Specific website(s?) unavailable on Bigpipe, fine on other connections.

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Specific website(s?) unavailable on Bigpipe, fine on other connections.

phrozenpenguin

840 posts

Ultimate Geek

#259962 2-Nov-2019 22:22

I am on Bigpipe fibre and have an issue accessing a specific web server overseas. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The server is always online and available, and the issues seem to be specific to my Bigpipe connection. If I use https://downforeveryoneorjustme.com it says just me and if I use 2Degrees 4G connection the site connects as expected.
DNS changes does not impact (we are using Bigpipe default but google 8.8.8.8 does the same).
Multiple devices having the same issue (on this same connection)

What could / should I try next or is there a known issue - Bigpipe status says all is well. I have submitted a ticket to Bigpipe, but thought this might be quicker and more accurate.

yitz

2074 posts

Uber Geek

#2347681 2-Nov-2019 22:46

What is the error when it doesn't work? Do you end up just waiting for the connection to the site to time out?

There have been similar cases in the past of sporadic access to web sites on Bigpipe, however as I understand they have since moved to the Spark core network but unsure if the issue persists.

e.g. https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=158&topicid=201858

fe31nz

1228 posts

Uber Geek

#2347686 2-Nov-2019 23:31

Does Bigpipe do IPv6 these days? That can cause problems like this if you have not set it up properly. When I was getting my IPv6 going a few years ago, the simple test was to go to facebook.com and see if you could load the front page properly. If that does not work (only some or none of it loads), it is likely an IPv6 MTU problem - all the long IPv6 packets (> 1492 bytes) are being dropped on both sides of the PPPoE connection to Bigpipe.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
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Geekzone

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#2347721 3-Nov-2019 09:40

Question above is valid. Also some websites (more and more) have shared servers with IPv6 declared for one domain but not another so people on IPv6 can't get to them.

phrozenpenguin

840 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2347887 3-Nov-2019 23:17

Thanks for the replies.

The issue is timeouts/no ping/error on email sending/no response to anything.

Neither me nor the other server are deliberately trying to do anything IPV6. Might this still be related?

The server is now accessible again...but I am unclear as to why, and wait for it to do it again.

robjg63

4096 posts

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#2347905 4-Nov-2019 07:51

You don't want to mention the server you are accessing and see if other bigpipe users also have issues?

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#2347909 4-Nov-2019 08:03

phrozenpenguin:

Thanks for the replies.

The issue is timeouts/no ping/error on email sending/no response to anything.

Neither me nor the other server are deliberately trying to do anything IPV6. Might this still be related?

The server is now accessible again...but I am unclear as to why, and wait for it to do it again.

I think you need to break it down.

1. Do you have IPv6?

2. What's the website address?

Yes, this can all be IPv6 related. The fact it is working now could be that your computer did not get an IPv6 - it happens - or the IPv6 session died - it happens.

So the best way to test is to let us know at least one website example so other people can test.

phrozenpenguin

840 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2348415 5-Nov-2019 10:47

I think this has been resolved - the issue does not appear to be at Bigpipes end. Not IPV6 related.

Appreciate that sharing the URL would have been useful to troubleshoot, but in this instance didn't want to.

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dfnt

1511 posts

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#2348418 5-Nov-2019 10:50

Bigpipe doesn't do IPV6 anyway since moving to Spark's network?

phrozenpenguin

840 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2348424 5-Nov-2019 11:01

dfnt:

Bigpipe doesn't do IPV6 anyway since moving to Spark's network?

I think you are correct.

phrozenpenguin

840 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2348465 5-Nov-2019 14:07

Just to close this out. I think I know what happened.

The server that was not accessible is also an email server. I changed a password in the control panel. Then went to each device and changed the IMAP credentials.

But it turns out the server bans IP's after 5 wrong passwords...which I guess happened with multiple devices on auto check mode. Frustratingly there are no admin level things to turn this on or off. I am actively looking to move hosts!

toejam316

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#2348466 5-Nov-2019 14:25

phrozenpenguin:

Just to close this out. I think I know what happened.

The server that was not accessible is also an email server. I changed a password in the control panel. Then went to each device and changed the IMAP credentials.

But it turns out the server bans IP's after 5 wrong passwords...which I guess happened with multiple devices on auto check mode. Frustratingly there are no admin level things to turn this on or off. I am actively looking to move hosts!

I'd suggest the reason why you can't turn it off is because that's insane - an email server is accessible to the wider world, so if you have no IP ban threshold for bad passwords you leave yourself super open to just one script kiddy thrashing away at you with a dictionary attack until he gets into the email address he wants.

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

phrozenpenguin

840 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2348468 5-Nov-2019 14:31

toejam316:

phrozenpenguin:

Just to close this out. I think I know what happened.

The server that was not accessible is also an email server. I changed a password in the control panel. Then went to each device and changed the IMAP credentials.

But it turns out the server bans IP's after 5 wrong passwords...which I guess happened with multiple devices on auto check mode. Frustratingly there are no admin level things to turn this on or off. I am actively looking to move hosts!

I'd suggest the reason why you can't turn it off is because that's insane - an email server is accessible to the wider world, so if you have no IP ban threshold for bad passwords you leave yourself super open to just one script kiddy thrashing away at you with a dictionary attack until he gets into the email address he wants.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Agreed there needs to be some limit. But when their support says "change your email password" and doing that causes you to be locked out of your site (email, website, control panel etc) then something is clearly wrong. Even logging into the admin panel from another connection did not give me any options to lift a ban to my specific IP - or even notify me that there were logs somewhere. A chat with support did also not even acknowledge the issue.

I guess if I changed the password on the device before changing it in the control panel that may have worked...but never had need to be so specific in the order before.