Data Center Connectivity Issues

[imsickofwebpro]

Dear IT Gurus,

Can someone please tell me who is denying my access to my web hosting accounts. I've been down for over a week and both Netfirms and Rogers(my ISP) have said the problem is not caused by them. I only have troubles accessing the Netfirms website from my home. I can access it from anywhere else. I need resolution, so i can drop one provider or the other and fix this issue.

Troubleshooting:
1. I've disabled my anti-virus. (i don't use a firewall)
2. I've connected directly to the cable box
3. I've run multiple dns flushes
4. I've reset my cable box, router and computer numerous times.
5. I've asked Netfirms to see if they are blocking my access.
6. I've told rogers I think it's a dns caching issue on their end. (This happened 3 weeks ago when the Rogers netowrk went down.)

**Nothing has worked. Please help me!

Here's my trace routes:

C:\Documents and Settings\scott>tracert netfirms.com
Tracing route to netfirms.com [64.141.108.254]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.1.1
2 32 ms 55 ms 28 ms 10.224.0.1
3 * * 31 ms
vl-201.gw03.bloor.phub.net.cable.rogers.com
[66.
185.90.1]
4 76 ms 33 ms 41 ms
te-15-1-0.gw01.bloor.phub.net.cable.rogers.com [
24.153.5.29]
5 46 ms 43 ms 36 ms
so-3-2-0.gw02.wlfdle.phub.net.cable.rogers.com [
66.185.80.174]
6 30 ms 29 ms 27 ms
pos-4-0.igw01.front.phub.net.cable.rogers.com [6
4.71.240.53]
7 37 ms 33 ms 31 ms rc1sh-ge9-0-2.mt.shawcable.net
[66.163.66.25]
8 30 ms 42 ms 28 ms ra2sh-ge4-3.mt.shawcable.net
[66.163.66.46]
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 * * * Request timed out.
16 * * * Request timed out.
17 * * * Request timed out.
18 * * * Request timed out.
19 * * * Request timed out.
20 * * * Request timed out.
21 * * * Request timed out.
22 * * * Request timed out.
23 * * * Request timed out.
24 * * * Request timed out.
25 * * * Request timed out.
26 * * * Request timed out.
27 * * * Request timed out.
28 * * * Request timed out.
29 * * * Request timed out.
30 * * * Request timed out.
Trace complete.


Thanks in advance.

[wige]

C:\Documents and Settings\scott>tracert netfirms.com
Tracing route to netfirms.com [64.141.108.254]
Not a DNS issue, as the domain name is being resolved.
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.1.1
2 32 ms 55 ms 28 ms 10.224.0.1
3 * * 31 ms
vl-201.gw03.bloor.phub.net.cable.rogers.com
[66.
185.90.1]
4 76 ms 33 ms 41 ms
te-15-1-0.gw01.bloor.phub.net.cable.rogers.com [
24.153.5.29]
5 46 ms 43 ms 36 ms
so-3-2-0.gw02.wlfdle.phub.net.cable.rogers.com [
66.185.80.174]
6 30 ms 29 ms 27 ms
pos-4-0.igw01.front.phub.net.cable.rogers.com [6
4.71.240.53]
7 37 ms 33 ms 31 ms rc1sh-ge9-0-2.mt.shawcable.net
[66.163.66.25]
Not a rogers issue, because the traffic is leaving their network
8 30 ms 42 ms 28 ms ra2sh-ge4-3.mt.shawcable.net
[66.163.66.46]
There are two possibilities for the connection going dead here.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 * * * Request timed out.
16 * * * Request timed out.
17 * * * Request timed out.
18 * * * Request timed out.
19 * * * Request timed out.
20 * * * Request timed out.
21 * * * Request timed out.
22 * * * Request timed out.
23 * * * Request timed out.
24 * * * Request timed out.
25 * * * Request timed out.
26 * * * Request timed out.
27 * * * Request timed out.
28 * * * Request timed out.
29 * * * Request timed out.
30 * * * Request timed out.
Trace complete.


Thanks in advance.

It is possible something at Netfirms has blocked your traffic, or it is possible that something at one of the intermediary routers between your ISP and your hosting provider has gone wrong. These strike me as the most likely possibilities, and I have experienced both. Um, except for triggering an IDS... never done that...

It is possible that you have inadvertently triggered an IDS. It is not hard as these systems are designed to be rather sensitive. You could get blocked by something as simple as entering the wrong port number when trying to access a remote administration utility for example. To check, you would need to contact someone at the security division at your hosting company who can actually check the IDS and blacklists.

If a router has gone down, you are at the mercy of the service provider until the issue is fixed. Most Internet communications pass through routers from two-four different companies before getting to their destination. Because the traffic is leaving your ISP's network before getting lost, your ISP would have to work with the other service providers along the chain to get traffic rerouted to bypass the bad router. However, the traceroute report should at least give your ISP a starting point to track down the problem if this is the cause.

