W7-32; I don't know if that's relevant.

This machine loses _some_ connection after some hours; a restart cures
it. It only started happening in the last month or so, not from when I
got it, so it's something I've done - unfortunately I don't know what.

After whatever happens has happened: Many - probably most - websites
don't work (e. g. BBC Weather, Twitter, Ancestry). Ping works (so I've
[a] got _some_ connection [b] got DNS). yt-dlp fails (with a page full
of error messages). BUT: YouTube and Google (the search engine)
_continue to work_; I can view clips I haven't viewed before, and add
comments, on YouTube, and I can do a Google search I haven't done
before, and get pages of results (though mostly, if not entirely,
clicking on the links in them doesn't work).

Any idea what's going on, and/or where I should look? It seems a very
odd fault!

Yes, it hasn't escaped my notice that YouTube and Google (and the Chrome
browser I'm using - latest for W7 I think) are all from the same
company.
--
J. P. Gilliver

On 5/3/2023 4:24 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> W7-32; I don't know if that's relevant.
>
> This machine loses _some_ connection after some hours; a restart cures it. It only started happening in the last month or so, not from when I got it, so it's something I've done - unfortunately I don't know what.
>
> After whatever happens has happened: Many - probably most - websites don't work (e. g. BBC Weather, Twitter, Ancestry). Ping works (so I've [a] got _some_ connection [b] got DNS). yt-dlp fails (with a page full of error messages). BUT: YouTube and Google (the search engine) _continue to work_; I can view clips I haven't viewed before, and add comments, on YouTube, and I can do a Google search I haven't done before, and get pages of results (though mostly, if not entirely, clicking on the links in them doesn't work).
>
> Any idea what's going on, and/or where I should look? It seems a very odd fault!
>
> Yes, it hasn't escaped my notice that YouTube and Google (and the Chrome browser I'm using - latest for W7 I think) are all from the same company.

What's your DNS set to ? DNS over HTTP ? DNS 8.8.8.8 ?
DNS 1.1.1.1 ? (DNS over HTTP is *inside the browser* .
This means a web operation, may take a different path
than general OS operations.)

Normally, using DHCP automatic setting, two DNS addresses
are fetched from upstream of you. 203.102.88.23 and 203.102.88.24
kinds of DNS server addresses.

Have you engaged a VPN, while using some other goofy setting ?

Win7 also needs some IPV6 as well as IPV4, depending on what
you're doing. My router does not support IPV6, so only
tunneling (if still supported in the OS) would work. IPV6
is too chatty for my tastes. That might have been a Home Group
thing.

*******

You can try running Wireshark for short intervals, and seeing
if the address pattern looks strange (or not). Wikipedia should
point you to wireshark.org or so. (If you were on a Mac, you
would immediately be put through version hell, and not know
what version to use. I expect with W7, a similar issue may arise now.)

Another tool is TCPView. This isn't as useful, and given it
requires W8+ , this web page isn't going to immediately help you.
A W7 version would be on archive.org... somewhere.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview

I wish I didn't have to constantly sweep up after Microsoft.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170321213749/https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897437

Paul

In message <u2ukhg$1f37j$1@dont-email.me> at Wed, 3 May 2023 17:43:12,
Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> writes
>On 5/3/2023 4:24 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>> W7-32; I don't know if that's relevant.
>> This machine loses _some_ connection after some hours; a restart
>>cures it. It only started happening in the last month or so, not from
>>when I got it, so it's something I've done - unfortunately I don't
>>know what.
>> After whatever happens has happened: Many - probably most - websites
>>don't work (e. g. BBC Weather, Twitter, Ancestry). Ping works (so I've
>>[a] got _some_ connection [b] got DNS). yt-dlp fails (with a page full
[]
>What's your DNS set to ? DNS over HTTP ? DNS 8.8.8.8 ?
>DNS 1.1.1.1 ? (DNS over HTTP is *inside the browser* .
>This means a web operation, may take a different path
>than general OS operations.)

How would I find out (Chrome browser)? Obviously DNS _outside_ the
browser is still working after it goes funny, as ping (in a command
window) still resolves. I've no memory of having set anything to 8.8.8.8
or 1.1.1.1 .
>
>Normally, using DHCP automatic setting, two DNS addresses
>are fetched from upstream of you. 203.102.88.23 and 203.102.88.24
>kinds of DNS server addresses.
>
>Have you engaged a VPN, while using some other goofy setting ?

Never used a VPN.
>
>Win7 also needs some IPV6 as well as IPV4, depending on what
>you're doing. My router does not support IPV6, so only
>tunneling (if still supported in the OS) would work. IPV6
>is too chatty for my tastes. That might have been a Home Group
>thing.
>
This laptop is the only thing on my router. But also, the thing works
for a few hours (not sure if consistent or variable) before the funny.
>*******
>
>You can try running Wireshark for short intervals, and seeing
>if the address pattern looks strange (or not). Wikipedia should
>point you to wireshark.org or so. (If you were on a Mac, you
>would immediately be put through version hell, and not know
>what version to use. I expect with W7, a similar issue may arise now.)

Trouble with using any such tool, is I'd (I think) have to know when it
was going to do its funny, and see what changed. Storing and then
analysing hours of Wireshark is beyond my abilities (and maybe the HD
storage?).
>
>Another tool is TCPView. This isn't as useful, and given it
>requires W8+ , this web page isn't going to immediately help you.
>A W7 version would be on archive.org... somewhere.
>
>https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview

Noted for possible future use.
>
>I wish I didn't have to constantly sweep up after Microsoft.

