally fixed by Olly by instructing the Router to use different DNS Servers.

Thanks again to all concerned.
Cheers,
mcdhu

[BOAC]

Strange! Thanks for the info. For my benefit, was that a router/AOL or website issue?

I trust Msr Le Frog got the PM?:)

[mcdhu]

Very odd! From what I gather, it is an AOL DNS Server problem. Olly said:

What we have done is tell the router to use the IP addresses specified (belonging to www.opendns.com) instead of the ones supplied by AOL for all domain name lookup requests

Does that make sense?

Regards,
mcdhu

[BOAC]

Roger! In unchartered territory for me now, so I have phoned a friend:)

[mcdhu]

BOAC,

Me too!! But it has had the apparent side effect of speeding my Bb connection up from 3 thingies to 4 thingies.

'Every cloud has a silver lining!'

Cheers
mcdhu