[imsickofwebpro]

Thanks for the quick response Wige!

Couple questions for you.
1. Why am i sent through multiple hosting providers before i access my final destination(netfirms), when both Netfirms and Rogers data-centers are located in parallel buildings.
2. My ISP(Rogers) told me to personally call the other ISP(Shaw) and work with them to solve this issue, since the problem exists outside the Rogers network! Is this fair?

Final resposnes from both companies:

Rogers:
"We have examined the trace route that you have sent us and the problems
you are experiencing do not appear to be originating from our network.
It is possible that servers external to our network are causing your
difficulties.

The Rogers Yahoo! Hi-Speed network is only one of many smaller networks
that make up the worldwide Internet. Because of this, we cannot
guarantee the performance of any network/Internet hardware or points of
transfer external to our own network. We are, however, committed to
providing the best possible service to our subscribers for issues that
can be identified as originating on our servers.

Please contact Shaw to resolve the issue."



Netfirms:
"Hello Scott,

Thank you for your e-mail inquiry.,

Yes, this is an issue with your ISP.

We would like to inform you that to resolve this issue we point your domain to a non-Shaw IP address as it seems like Shaw IP address is unaccessible from your area. Kindly allow 24-72 hours for the changes to propagate, once it's propagated; please flush your computer's DNS before you access your website again.

Regards,

Lucy
Netfirms Inc.
www.netfirms.com"



Neither provider can help me fix this????

[wige]

Here is where my psychic ability comes in, to predict what Shaw will say:

"Who are you? Do you have a service contract with us? No? Go away. But we are dedicated to providing the best possible experience to our customers. Which you aren't."

I think Shaw is Netfirms ISP. I found the following very telling:

Yes, this is an issue with your ISP.
Yes, its not our problem, and we can't do anything about it.
We would like to inform you that to resolve this issue we point your domain to a non-Shaw IP address as it seems like Shaw IP address is unaccessible from your area. Kindly allow 24-72 hours for the changes to propagate, once it's propagated; please flush your computer's DNS before you access your website again.
But since it is a problem with our service provider, we fixed it anyway. Wait a while, and you should be able to access your site again.

What that means is that you should be able to access the site in about four hours, but as the message says, it may take a while for the DNS servers to update. Your server is probably at a new IP address, so when you ping or traceroute it, you will get a different IP address.

[imsickofwebpro]

Here is where my psychic ability comes in, to predict what Shaw will say:

Wige has ESP! This may explain my coincidental conversation with ShawCable tech-support.

As assumed, Netfirms is Shaw or rather Shaw is Netfirms' ISP. ShawCable requires an account number to use their technical support. In Shaws defence, I was kindly forwarded to many free 'written' support articles that solve 90% of all customer problems. {sarcasm}

What that means is that you should be able to access the site in about four hours, but as the message says, it may take a while for the DNS servers to update. Your server is probably at a new IP address, so when you ping or traceroute it, you will get a different IP address.

Your right, I did have access to my website within 36 hours via HTTP. Unfortunately, Netfirms owns a single DataCenter that is hosted by Shaw Cable, who is still denying me access to their network. I can't get to my website or any client websites via ftp or by using the Netfirms.com control panel.

So, when I politely complained again, Netfirms sent me this email and included an unsolicited cancellation number.

Netfirms:

Hello Scott,

Thank you for your e-mail.

1. We have confirmed your IP is not blocked by Netfirms or any network intrusion detection system we own and run
2. Netfirms currently has only 1 data centre at 151 Front Street

To cancel, please call 866-973-4664 from 9am - 9pm on Monday to Friday (Eastern time or GMT-5).

Regards,

Richard"

I asked you IDS question.


Needless to say, i'm not with Netfirms any longer, and i'm in the process of moving several client websites to VistaPages.

As you said, I do strongly believe ShawCable is the issue. Unfortunately, Netfirms uses ShawCable and therefore is ultimately responsible for ensuring that client websites are up and running. As for my situation, I prefer private hosting over shared hosting, so Netfirms is losing a bit more than 12.95/mon per customer.


Wige, thank you very much for helping to troubleshoot this issue and for your excellent guidance.

Much appreciated!

[texxs]

We had a similar problem once but it was the web host (and they admitted it). They had our office blocked because evidently someone forgot their e-mail log-in password and kept trying to log in repeatedly. So they placed our IP address on their ban list and no one from our office could log in or even view the web site.

After a call or two they unblocked it, i reset that password and the problem was fixed.

Also ISP have taking a new tack with web sites that are critical of Telcos in general or that particular ISP. If you've been writing anything like that, or pro-union etc this may have something to do with it.
Please read:
St. Petersburg Web Design Blog » War Against Internet Starting Slowly
for more info on this touchy subject