I'm just glad you do!
>
>https://web.archive.org/web/20170321213749/https://technet.microsoft.com
>/en-us/sysinternals/bb897437

When I try any of the three download links, I get "BlobNotFoundThe
specified blob does not exist.
RequestId:23379103-0001-005c-269a-70966d000000
Time:2017-01-17T08:17:31.7252541Z", sadly.
>
> Paul
John
--
J. P. Gilliver

On 5/3/2023 1:24 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> W7-32; I don't know if that's relevant.
>
> This machine loses _some_ connection after some hours; a restart cures
> it. It only started happening in the last month or so, not from when I
> got it, so it's something I've done - unfortunately I don't know what.
>
> After whatever happens has happened: Many - probably most - websites
> don't work (e. g. BBC Weather, Twitter, Ancestry). Ping works (so I've
> [a] got _some_ connection [b] got DNS). yt-dlp fails (with a page full
> of error messages). BUT: YouTube and Google (the search engine)
> _continue to work_; I can view clips I haven't viewed before, and add
> comments, on YouTube, and I can do a Google search I haven't done
> before, and get pages of results (though mostly, if not entirely,
> clicking on the links in them doesn't work).
>
> Any idea what's going on, and/or where I should look? It seems a very
> odd fault!
>
> Yes, it hasn't escaped my notice that YouTube and Google (and the Chrome
> browser I'm using - latest for W7 I think) are all from the same
> company.
>

Several years ago, I was having this problem more than once a day. I
somehow recall doing a test in which I disconnected the router from the
modem and then connected my PC directly to the modem. (My wife was not
happy because this eliminated her access to the Internet.) I then went
well more than a day without a loss of connection. This meant the
failure was in the router, which I replaced and no longer had the
problem. (And I had a happy wife who regained her access to the
Internet.)

Yes, a restart might temporarily cure your problem. When you reboot
your computer, it involves at least a partial shut down during which
your connection to your router (or router-modem) is terminated. Then
during the booting, a new connection is made. This disconnecting and
reconnecting is what I was doing until I tried my test.

--
David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>

Beyond Meat, Impossible Meat, and other such meat substitutes
represent the ultimate in ultra-processed foods, which my doctor
told me to avoid. Real meat is natural. Beyond Meat and
Impossible Meat are definitely not natural.

"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

> W7-32; I don't know if that's relevant.
>
> This machine loses _some_ connection after some hours; a restart cures
> it. It only started happening in the last month or so, not from when I
> got it, so it's something I've done - unfortunately I don't know what.
>
> After whatever happens has happened: Many - probably most - websites
> don't work (e. g. BBC Weather, Twitter, Ancestry). Ping works (so I've
> [a] got _some_ connection [b] got DNS). yt-dlp fails (with a page full
> of error messages). BUT: YouTube and Google (the search engine)
> _continue to work_; I can view clips I haven't viewed before, and add
> comments, on YouTube, and I can do a Google search I haven't done
> before, and get pages of results (though mostly, if not entirely,
> clicking on the links in them doesn't work).
>
> Any idea what's going on, and/or where I should look? It seems a very
> odd fault!
>
> Yes, it hasn't escaped my notice that YouTube and Google (and the Chrome
> browser I'm using - latest for W7 I think) are all from the same
> company.

How old is your router? From my experience, D-Links last about 3 years,
and Linksys about 5-6 years. They burn up. There is no active cooling,
like a fan, inside the case. Just convection cooling (what rises off
the chips to escape through little holes in the case). That's why you
don't stack anything atop them, but the higher heat over time is the
enemy of reliability of silicon. Going flaky is a symptom of a router
that is failing. You could let it cool down for an hour, but it'll get
flaky again when it warms up. While the CPU will throttle itself when
it gets hot, the other chips don't, plus what good is a slow router?
Some folks add fans outside the case (if square enough with large enough
flat areas to attach fans) to force (pull) a higher level of air through
the case. If there are vents on the bottom, some folks build a fan
stand: standoffs are used on the bottom to lift the fan off the shelf or
table to allow air to get sucked in, and some space between router and
fan to account for the restiction in the vent holes to air flow. Even
if you power off or hibernate your computer, most likely the router is
running 24x7.

Got another router sitting in a drawer collecting dust you can swap out
with the one you're using now? If not, watch for router sales.

If you're not using a router, but instead a router/cable combo leased
from your ISP, swap it out at their retail store.

In message <u2v5ul$1lbdd$1@dont-email.me> at Wed, 3 May 2023 19:40:18,
David E. Ross <nobody@nowhere.invalid> writes
>On 5/3/2023 1:24 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>> W7-32; I don't know if that's relevant.
>>
>> This machine loses _some_ connection after some hours; a restart cures
>> it. It only started happening in the last month or so, not from when I
>> got it, so it's something I've done - unfortunately I don't know what.
[]
>> of error messages). BUT: YouTube and Google (the search engine)
>> _continue to work_; I can view clips I haven't viewed before, and add
[]
>Several years ago, I was having this problem more than once a day. I

Was your problem only _some_ things losing connection though, or all?
I'm very puzzled that (for example) YouTube seems to continue to work,
including viewing clips I haven't viewed before, and adding comments,
both of which I presume suggests I still have a connection. And pings
both resolve and work, suggesting I have DNS (and connection).

>somehow recall doing a test in which I disconnected the router from the
>modem and then connected my PC directly to the modem. (My wife was not
>happy because this eliminated her access to the Internet.) I then went
>well more than a day without a loss of connection. This meant the
>failure was in the router, which I replaced and no longer had the
>problem. (And I had a happy wife who regained her access to the
>Internet.)

(-: I can't do that: I have the normal UK situation of one box, which we
usually call a router, which combines MoDem, router, and wifi - in other
words, we have this one box that connects direct to the 'phone line (OK,
via a lowpass/highpass filter), and to which the device(s) like laptop
and 'phone connect by wifi. So (other than that I can connect directly
to this box by ethernet cable rather than wifi) I can't connect between
the router and MoDem, they're all in one box. But because of the
continued YouTube functioning, I don't _think_ that's the problem.
>
>Yes, a restart might temporarily cure your problem. When you reboot
>your computer, it involves at least a partial shut down during which
>your connection to your router (or router-modem) is terminated. Then
>during the booting, a new connection is made. This disconnecting and
>reconnecting is what I was doing until I tried my test.
>
That would make sense, if I was losing _all_ connection.

