Macgyver56
Posts: 30 +8
Greetings!
Let me start by saying that what I am about to describe is NOT a malware/virus problem. It *does* involve a browser being redirected to the wrong website, but we have checked repeatedly and to the best of our abilities, we have ruled out malware or viruses.
Windows 7 desktop. Internet access is through ethernet wired through a router that also provides wireless access to other devices in the house.
What we have is a single computer in the house (out of 2 desktops, 1 laptop, and 1 tablet) that cannot reach a single, specific website (an SMF forum) using Internet Explorer or Chrome. It *CAN* get there using the AOL browser. What happens with IE and Chrome is that the browsers are redirected to another (non-malicious, as far as we can tell) website that resides at the same webhosting service as the website we are trying to reach.
Tracerts and Pings go to the correct site. Other users (as in people all over the country) can reach the correct site. Other computers in the same household go to the correct site using both wired and wireless access.
This appears to be a very computer-specific problem. It does not seem to be an IP problem (because the other computers in the house are not encountering it), and it is not a website or network problem because no one else is running into the problem.
Any thoughts?
The only other piece of information that seems pertinent is that back in July, this same computer suddenly could not reach the "target" website at all, no matter what browser was being used. All browsers would stall and time out, or give a "website can not be found" type of message. Tracerts and pings failed completely. The tracerts said that the website could not be resolved and never generated even a single hop.
At the time, we consulted a number of people and the only explanation that seemed like it might have merit is that it might have something to do with the MAC address. Someone else suggested that it had to do with TCP/IP settings. We never got it fixed. The problem just half-corrected itself about two weeks ago, and then went sideways to the current situation.
What's different between IE & Chrome versus the AOL browser that could explain this?
If you have an idea, please use dummy talk. I'm fairly good with computers, but networking and IP protocols baffle me.
Thanks!
Macgyver56
Let me start by saying that what I am about to describe is NOT a malware/virus problem. It *does* involve a browser being redirected to the wrong website, but we have checked repeatedly and to the best of our abilities, we have ruled out malware or viruses.
Windows 7 desktop. Internet access is through ethernet wired through a router that also provides wireless access to other devices in the house.
What we have is a single computer in the house (out of 2 desktops, 1 laptop, and 1 tablet) that cannot reach a single, specific website (an SMF forum) using Internet Explorer or Chrome. It *CAN* get there using the AOL browser. What happens with IE and Chrome is that the browsers are redirected to another (non-malicious, as far as we can tell) website that resides at the same webhosting service as the website we are trying to reach.
Tracerts and Pings go to the correct site. Other users (as in people all over the country) can reach the correct site. Other computers in the same household go to the correct site using both wired and wireless access.
This appears to be a very computer-specific problem. It does not seem to be an IP problem (because the other computers in the house are not encountering it), and it is not a website or network problem because no one else is running into the problem.
Any thoughts?
The only other piece of information that seems pertinent is that back in July, this same computer suddenly could not reach the "target" website at all, no matter what browser was being used. All browsers would stall and time out, or give a "website can not be found" type of message. Tracerts and pings failed completely. The tracerts said that the website could not be resolved and never generated even a single hop.
At the time, we consulted a number of people and the only explanation that seemed like it might have merit is that it might have something to do with the MAC address. Someone else suggested that it had to do with TCP/IP settings. We never got it fixed. The problem just half-corrected itself about two weeks ago, and then went sideways to the current situation.
What's different between IE & Chrome versus the AOL browser that could explain this?
If you have an idea, please use dummy talk. I'm fairly good with computers, but networking and IP protocols baffle me.
Thanks!
Macgyver56