Advice - Checking if IP address is blocked

[osgood_]

I have a client, who is the only one who cannot see their own website from within their bank of company computers, everyone else can see the website, even them if they use a mobile or home computer, so it points to their IP address being blocked by their own website domain?

What I want to know is how to check if the domain is blocking their own IP. I have their IP I just need to reference it against something in the Plesk Control Panel but I don't seem to have the relevant 'tools' include d,so its probably a cut-down version of Plesk I assume.

Is the only way to check with the hosting company?

No idea when it comes to this techie stuff, outside of my remit.

Cheers

Os

[pziecina]

Have you asked the client to try 'pinging' the IP from his computer?

See - https://m.wikihow.com/Ping-an-IP-Address

[osgood_]

pziecina  wrote

Have you asked the client to try 'pinging' the IP from his computer?

See - https://m.wikihow.com/Ping-an-IP-Address

Yes, but there is no response which further suggests the IP is being blocked?

[pziecina]

If it is not responding, then yes, it is being blocked.

If they are using IE/Edge, then it may be being blocked in his internet exceptions in the setting, or less likely, (if they are connecting via lan) the lan network itself may not be allowing access, this one is common if they are using a new computer, and it has not been configured correctly, (a network admins problem).

[osgood_]

pziecina  wrote

If it is not responding, then yes, it is being blocked.

I've just tested and I'm getting no-packages return

pziecina  wrote

If it is not responding, then yes, it is being blocked.

If they are using IE/Edge, then it may be being blocked in his internet exceptions in the setting, or less likely, (if they are connecting via lan) the lan network itself may not be allowing access, this one is common if they are using a new computer, and it has not been configured correctly, (a network admins problem).

Hummm ok that's as clear as mud to me

I'll check with the host and see if they can shed any light and if they cant I'll pass your thoughts onto the tech guy who sets up their computer stuff. Its usually down to everyone else in my experience, espciallly when companies get networks involved, internal mail servers etc.

Thanks

Os

[osgood_]

Actually I get all ping packages back (just took a long time to ping) but I should do as its being pinged form my work station not theirs. If they arent getting anything back then that's bad news.

[pziecina]

If it's taking a long time for you to get a ping response, then there is something wrong on their end. It should only take milli-seconds for a response.

So the computer that is not getting any response, may just be timing out, waiting for a response.

[osgood_]

pziecina  wrote

If it's taking a long time for you to get a ping response, then there is something wrong on their end. It should only take milli-seconds for a response.

So the computer that is not getting any response, may just be timing out, waiting for a response.

Maybe. I'm a web-developer not a computer or server technician. All I can do is check to make sure that the domain is not blocking the IP address, that should be possible for the hosting comany to tell me and if its not blocking it must be an error with all the tech garbage that these companies seem to need installed just to receive an email or wire up a couple of computers so that can 'make out together'.................this is nearly always at my expense, time-wise

[pziecina]

Don't get alarmed about this as the problem may just be a setting.

Ask the network admin to check the server load, as a DofS works by overloading the server, so the response time is too long for the browser. It may also happen if a network back-up stops working, (may try to pull more and more info from server, but cannot) or some other network problem may be causing it.

[osgood_]

pziecina  wrote

Don't get alarmed about this as the problem may just be a setting.

I like to get things sorted obviously BUT generally its not me that causes most of the issues yet I always seem to get caught up in the problems other people make. It was working ok up until about 2 weeks back so something has recently changed and you dont always get the truth. What usually happens is some dik-head tech junkie installs some additional plugin which  then has a snowball effect of stopping something that was previously working. I'm supposed to be a mind-reader and know about this of course. It might be the hosting company or it might be the tech guy, but its certainly NOT me

pziecina  wrote

Ask the network admin to check the server load, as a DofS works by overloading the server, so the response time is too long for the browser. It may also happen if a network back-up stops working, (may try to pull more and more info from server, but cannot) or some other network problem may be causing it.

Admin is out of ideas, told me he had even installed a new firewall. I don't think the server is overloaded, its a specialist company and would not get any more than a few hits per day.

Is it possible to get a temporary IP address just to check, which could bypass the allocated one?

[pziecina]

You could use a temp ip address, but the actual site would be unavailable whilst doing so, as the look-up would point to the original ip.

Without being there to check the server stack, I would ask the server admin if there is a fault with any other site hosted on another server in the stack. If not then it is possible that the drive itself is failing, (any other sites hosted on that drive they can check?).

[osgood_]

pziecina  wrote

You could use a temp ip address, but the actual site would be unavailable whilst doing so, as the look-up would point to the original ip.

Without being there to check the server stack, I would ask the server admin if there is a fault with any other site hosted on another server in the stack. If not then it is possible that the drive itself is failing, (any other sites hosted on that drive they can check?).

I dont know enough about it to say to be honest. I will consult with the hosting company and see if they can identify anything unusual in the setting for the domain. I could suggest moving to a different hosting company. That would for sure identify where the problem is - the new server should not be blocking the IP address but that's a bit drastic as they will have to re-configure their email accounts I think. They moved to a cloud based mail service recently and their tech guy needed to alter something in the control panel. It would'nt surprise me if they caused the issue and its only just come to light.

[pziecina]

I'm out of suggestions.

Just for info, cloud based hosting is the same as normal hosting except that the servers are more distributed in various locations. They still suffer from the same problems though.

[pziecina]

One last thought, have you tried looking at the server error logs?

[osgood_]

pziecina  wrote

One last thought, have you tried looking at the server error logs?

I haven't yet but I may get around to doing so if nothing gets resolved quickly.