I _think_ I experienced the same - loss of _some_ connections - when I
was at another house with another "router" (combined box). I'm fairly
sure (though don't ask me why) that the fault is in this laptop, and is
a software rather than hardware thing.
--
J. P. Gilliver

In message <1wluvv19lxxax$.dlg@v.nguard.lh> at Wed, 3 May 2023 22:38:41,
VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> writes
>"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>
>> W7-32; I don't know if that's relevant.
>>
>> This machine loses _some_ connection after some hours; a restart cures
[]
>> of error messages). BUT: YouTube and Google (the search engine)
>> _continue to work_; I can view clips I haven't viewed before, and add
[]
>How old is your router? From my experience, D-Links last about 3 years,

My "router" as we call them in UK - actually combined MoDem, router, and
wifi - is about 3 months old. It's a vertical-orientation box supplied
by my ISP.

>and Linksys about 5-6 years. They burn up. There is no active cooling,
>like a fan, inside the case. Just convection cooling (what rises off
>the chips to escape through little holes in the case). That's why you
>don't stack anything atop them, but the higher heat over time is the
>enemy of reliability of silicon. Going flaky is a symptom of a router
>that is failing. You could let it cool down for an hour, but it'll get
>flaky again when it warms up. While the CPU will throttle itself when
>it gets hot, the other chips don't, plus what good is a slow router?
>Some folks add fans outside the case (if square enough with large enough
>flat areas to attach fans) to force (pull) a higher level of air through
>the case. If there are vents on the bottom, some folks build a fan
>stand: standoffs are used on the bottom to lift the fan off the shelf or
>table to allow air to get sucked in, and some space between router and
>fan to account for the restiction in the vent holes to air flow. Even
>if you power off or hibernate your computer, most likely the router is
>running 24x7.

It is. But restarting the laptop _reliably_ cures the (partial!) loss of
connection, for a few hours. Surely if the router was unwell, that would
sometimes not cure it.
>
>Got another router sitting in a drawer collecting dust you can swap out
>with the one you're using now? If not, watch for router sales.

No. (I've got several, but I suspect none of them would work with the
particular combination of exchange settings I am contracted for.)
>
>If you're not using a router, but instead a router/cable combo leased
>from your ISP, swap it out at their retail store.

Ha! They don't have such a store - in fact I don't think _any_ UK ISP
has a store. If you have a definite router fault, you ring them up, and
they send a replacement, and a return label for the dud one. (Come to
think of it, that's _another_ thing that'll fail when we lose POTS
'phones for VOIP - scheduled for around 2025 in England: we won't be
able to call the ISP when there's a fault. OK, we will on a mobile
["cellular" in US] 'phone, but there are still some of us who don't use
one of those regularly.)
--
J. P. Gilliver

"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote

|
| This machine loses _some_ connection after some hours; a restart cures
| it. It only started happening in the last month or so, not from when I
| got it, so it's something I've done - unfortunately I don't know what.
|

I don't know if this will help, but you can try clearing browser
cache and DNS cache, though those things typically only apply
to one website. With yt-dlp, that breaks periodically, so it's a
complicated example. Javascript or redirect settings? Google adds
weird redirects to their links. They work for me, though, and my
browser is on lockdown.

Check your DNS, as Paul said. I use Quad9: 9.9.9.9 and
149.112.112.112. Make sure you don't have it set up as proxy
and that malware hasn't redirected it.

ISP? Some ISPs do creepy stuff like caching popuylar websites
to save on traffic. Firewall settings? I wouldn't suspect the
router, since it's only with specific sites and/or software.

Malware? You don't say what's not working, other than saying
some links don't work. Mouse? Malware redirects? Javascript
extension that's buggy? Do links and such work in webpages
opn your computer?

.... Then of course, there's the fact that you're using Chrome.
So maybe we should go over your medications. :)

In message <u3063o$cppp$1@paganini.bofh.team> at Thu, 4 May 2023
07:48:34, Newyana2 <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> writes
>"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote
>
>|
>| This machine loses _some_ connection after some hours; a restart cures
>| it. It only started happening in the last month or so, not from when I
>| got it, so it's something I've done - unfortunately I don't know what.
>|
>
> I don't know if this will help, but you can try clearing browser
>cache and DNS cache, though those things typically only apply

I'll try those, though I doubt they're it. (If I can remember how to. I
know clearing DNS cache involves some arcane command line command. And
I'm wary of clearing certain things - cookies, passwords, other such -
in the browser.)

>to one website. With yt-dlp, that breaks periodically, so it's a

It's consistent though: before the losses of connection, it's been
working pretty well; after it, it definitely doesn't, giving lots of
error messages. And after the restart it's back working again.

>complicated example. Javascript or redirect settings? Google adds
>weird redirects to their links. They work for me, though, and my
>browser is on lockdown.

But there again, why should they work for a few hours then stop!
>
> Check your DNS, as Paul said. I use Quad9: 9.9.9.9 and
>149.112.112.112. Make sure you don't have it set up as proxy
>and that malware hasn't redirected it.

How do I check DNS? (I know how to within my email/news client [which
has blanks for the two possible DNSs and still works, so I assume it's
using Windows' own settings, which I don't remember ever setting, so I
think it's handing over the task to my "router"].)
>
> ISP? Some ISPs do creepy stuff like caching popuylar websites

But again, why work for some hours then not!

>to save on traffic. Firewall settings? I wouldn't suspect the
>router, since it's only with specific sites and/or software.
>
> Malware? You don't say what's not working, other than saying
>some links don't work. Mouse? Malware redirects? Javascript

After it's gone funny, if I click reload on several browser tabs I have
open, I get "this page cannot be reached" or whatever Chrome's current
words are. My news/email client stops being able to send and receive.
yt-dlp (in a command window) stops working. BUT ping (in a command
window) _does_ still work, and not _all_ tabs refuse to reload with a
"can't reach" message. (Ping tells me what numeric IP address an
alphabetic address translates to, and then does the usual four or five
pings, and reports the results, which are usually successful.)

Until the latest occurrence, I'd been using the BBC Weather page (which
I have open in a tab) as the test: hitting reload on that tab gave the
"page can't be reached" after the partial disconnection. But this last
time, that page happily reloaded after the event! Two or three times!

