Re: Escalation Request Re: Cannot Connect to A Website
ky331
Enthusiast - Level 3

Anthony,

I have (also) sent you a private message, with the following information:

tracert landzdown.com
Tracing route to landzdown.com [74.55.178.34] over a maximum of 30 hops:
1      3 ms      1 ms      1 ms 192.168.1.1 

2    42 ms    34 ms    34 ms 10.32.187.1 

3     *        *        *      Request timed out. 

...

Trace complete

The above was obtained using a Westell D90-327W15-06 modem/router.   I also have an Actiontec router, and would be happy to test things out there if that could make a difference.  

EDIT:   Here's the result using my ActionTec GT704-WG modem/router

Tracing route to landzdown.com [74.55.178.34]

over a maximum of 30 hops:

 

  1     *        *        *     Request timed out.

  2    33 ms    33 ms    33 ms  10.32.187.1

  3  P0-0.NYCMNY-LCR-07.verizon-gni.net [130.81.46.214]  reports: Destination host unreachable.

 

Trace complete.

Let me know whatever else you need me to do from here.

I thank you in advance for any help you might be able to offer.   I would also like to express my thanks to Corrine, who helped finally get this problem escalated to Verizon's attention.

Re: Escalation Request Re: Cannot Connect to A Website
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

Still a problem here, so I guess I will do the honors and work with Anthony on this issue. I am able to reach the site right now, but ONLY due to the fact that I am routing to the LandZDown server using my web server (VPN end-to-end connection from my router to my server, which I use for IPv6 traffic).

Here's a current traceroute:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Users\>tracert landzdown.com

Tracing route to landzdown.com [74.55.178.34]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.3.1
  2     8 ms     8 ms     8 ms  10.15.3.1
  3  10.15.3.1  reports: Destination net unreachable.

Trace complete.

C:\Users\>

Re: Escalation Request Re: Cannot Connect to A Website
Anthony_VZ
Master - Level 3

Thank you I did receive your private message. Please fill out the form with the contact information I sent that way an escalation can be created and tracked that way we can post updates on here.

Re: Escalation Request Re: Cannot Connect to A Website
ky331
Enthusiast - Level 3

Anthony,

I received your private message and replied with the requested information.

I don't know if this is something for which you need me to be at home and online in order for you to perform testing... but I work full-time during the week... I included my evening/weekend at-home contact hours... but if one of the others is more readily available, that might work out better for you.

Question:   SInce it seems several people are having this same issue, have YOU tried to test it on your own system (connecting via Verizon DSL)?... If you (Verizon) can duplicate the issue, that would definitively confirm the problem, and you could then try to analyze/fix it as a generic/universal matter, at your convenience, rather than as a "bug" at an individual's end.    

Re: Escalation Request Re: Cannot Connect to A Website
Corrine3
Enthusiast - Level 3

Also note this Twitter conversation illustrating the same problem with Verizon FiOS:  http://twitter.com/VerizonSupport/status/117754693635162112

 
BillP Bill Pytlovany
 
@VZWSupport Thank you for replying to @SecurityGarden As a FIOS user I am blocked from Landzdown.com. Help is appreciated. Please advise.

in reply to @BillP ↑
Verizon Support
@VerizonSupport Verizon Support
@BillP I heard you had internet trouble? @Verizonsupport can help with your FiOS services. Follow and DM me back for assistance. Thanks ^MJE

 (The reference to @SecurityGarden is to the inquiry I sent and to which Tony responded.)

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Re: Escalation Request Re: Cannot Connect to A Website
ky331
Enthusiast - Level 3

Okay, here's a summary of what happened when a Verizon technician contacted me Sunday afternoon:

When the representative requested permission to take-over my system remotely [allowing them to see my desktop and all open screens, and the ability to move a mouse around thereon and execute commands as they deemed "necessary"], I felt uncomfortable.   I cited some prior experiences [with other issues] when technicians would insist on the same generic approaches, including wanting to reset all my system/browser settings to their defaults, remove all my cookies, &etc.   As I have taken great care in tweaking my system for optimal use, I didn't want them to "destroy" everything I'd set up.

I made it quite clear to the representative[s] my strong belief that the problem was NOT based in the security on my system [anti-virus, anti-malware, HOSTS file, WOT, OpenDNS &etc.], as I can access the  landzdown.com  site when I take this laptop to work [i.e., with all these security programs running], just that I cannot access it from home [on the same machine].   The only difference being that from home, I'm using Verizon DSL and the supplied modem/router... which is where I'm convinced the problem is located.

She said she understood my concerns, and would not do anything unless I agreed to it.   She ran TraceRt and Ping, duplicating the results I had posted here earlier.   From the TraceRt, she alleged she could now "understand" the problem... but wasn't sure how to proceed... so she needed to call-in a "specialist" to assist her.    They tried to flush the DNS Resolver Cache, but were unsuccessful, as the DNS Client Service on my machine is set to manual (not automatic) and so was not running.   The next thing I know, they're trying to access my services manager to start that service.    They did so, and then successfully flushed the cache, but that made no difference in this issue.

Well, the next thing I know, the "specialist" was opening my anti-virus program [Avast!], and checking everything out (on his "hunch" that was the source of the block) --- and in fact TRIED CHANGING some settings (as best as I can tell, he changed everything back... I hope).   When he (apparently) didn't find a problem there, he then inquired about "Scotty" (WinPatrol) to see if that might be the bad factor.   [I found it curious that he called it "Scotty", rather than WinPatrol, as I did not see when he opened or accessed it... unless he was doing more things remotely than I could see from here.]   I got the sense this specialist, believing he knew better, wanted to fiddle around a lot more. 

