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General discussion

Curiously blocked when using Comcast

Dec 25, 2007 8:17PM PST

Since December 11, 2007 I have been unable to reach a certain website. Since it is an adult web site I'll not include links. My ISP, Comcast, has not been very helpful in finding the problem. I have attempted connection with both IE and Firefox browsers with the same result.

I have connected other computers to my network and cannot connect, more importantly none of my friends with Comcast can reach it on their computers either.

I did go to the trouble of moving my computer (it is not a laptop I moved the entire tower case), to a home with Time Warner and could reach it with no trouble at all.

Someone here suggested checking my HOSTS file, and said that I should use a different computer, but, as I have said no local computer using any Comcast network can reach the site in question. And no details were given about how to check a HOSTS file. I inadvertently included the link to the website as well as a tracert, but since it is an adult site I have had to repost my problem with edits for more assistance.

Discussion is locked

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Even I don't tell how to do that.
Dec 25, 2007 9:19PM PST

If you type HOSTS (just one word) into google.com the first hit is about how to use it and the second is the FAQ. No need to write more here.

Bob

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not much help
Dec 26, 2007 2:22AM PST

The information I find at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_file does not tell me what to do to my computer to make it so I can visit the site in question or why no one that is located in my local area, each using a different cable modem cannot reach the site in question but using the same computers and tower cases at a different location that is connected via the internet through a different ISP can.

Each Monday I run the following programs on a regular basis:

Ad-Aware 2007
Spybot Search and Destroy
CCleaner
AVG

I do this every Monday without fail. I have done this to my computer, my wife's computer (connected via router to the same modem I use) and my friends computer (connected to Comcast in a different house with a separate cable modem). And still we cannot connect to the web site in question.

I lugged my own tower case and that of my wife to another location, not an easy task, they aren?t meant to be portable. Connected each (separately) to a cable modem connected to Time Warner and was able to reach the site, upon returning home I cannot, again, reach the site. Comcast refuses to do a tracert at their tech support, I?ve been told that it must be software blocking it and to remove the software to reach, but as I said: I REACHED IT USING THE SAME COMPUTER CONNECTED TO A DIFFERENT ISP and without making any changes other than location and ISP could not reach it through Comcast.

The HOSTS file I find on my computer (and my wife?s) looks like this:

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost

And I still can?t see the site in question. Since my original post, more sites (again, all of an adult nature) have become unreachable through Comcast but still reachable via Time Warner.

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Comcast does block sites.
Dec 26, 2007 2:40AM PST

Thanks for sharing the HOSTS file. It is good to see it's not that. But since I'm not Comcast there is no reason I should be able to fix it.

-> I guess you didn't understand how things are here. This is an all volunteer forum with people that will help you help yourself. A few new members pull in and are put off by the "fishing lessons" and burn rubber in disgust that no fish were available.

This is not a paid tech support site but there are some members here that will help you find answers (even if the answer is a no.)

-> try this. Change the URL from http://www.thatsite.com to the http://100.0.99.1 or rather the IP address of the site you want to see. Maybe it's a DNS FAILURE. And yes, you can type DNS FAILURE or just DNS to learn what that is at google.com.

Bob

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proxy
Dec 26, 2007 7:21PM PST

you can use a proxy server to relay the pages to you. Better, you can chose not to view or visit such sites. Yes, moral judgement, but also the information you need.