>extension that's buggy? Do links and such work in webpages

I don't have a lot of extensions. In Chrome just four: Show Title Tag
(since Chrome got rid of the title bar; shows the title of a web page in
a [selectable] corner); Autoplay No More (for YouTube - I know it has
its own switch for that, but it sometimes turns itself back on); Unhook
(a YouTube tweaker); and Blank New Tab Page (make the New Tab button
open a blank page rather than the default one full of links I probably
don't want). I _think_ I've had all four of those since before the odd
behaviour started - certainly Show Title Tag and Blank New Tab Page.

>opn your computer?

Internal links to other parts of a web page that is still displaying -
i. e. has been loaded before it went funny - usually work, as long as
they don't trigger a reload (I think some pages trigger a reload even if
you move about within them, with all the 'script pages contain these
days).
>
>... Then of course, there's the fact that you're using Chrome.
>So maybe we should go over your medications. :)
>
Two sorts of insulin, metformin, and tamsulosin (-:. Yes, I know <any
given browser> has its faults, but I have found Chrome works better than
Firefox for a lot of pages (I find Firefox rather fragile in fact), and
don't think I've ever actually run IE on this computer (other than how
it's built into the OS - I think Explorer windows etc. are really IE, if
I remember what one or both of VanguardLH and Mayayana used to say).
Besides, whenever I start Chrome, it tells me "To get future Google
Chrome updates, you'll need Windows 10 or later. This computer is using
Windows 7.", so I assume it's been stuck at the same version since
before the odd behaviour started. [Yes, I know there are other browsers
- but I'm getting too old to fight them. I accept the horrible risks
using Chrome might involve. Besides, why does the odd behaviour affect
yt-dlp and my mail/news client, which are outside Chrome.]
>
>
--
J. P. Gilliver

"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

> VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> WROTE:
>
>> How old is your router?
>
> My "router" as we call them in UK - actually combined MoDem, router,
> and wifi - is about 3 months old. It's a vertical-orientation box
> supplied by my ISP.
>
>> If you're not using a router, but instead a router/cable combo leased
>> from your ISP, swap it out at their retail store.
>
> Ha! They don't have such a store - in fact I don't think _any_ UK ISP
> has a store. If you have a definite router fault, you ring them up,
> and they send a replacement, and a return label for the dud one.
> (Come to think of it, that's _another_ thing that'll fail when we
> lose POTS 'phones for VOIP - scheduled for around 2025 in England: we
> won't be able to call the ISP when there's a fault. OK, we will on a
> mobile ["cellular" in US] 'phone, but there are still some of us who
> don't use one of those regularly.)

Alas, when you get a "new" router/modem from the ISP, it isn't new.
It's likely refurbished. That is, likely it's one that was returned
before. As to what, if anything, they do to refurbish the unit is
something only they only know. Often "refurbish" just means clean with
a wet wipe and put back in the supply chain. If someone else returned a
defective unit, and it isn't thoroughly tested for refurbishing, you end
up getting their problems with the unit. You won't be without any
Internet access since they'll do an in-place swap. Up to you if you
don't want to swap out the failing unit. Doesn't sound like you would
be without a modem, and it won't cost you any money.

Any other computers you can test using the same router/cable modem to
see if connections get flaky after a few hours?

Whose DNS server are you using? The router/cable modem is likely
configured for dynamic DHCP which means it uses whatever DNS server your
ISP's DHCP server tells it to use. Also likely is your computer is
setup for dynamic DHCP, so it gets its DNS server from the upstream DHCP
server which is your cable modem which got it from your ISP's DHCP
server. You don't have to use your ISP's DNS server. My own ISP
(Comcast) has had DNS outages in the past, and often enough that I don't
use their DNS server. I still leave the cable modem configured to use
dynamic DHCP server settings (for its WAN-side IP address and DNS
server), but I configure my workstations to use other DNS servers, which
are:

IPv4 IPv6 DNS operator
first: 1.1.1.1 2606:4700:4700::1111 CloudFlare DNS
second: 208.67.222.222 2620:119:35::35 OpenDNS
third: 8.8.8.8 2001:4860:4860::8888 Google DNS
fourth: 10.0.0.1 my modem's DNS server

My modem doesn't have an IPv6 address, so that's missing in the above
list. It supports both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic, so I configure the DNS
settings for both.

Those are the DNS servers used by default. If the first one is
unresponsive or unreachable, the second gets used, and so on for
fallback on which server to use. However, that is if the web client
uses whatever the OS says to use under which the web client runs. Some
web clients can specify which DNS server to use. I use Firefox as my
primary web browser, and it is configured to use DoS (DNS over HTTPS).
DNS requests are typically sent as plain text messages which means
anyone looking at your traffic, including your ISP, can see for what
sites you are asking a DNS server to lookup a hostname to return an IP
address. Humans like names. Computers demand numbers. DoS encrypts
the DNS traffic, so not even your ISP or anyone monitoring your web
traffic can see for what site names you were requesting to get their IP
addresses. So, whatever you configured your OS to use for DNS servers
doesn't mean the web client is using those.

For Firefox, I have:
about:preferences#general -> Network Settings -> Settings
Enable DNS over HTTPS: enabled
Use Provider: Cloudflare

For Edge-Chromium, there used to be:
edge://flags/
Secure DNS lookups
but it is gone in v112.0. Experiments come an go, so you cannot rely
on them being permanent. Same for experiments in Chrome. In this
case, the experiment didn't get dropped, but turned into a regular
setting at:
edge://settings/privacy
Use secure DNS to specify how to lookup the network address for web sites
Choose a service provider: https://chrome.cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query

Both my web browsers ignore the DNS server list in the OS network
settings, and use Cloudflare specified for DoS in the web browsers.

Have you yet tried disabling your anti-virus software to see if it
causes the interference? Those use a transparent local proxy to
interrogate your web traffic, and they can screw up. I remember
Norton's proxy would eventually hang. No web traffic could get through
it. The solution was to reboot the computer to load a fresh copy of
their proxy. Later I found a means to taskkill their proxy and some
other Norton processes, and then bring them up (which had to be in the
correct loading order) that I used with a shortcut to run a batch file
to execute the commands to force a new instance of their proxy that was
responsive. That was probably decades ago when I trialed Norton, and
decided on something else for anti-malware. If you practice safe hex,
disabling the anti-malware from interrogating your web traffic (and
rebooting to ensure their proxy actually is out of the way), you should
be able to test if the problem arises again after several hours of web
surfing. Just don't go anywhere in that time where you need to wear an
AV condom.