And then they tried telling me I had more than one anti-virus program running... WHICH I DON'T.   I was curious, and asked for the name of the second anti-virus program... but they never told me.   [Could they have been looking at MBAM - MalwareBytes Anti-Malware?  Or was he still focusing on "Scotty"??]    At that point, they wanted to transfer the problem to another division for further/alternative "machine" consideration [i.e., implying the problem was in my computer & its programs/settings, not in their routing].   Since, in my opinion, they had no idea what to look for next, and were simply grasping at straws, I decided to terminate the call at that point rather than risk letting them fool-around any further.

If someone else here would like to be their guinea-pig, be my guest.

When/if I want to access Landzdown.com , I guess I'll just have to do it from work.

Re: Escalation Request Re: Cannot Connect to A Website
Corrine3
Enthusiast - Level 3

Thank you, ky331.  You went above and beyond allowing remote access to your computer.

There are way too many Verizon customers affected for this to be a setting on the computer -- particularly illustrated by the fact that ky331 can access the site when connecting from work but cannot access the site when using his Verizon service from home using the same computer!

As a Microsoft Consumer Security MVP, I went the full route helping the person I was working with to clean the cache, cookies, and temp files.  I provided a batch file to flush the DNS and reset the HOSTS file (info below for Verizon Support info). 

Please copy/paste the lines below to Notepad:

@Echo on
pushd\windows\system32\drivers\etc
attrib -h -s -r hosts
echo 127.0.0.1 localhost>HOSTS
attrib +r +h +s hosts
popd
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset all
netsh int ip reset all
shutdown -r -t 1
del %0

Save as flush.bat to your desktop.
Double-click flush.bat file to run it. Your computer will reboot.

Note:  For Windows Vista or Windows 7, right-click flush.bat and select "Run as Administrator".

Further, as I explained above, the person I worked with spent a lot of time working with Verizon Tech Support.  The router was restored to factory settings, the router was replaced. 

Come on, Verizon Support, as illustrated by the multiple traceroutes already provided, there is a routing issue on your end. 

Thank you for continuing to work on a resolution.

Re: Cannot Connect to A Website
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

If in a few days no progress is made in getting the site accessible, I might have a direct contact to someone in Verizon who could get the ball rolling. He's helped me with plenty of network-side issues relating to the last mile (CO > DSLAM) so he might have a way to fix this.

Re: Cannot Connect to A Website
Anthony_VZ
Master - Level 3

There is nothing that has to be fixed within the computer. I needed the account information so I could build an escalation. Once the escalation is built (which I can do now that I am back in the office) we can work with our IPNOC to investigate what is going on in the Central Office with packet requests to that website. I apologize you had to go through that un neccessary troubleshooting again.

Re: Cannot Connect to A Website
ky331
Enthusiast - Level 3

"There is nothing that has to be fixed within the computer."   EXACTLY

"we can work with our IPNOC to investigate what is going on in the Central Office with packet requests to that website".    Anthony, I'm glad YOU realize this... but despite my explicit description  --- and even after directing them to this thread to show it was a "common" problem that several users were all experiencing --- "they" still thought they knew better and tried locating the problem on my PC.

The rep confirmed she saw the TraceRt in this thread... but that made no difference in her analysis.   But after she personally ran the TraceRt command herself, she claimed she then "understood" the problem.

I don't know if the remote-access program (activator) that they had me download and run also gave them a report as to what was running on my system in the background... for example, as noted above, I did not actually see them do certain things, yet they somehow knew that I was running "Scotty" (WinPatrol) on this PC, and further alleged that I was running multiple anti-virus programs.   They requested permission to turn-off my anti-virus... which I told them I would not want to do (even temporarily) while online... yet they then proceeded to open my Avast and see what they could locate there.    By the way, they located the personal/USER-defined list of blocked websites [which was disabled and EMPTY on my system]... but apparently didn't realize that avast has an automatic WEB SHIELD and NETWORK SHIELD that also can block sites.

They wanted to examine my firewall settings... if they actually did so, it was not obvious from what I could see here.

Unfortunately, this is typical of "tech help" at most organizations.   They assume the end-user is a novice, while they are the "know-it-alls".   For this reason, I am leery of allowing anyone remote access/control of my system.   I did so only because I thought they might be able to perform some diagnostic on the modem/router... not so that they could "peruse" my system looking for a site-blocking culprit.

As it happens, I *DO* run a collection of security programs, EACH of which is capable of blocking (some) malicious sites.   For the record:

1)  MVPS HOSTS file --- a popular listing of blocked sites

2)  OpenDNS Family Shield --- which blocks "adult" sites, phishing sites, and some malware.

3)  WOT (Web Of Trust) --- set to BLOCK (rather than just warn about) "untrustworthy" sites

4)  Avast! Anti-virus, which, as noted above, includes a WEB & NETWORK shield to block virus/malware sites

5)  MBAM (MalwareBytes Anti-Malware) which also blocks malware sites.

That's why I decided to take my laptop to work, to determine in one fell-swoop whether one (or more) of these programs was the culprit.   Since I was able to access  Landzdown.com  from work --- with all the above blocking tools running --- I concluded that none of the above could be the source of the block.

"Scotty" (WinPatrol) is a HIPS program.   I use it primarily as a Start-Up Manager.   It does NOT offer any site blocking feature.

It should be apparent from these details that I am not a "novice" user... and have more familiarity with what's running on my system than they could probably ever ascertain.

"I apologize you had to go through that un necessary troubleshooting again".   I do thank you for the apology.   I'm just glad I only allowed them a "shortened leash" to roam around... someone else might have trusted them, and wound up with their system's security either disabled or reset to its defaults.