"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote

| I'll try those, though I doubt they're it. (If I can remember how to. I
| know clearing DNS cache involves some arcane command line command.

https://www.lifewire.com/flush-and-clear-windows-dns-cache-5095298

| And
| I'm wary of clearing certain things - cookies, passwords, other such -
| in the browser.)
| No need. You can specifically clear the cache. The first clears
stored DNS resolutions. The second clears stored webpages, which
are nearly useless, anyway, because almost all webpages these days
are "new" insofar as that they're dynamivcally generated. So the
cache serves little purpose.
DNS is rarely a problem, but sometimes a site might change servers,
giving them a new IP address, and then a stored DNS resolutiion
would be the wrong address.

| >to one website. With yt-dlp, that breaks periodically, so it's a
| | It's consistent though: before the losses of connection, it's been
| working pretty well; after it, it definitely doesn't, giving lots of
| error messages. And after the restart it's back working again.
| | >complicated example. Javascript or redirect settings? Google adds
| >weird redirects to their links. They work for me, though, and my
| >browser is on lockdown.
| | But there again, why should they work for a few hours then stop!
| >
| > Check your DNS, as Paul said. I use Quad9: 9.9.9.9 and
| >149.112.112.112. Make sure you don't have it set up as proxy
| >and that malware hasn't redirected it.
| | How do I check DNS? (I know how to within my email/news client [which
| has blanks for the two possible DNSs and still works, so I assume it's
| using Windows' own settings, which I don't remember ever setting, so I
| think it's handing over the task to my "router"].)
| >
| > ISP? Some ISPs do creepy stuff like caching popuylar websites
| | But again, why work for some hours then not!
| I don't know. I don't know the extent of caching or exactly how
it works. But most of things are easy to check and rule out.

| After it's gone funny, if I click reload on several browser tabs I have
| open, I get "this page cannot be reached" or whatever Chrome's current
| words are. My news/email client stops being able to send and receive.
| yt-dlp (in a command window) stops working. BUT ping (in a command
| window) _does_ still work, and not _all_ tabs refuse to reload with a
| "can't reach" message. (Ping tells me what numeric IP address an
| alphabetic address translates to, and then does the usual four or five
| pings, and reports the results, which are usually successful.)
|

Odd. I suppose it could be something loose in the router...
or a buggy cable. Or Chrome not managing its tabs properly.
I don't know about problems there. I never use tabs and never
keep windows open that I don't need. Sorry I couldn't be more
helpful.

Tamsulosin... I have enlarged prostate trouble. I found Ultra
Prostate Formula from Life Extension labs. I don't know if you
can get it in Britain.
LEL was started by a couple, both scientists, who wrote two
"Life Extension" books back in the 80s. They're dogged researchers,
so I trust their blends in terms of efficacy and quality. This
particular one is the only one I found that has all of the herbs
found to help in various ways. Saw palmetto, nettle, pumpkin
seed oil, beta-sitosterol, pygeum, lycopene, boron, and some
other things.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29569389/

(It doesn't have selenium, but I already take the max 200 mcg
in a multivitamin.)

This blend seemed to help significantly overnight. Though I
sometimes still have flare-ups. A fried uses ginger and
turmeric. I tried getting a curcumin blend but haven't really
tested it so far. I'm a bit hesitant to get into chronic
anti-inflammatories.

On 5/4/2023 2:38 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
> Alas, when you get a "new" router/modem from the ISP, it isn't new.
> It's likely refurbished. That is, likely it's one that was returned
> before. As to what, if anything, they do to refurbish the unit is
> something only they only know. Often "refurbish" just means clean with
> a wet wipe and put back in the supply chain. If someone else returned a
> defective unit, and it isn't thoroughly tested for refurbishing, you end
> up getting their problems with the unit.

Reminds me of an episode I had about a month ago when I wired my garage
for ethernet. I needed 100' of Cat6 and the store I went to only had
one bag of it. It had a small hole in the bag, but it was the only one
they had. Sure as shit, I had it pulled through a couple difficult
areas at the start and laid out down a hallway and I realized it was
going to be short. Someone had cut off what they needed, about 35' and
then returned it I guess. I took it back and explained the problem and
strongly suggested they mark this bag as defective/a theft, or something
so that the next poor bastard who needed this didn't have the same
problem I did. I'm pretty sure they did, but you can only hope. They
appeared to know and understand, but if they cared or not is another
question.

On 5/3/2023 10:46 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

[snipped]

> (-: I can't do that: I have the normal UK situation of one box, which we
> usually call a router, which combines MoDem, router, and wifi - in other
> words, we have this one box that connects direct to the 'phone line (OK,
> via a lowpass/highpass filter), and to which the device(s) like laptop
> and 'phone connect by wifi. So (other than that I can connect directly
> to this box by ethernet cable rather than wifi) I can't connect between
> the router and MoDem, they're all in one box. But because of the
> continued YouTube functioning, I don't _think_ that's the problem.

I don't know UK policies. If your ISP allows, however, I would purchase
a router and modem. Of course, the modem would have comply with your
ISP's specifications; that does not apply to the router. I would
definitely get separate devices and not a router-modem.

Here in the U.S., I have a Motorola modem and a Netgeer router. I need
the router because there are two PCs in the house. The modem is more
than 6 years old. The router is only 2 years old; it replaced a prior
Netgeer router that died when leaking roof dripped directly into it. (I
had the entire roof replaced since then.) The router is WiFi capable,
but I disabled its WiFi feature. Instead, all connections are via
Ethernet cables. From what I read, these devices are superior to the
router-modem that my ISP would provide.

--
David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>

Beyond Meat, Impossible Meat, and other such meat substitutes
represent the ultimate in ultra-processed foods, which my doctor
told me to avoid. Real meat is natural. Beyond Meat and
Impossible Meat are definitely not natural.

In message <u31c5h$20mlu$1@dont-email.me> at Thu, 4 May 2023 15:38:39,
David E. Ross <nobody@nowhere.invalid> writes
>On 5/3/2023 10:46 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>
> [snipped]
>
>> (-: I can't do that: I have the normal UK situation of one box, which we
>> usually call a router, which combines MoDem, router, and wifi - in other
[]
>I don't know UK policies. If your ISP allows, however, I would purchase
>a router and modem. Of course, the modem would have comply with your
>ISP's specifications; that does not apply to the router. I would
>definitely get separate devices and not a router-modem.

I'm sure they _allow_ it, though probably provide no support for it.
However, I'm pretty sure the fault is not hardware.
[]
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

We're just collections of atoms that can think
- Professor Brian Cox, RT 2021/10/23-29

In message <1nycfkqm4ob0f$.dlg@v.nguard.lh> at Thu, 4 May 2023 14:38:21,
VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> writes
[]
>Alas, when you get a "new" router/modem from the ISP, it isn't new.
>It's likely refurbished. That is, likely it's one that was returned
>before. As to what, if anything, they do to refurbish the unit is
>something only they only know. Often "refurbish" just means clean with
>a wet wipe and put back in the supply chain. If someone else returned a
>defective unit, and it isn't thoroughly tested for refurbishing, you end
>up getting their problems with the unit. You won't be without any
>Internet access since they'll do an in-place swap. Up to you if you
>don't want to swap out the failing unit. Doesn't sound like you would
>be without a modem, and it won't cost you any money.

I'm pretty convinced it is not the router - or, actually, any hardware.
>
>Any other computers you can test using the same router/cable modem to
>see if connections get flaky after a few hours?

No.
>
>Whose DNS server are you using? The router/cable modem is likely
>configured for dynamic DHCP which means it uses whatever DNS server your
>ISP's DHCP server tells it to use. Also likely is your computer is
>setup for dynamic DHCP, so it gets its DNS server from the upstream DHCP
>server which is your cable modem which got it from your ISP's DHCP
>server. You don't have to use your ISP's DNS server. My own ISP
>(Comcast) has had DNS outages in the past, and often enough that I don't
>use their DNS server. I still leave the cable modem configured to use
>dynamic DHCP server settings (for its WAN-side IP address and DNS

I don't remember ever setting a DNS, so I'm probably on dynamic DHCP.
[]
>sites you are asking a DNS server to lookup a hostname to return an IP
>address. Humans like names. Computers demand numbers. DoS encrypts

I know what DNS is about.
[]
>Have you yet tried disabling your anti-virus software to see if it
>causes the interference? Those use a transparent local proxy to

I'm in an it's-gone-wrong state at the moment (so this won't go until
....), so I'll try it. Just stopped AVG. No, didn't fix it. Back on.

>interrogate your web traffic, and they can screw up. I remember
>Norton's proxy would eventually hang. No web traffic could get through

_Some_ traffic is still getting through. I just pinged bbc.co.uk - it
resolved and answered pings. The BBC weather page now _will_ reload.
yt-dlp _doesn't_ work. Twitter doesn't work. YouTube works (even got a
new advert). My email/news client _isn't_ working (well, not connecting;
it's letting me type this but it'll just sit in the outbox). FindMyPast
and Ancestry don't work. In fact _most_ websites won't work - but BBC
Weather and YouTube do, and Google - I just searched for purple banana
(something I've not searched for before, and I get a page full of links
and images; the top one is to "Purple Banana | Purpose Driven Design &
Communication" (which has a picture of a man, maybe the CEO, by it):
clicking on it or him gives "This site can’t be reached".
[]
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

We're just collections of atoms that can think
- Professor Brian Cox, RT 2021/10/23-29

In message <u315ap$g335$1@paganini.bofh.team> at Thu, 4 May 2023
16:41:22, Newyana2 <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> writes
>"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote
>
>
>| I'll try those, though I doubt they're it. (If I can remember how to. I
>| know clearing DNS cache involves some arcane command line command.
>
>https://www.lifewire.com/flush-and-clear-windows-dns-cache-5095298

Of course, "This site can’t be reached" (-:
>
>| And
>| I'm wary of clearing certain things - cookies, passwords, other such -
>| in the browser.)
>|
> No need. You can specifically clear the cache. The first clears
>stored DNS resolutions. The second clears stored webpages, which

Just done that. Fault still present - both inside browser (some pages
still won't reload) and outside (mail client won't connect).

Ah, that's a thought: the mail/news client has a log window I can turn
on, so I'll do so and try receiving mail. Interesting: it adds these
lines (between ===) to the log window:

===
Fri, 5 May 2023 03:31:29 Collecting mail from POP3 server mail.plus.net
Fri, 5 May 2023 03:31:29 Failed to connect to POP3 server mail.plus.net:
[translating host name to IP address]
Host IP address = 217.46.26.18
Connection failed - Cannot connect
-- Winsock ERROR : No buffer space available
===

If I look back in the log window to before it failed, I can see (for
example)
===
Thu, 4 May 2023 22:18:30 Collecting mail from POP3 server mail.plus.net
Thu, 4 May 2023 22:18:30 Collecting Usenet News from news.plus.net
Thu, 4 May 2023 22:18:30 Collecting Usenet News from
news.eternal-september.org
Thu, 4 May 2023 22:18:30 Finished collecting mail from POP3 server
mail.plus.net, 0 messages accepted, 0 rejected
Thu, 4 May 2023 22:18:30 0 messages deleted from POP3 server, 0
messages remain
===

Looking at this session, it started 22:18:30, and carried on collecting
and sending news until 02:59:16 when the "No buffer space available"
messages started to appear - about 4 hours 40 minutes.

Obviously that log only logs what the news/mail client does, but it
seems likely that web page failures and yt-dlp started at the same time.

>are nearly useless, anyway, because almost all webpages these days
>are "new" insofar as that they're dynamivcally generated. So the
>cache serves little purpose.
> DNS is rarely a problem, but sometimes a site might change servers,
>giving them a new IP address, and then a stored DNS resolutiion
>would be the wrong address.
>
I don't think it's that, unless the pages that are failing for me
(including ones I haven't used before, such as the purple banana one
above) are constantly changing servers. (Would Twitter do that often
anyway? Surely it would break things, as it's such a scripty thing.)
[]
>| > ISP? Some ISPs do creepy stuff like caching popuylar websites
>|
>| But again, why work for some hours then not!
>|
> I don't know. I don't know the extent of caching or exactly how
>it works. But most of things are easy to check and rule out.

Next time I reboot I'll look at that page about how to flush DNS and
note down the command, then try it when it fails again. Though this
winsock error - no buffer space suggests it's something else. (I haven't
heard the word winsock for years - since Windows 3.x I think, when we
had to use a third-party one, Trumpet being the commonest IIRR!)
[]
> Odd. I suppose it could be something loose in the router...
>or a buggy cable. Or Chrome not managing its tabs properly.
>I don't know about problems there. I never use tabs and never
>keep windows open that I don't need. Sorry I couldn't be more
>helpful.

That's OK.
>
> Tamsulosin... I have enlarged prostate trouble. I found Ultra
>Prostate Formula from Life Extension labs. I don't know if you
>can get it in Britain.

Nor do I. I get all my medicines free (which at the moment is the two
insulins, the metformin, the tamsulosin, the blood sugar meter, and all
test strips, needles etc.): OK, I paid for them through my taxes, but I
don't pay any more than someone who doesn't need them. That's how the
NHS works (-:.
[]
So I tend to leave the choice to my doctors (-:. Touch wood, they seem
to be working. (I have a prostate biopsy on the 23rd, to investigate a
shadow they saw on an MRI scan. The biopsy, scans, test that triggered
the scan, etc. are all free - to the extent that I've no idea what they
actually cost.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

We're just collections of atoms that can think
- Professor Brian Cox, RT 2021/10/23-29

In message <OfMZKCFU7GVkFwCK@255soft.uk> at Fri, 5 May 2023 03:49:56, J.
P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> writes
>In message <u315ap$g335$1@paganini.bofh.team> at Thu, 4 May 2023
>16:41:22, Newyana2 <Newyana2@invalid.nospam> writes
>>"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote
>>
>>
>>| I'll try those, though I doubt they're it. (If I can remember how to. I
>>| know clearing DNS cache involves some arcane command line command.
>>
>>https://www.lifewire.com/flush-and-clear-windows-dns-cache-5095298
>
>Of course, "This site can’t be reached" (-:
>>
(Having rebooted:) I see the page is Windows 10 oriented, but the
command it suggests - ipconfig /flushdns - probably works in 7. I'll
just try it: well, I got "Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.",
so it seems to have. I'll try it next time the thing goes wrong.
[]
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

aibohphobia, n., The fear of palindromes.

Can you connect to AV sites, like Norton, Avast or AVG, Avira,
Bitdefender, etc?

On 5/4/2023 10:49 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

> Ah, that's a thought: the mail/news client has a log window I can turn on, so I'll do so and try receiving mail. Interesting: it adds these lines (between ===) to the log window:
>
> ===
> Fri, 5 May 2023 03:31:29 Collecting mail from POP3 server mail.plus.net
> Fri, 5 May 2023 03:31:29 Failed to connect to POP3 server mail.plus.net:
> [translating host name to IP address]
> Host IP address = 217.46.26.18
> Connection failed - Cannot connect
>  -- Winsock ERROR : No buffer space available

Now, that's very useful info.

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1003292

"Administrator Command Prompt

netstat -ab

Check the number of ports/sockets opened.

Note: The maximum allowed is 2000.

To check the total number of established connections, run this command:

netstat -nao | find /i "estab" /c
"

That's roughly the equivalent of using TCPView in a sense.
I'm not sure what we're supposed to see, by doing that.

The netstat -nao doesn't seem right somehow.

I tried netstat -s
to see Current Connections

TCP Statistics for IPv4
Current Connections = 21

But that doesn't tell me why I'm out of NonPaged Pool memory.

If you're running Torrents in the background, any kind
of exhaustion (even in the router) is possible.

*******

There is PoolMon. Pools can be assigned a four character name
like "PIGZ", then it's up to you to figure out which software
you installed which is consuming NPP.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/devtest/poolmon

The thing is, on Windows XP, Pool memory is strictly limited.
Like maybe 256MB on a 3GB machine kind of limited.

One change on Vista+ OSes, was Pool could use the entire
computer memory, or damn close to it. You won't constantly
running up against garbage collector behavior to get
pool to work with on Vista or later.

The Control Panels has Troubleshooters, and there may
be one for networking. It contains the usual two commands
for resetting the network.

However, this does not reset the Pool, so if something
is chowing down on Pool, you'll rapidly run into the same
issue again. I don't think you can escape, until you discover
what unrelated program is "leaking pool".

You might want to glance at Task Manager, and see if
the memory usage makes sense. If there seemed to be
no free memory left, maybe that's a hint too of an issue.
Any time there's a leak (especially on an unbounded
consumer), you might see signs in Task Manager. They
won't be charged to Firefox, but to some system thing perhaps.

Paul

In message <1341h75tghz67.dlg@v.nguard.lh> at Thu, 4 May 2023 22:35:46,
VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> writes
>Can you connect to AV sites, like Norton, Avast or AVG, Avira,
>Bitdefender, etc?

Do you mean can I connect to those companies' websites, or something
else?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

You'll need to have this fish in your ear. (First series, fit the first.)

In message <u31tnu$26nvm$1@dont-email.me> at Thu, 4 May 2023 23:38:38,
Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> writes
>On 5/4/2023 10:49 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
[]
>> Fri, 5 May 2023 03:31:29 Failed to connect to POP3 server mail.plus.net:
>> [translating host name to IP address]
>> Host IP address = 217.46.26.18
>> Connection failed - Cannot connect
>>  -- Winsock ERROR : No buffer space available
>
>Now, that's very useful info.
>
>https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1003292

I'm not using a VM, but still ...

>
> "Administrator Command Prompt
>
> netstat -ab

(that produced a lot of lines and didn't return to command prompt.)
>
> Check the number of ports/sockets opened.
>
> Note: The maximum allowed is 2000.
>
> To check the total number of established connections, run this command:
>
> netstat -nao | find /i "estab" /c
> "

That says 22 at the moment, but the fault isn't present yet.
>
>That's roughly the equivalent of using TCPView in a sense.
>I'm not sure what we're supposed to see, by doing that.
>
>The netstat -nao doesn't seem right somehow.
>
>I tried netstat -s
>to see Current Connections
>
> TCP Statistics for IPv4
> Current Connections = 21

I have 14 at the moment.
>
>But that doesn't tell me why I'm out of NonPaged Pool memory.
>
>If you're running Torrents in the background, any kind
>of exhaustion (even in the router) is possible.
>
I'm pretty sure I'm not running Torrents, assuming that's something I
would have started rather than being something the OS might do on its
own.
>*******
>
>There is PoolMon. Pools can be assigned a four character name
>like "PIGZ", then it's up to you to figure out which software
>you installed which is consuming NPP.
>
>https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/devtest/poolmon
>
>The thing is, on Windows XP, Pool memory is strictly limited.
>Like maybe 256MB on a 3GB machine kind of limited.
>
>One change on Vista+ OSes, was Pool could use the entire
>computer memory, or damn close to it. You won't constantly
>running up against garbage collector behavior to get
>pool to work with on Vista or later.
>
>The Control Panels has Troubleshooters, and there may
>be one for networking. It contains the usual two commands
>for resetting the network.
>
>However, this does not reset the Pool, so if something
>is chowing down on Pool, you'll rapidly run into the same
>issue again. I don't think you can escape, until you discover
>what unrelated program is "leaking pool".
>
>You might want to glance at Task Manager, and see if
>the memory usage makes sense. If there seemed to be
>no free memory left, maybe that's a hint too of an issue.

Will do next time the fault arises. But I don't think it's something
that is hogging general resources like memory or CPU, as there's no
increase in fan speed or perceptible slowing - I can carry on doing
whatever else I want, I don't become aware that _some_ of the
connections to the outside world have failed until I actually try to use
them.

>Any time there's a leak (especially on an unbounded
>consumer), you might see signs in Task Manager. They
>won't be charged to Firefox, but to some system thing perhaps.

The poor much-maligned svchost, perhaps!
>
> Paul
John
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

You'll need to have this fish in your ear. (First series, fit the first.)

On 5/4/2023 9:43 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> In message <1341h75tghz67.dlg@v.nguard.lh> at Thu, 4 May 2023 22:35:46,
> VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> writes
>> Can you connect to AV sites, like Norton, Avast or AVG, Avira,
>> Bitdefender, etc?
>
> Do you mean can I connect to those companies' websites, or something
> else?
>

I think it means you should try connecting by using an application that
is NOT a browser or E-mail client. For example, my anti-virus is AVG
AntiVirus Free; it connects directly to an AVG server several times a
day to obtain the latest virus definitions. I also have the
clock-synchronization application SocketWatch, set to query network time
protocol (NTP) clocks hourly around the world to maintain the correct
time for my PC clock. Finally, although updates to my Windows 7 ceased
some time ago, I still get virus definitions through Windows Update for
Microsoft Security Essentials. All of these involve Internet
connections directly and not through any browser or E-mail client.

--
David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>

Beyond Meat, Impossible Meat, and other such meat substitutes
represent the ultimate in ultra-processed foods, which my doctor
told me to avoid. Real meat is natural. Beyond Meat and
Impossible Meat are definitely not natural.

"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote

| >> Connection failed - Cannot connect
| >> -- Winsock ERROR : No buffer space available
| >

In addition to Paul's info, there's a lot online about
this error:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16712354/windows-socket-error-code-10055

I would wonder about the habit of leaving tabs open,
especially if some may be reloading periodically. Websites
these days are often very large software programs.

A couple of possibilities (once you replace Chrome with
a civilized browser :) would be to just stop leaving tabs
open and to stop reloads. In FF that's Accessibility.blockautorefresh*
It may be available in Chrome. I don't know the secret nooks
and crannies of Chrome, or how much it lets you control.
You can also disable prefetch. The waste in browsers these
days is astonishing... and senseless. They cut corners on
images to make them smaller and delay loading, then they send
you to get 15 MB of script and 12 other webpages to load
in the background.

* News sites, for example, often reload every few minutes.
I found that maddening, to have a page reload while I'm
reading it. So I blocked reloads. If you have 50 tabs open
you could very well have almost constant reloads happening.

J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
[...]
> I'm in an it's-gone-wrong state at the moment (so this won't go until
> ...), so I'll try it. Just stopped AVG. No, didn't fix it. Back on.
>
> >interrogate your web traffic, and they can screw up. I remember
> >Norton's proxy would eventually hang. No web traffic could get through
>
> _Some_ traffic is still getting through. I just pinged bbc.co.uk - it
> resolved and answered pings. The BBC weather page now _will_ reload.
> yt-dlp _doesn't_ work. Twitter doesn't work. YouTube works (even got a
> new advert). My email/news client _isn't_ working (well, not connecting;
> it's letting me type this but it'll just sit in the outbox). FindMyPast
> and Ancestry don't work. In fact _most_ websites won't work - but BBC
> Weather and YouTube do, and Google - I just searched for purple banana
> (something I've not searched for before, and I get a page full of links
> and images; the top one is to "Purple Banana | Purpose Driven Design &
> Communication" (which has a picture of a man, maybe the CEO, by it):
> clicking on it or him gives "This site can?t be reached".

I haven't followed all the details in this thread, so I may be wrong,
but I get the impression that if things don't work, the *only* thing
which works is a browser, everything else fails.

If that is correct, isn't it a problem with any port other than 80? If
so, shouldn't you be looking at your firewall (and your antivirus
software and your (built-in) router (did I forget anything?)) for port
related problems?

"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

> VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> WROTE:
>
>> Can you connect to AV sites, like Norton, Avast or AVG, Avira,
>> Bitdefender, etc?
>
> Do you mean can I connect to those companies' websites, or something
> else?

Yes, can you connect to those web sites. If you were infected, many
malware will block you getting to AV sites. They don't want you going
where you could eradicate them. Google and Youtube (also Google) don't
have AV programs.