GEEK Question--answer?

I have not been able to take advantage of the use of the so-called "hyperlinks" for some time now on CPF. It seems the problem is not limited to CPF but extends sometimes (but not always!) to other areas on the net. Usually (95% of the time) when I click on the hyperlink I get the following message: " The page cannot be displayed.
The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings.

Please try the following:

Click the Refresh button, or try again later.
If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly.
To check your connection settings, click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options. On the Connections tab, click Settings. The settings should match those provided by your local area network (LAN) administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).
See if your Internet connection settings are being detected. You can set Microsoft Windows to examine your network and automatically discover network connection settings (if your network administrator has enabled this setting).
1. Click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options.

2. On the Connections tab, click LAN Settings.

3. Select Automatically detect settings, and then click OK.

Some sites require 128-bit connection security. Click the Help menu and then click About Internet Explorer to determine what strength security you have installed.
If you are trying to reach a secure site, make sure your Security settings can support it. Click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options. On the Advanced tab, scroll to the Security section and check settings for SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0, PCT 1.0.
Click the Back button to try another link."


Now, when I try to follow the directions, there is no resolution to the problem!! I have tried to reinstall Windows Office (once in a while I get directed to do that as wel!) to no avail!

I'm not losing sleep over this (and I just know that some of you would be!) but, I'm hoping those who might lose sleep just might know how to fix this. Any ideas?

Karl

What kind of system are you using?? Assuming Windows.. XP, Vista? IE6/7??

I would suspect an issue with your firewall settings.

Windows XP. I dunno---maybe a firewall---as I said that danged message comes up after about 15-20 seconds of nothing happening and the dang Windows flag waving in the wind!! No loss of sleep but a PIA nevertheless!

Karl

Does it happen with Firefox or Opera or Safari or any other non-Microsoft browser?? That would really eliminate things..

Lordy I'm embarassed to say I'm not quite sure what I've got running on here now. Unfortunately (from a learning perspective) my work computer is maintained and upgraded at work by those in the know "Geeks" who are paid to do that. I am the lazy recipient who gets the service but not the education!


Karl

Well, up at the top it should say like "File", then "Edit", so on and so on, and then down at the end it should say "Help".

click help, then click "about" or whatever comes up, and tell us what that says..

could be a network access problem.

but, just in case it's something simple, how about changing your network access cable? (if you have a wired connection).

I had similar problems on one occasion and discovered I was using a bum cable. Even if the cable is working properly, it may be of inadequate specs (try to use cat 5e at least, should cover most user's needs).

Thanks folks, one and all. I have just been on the phone with Dell for the past two hours (I've been on with them before several times!) and on with McAfee for an hour. I have attempted numerous "fixes" all to no avail. If I weren't addicted to CPF I would be setting fire to this damned poor excuse for a TV. I'm at the end of my rope with patience today so I guess I'll just go and hide for awhile. Thanks........


Karl

It could also be your system's security settings (which you may not be able to adjust, depending on how tightly your IT folks have set up the computer). I suppose there's also a possibility your computer or your company's network is blocking access to certain sites based on some tag or something in the site.

I dunno, a fellow CPF member just suggested to me I try Firefox as an alternate browser to Explorer and still no improvement! This difficulty seems to be isolated to links within CPF to other threads/posts in CPF for some reason. I can't figure it out. I never had a problem until the upgrade of the CPF system. I know the problem is germane to me however since my friend was able to fully utilize the link on his computer. Cyber Gremlins it does seem!!:devil:


Karl

Wow, okay, I think that throws out my ideas if it's just posts within CPF! That's really strange...

Since the hyperlinks you are clicking are defined by the webpage design, that narrows the problem down to local things that mess with the specific address of the link.

As others have mentioned, it could be a firewall issue, but that seems unlikely given most of the problems are related to CPF links.

Another possibility is the Hosts file on your computer has hard coded IP addresses for specific sites. Again, probably unlikely due to the large variety of site addresses.

My best guess is a DNS problem. These are the servers that translate text based URLs (www.candlepowerforums.com) into numeric IP addresses (64.150.163.94). If your Internet access is from a business, they may have their own DNS servers. If its a residence, the local Internet provider likely runs their own DNS servers.

One way to check this theory out is to change the settings in your browser to use different DNS servers such as OpenDNS. Click on the Computer option and choose your operating system for detailed instructions on using their DNS servers. This is a free service and you can skip the account setup for this test.

Good Luck.

Forgive the simplicity of my questions but, why would this have occurred--change in the CPF website configuration? Second, is this change reversible in the (unlikely?) event I experience some difficulties?


Karl

I don't think there is anything that the CPF website could change that would cause your issue. It is a combination of your local browser sending a web page request to your local Internet service provider. CPF merely provides the address to request. If the CPF address were wrong, everyone would have problems. If anything has changed, it is likely on your computer or ISP.

One thing to try is find a CPF link that is not working for you. Hover the mouse pointer over the link, but don't click. Copy on paper the address exactly as shown on the bottom left status bar of your browser window. Close all browser windows and wait about 10 seconds. Open a brand new browser window and type in exactly what you had copied down and hit enter. If you have success accessing the site, that would rule out a DNS problem. For grins, you might post what you copied down so we could look for anything weird.

If manually typing the address still doesn't work, then you could try entering the site's numeric IP address. Go to DNS Watch and enter the address you copied down (but leave off the http:// or https://) and press enter. The site will return the numeric IP address. Type that IP address into your browser address bar and press enter. If this works, you definitely have a DNS problem. If not, I would guess there is some sort of firewall or configuration issue on your computer.

Directly to your last question, yes, changing the DNS is easily reversible. If you want to see how it's set before you start:
Open the Control Panel
Double click on Network Connections
Right click on Local Area Connection (the one showing Status Connected)
Choose Properties
Click on the General tab if not already selected
Scroll down in the sub window to find Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
Left click on it
Then click on Properties
In the new window, make sure the General tab is selected
In the bottom half of the window you will likely see the radio button selected for Obtain DNS server address automatically
If you want to use different DNS servers, you simply select the next radio button and enter the two DNS server addresses
To undo the change, come back to this same window and reselect the automatic radio button

Please post the results of your testing.

I will need a bit of time to do this and I will be out of town for the next several days. I'll try before I go and Iwill let all know of the results. Thanks. One twist I noted yesterday was that I tried to link within CPF at work as I do at home and same results. I cannot go through very much activity such as this with non-business so....but I wonder if there is possibly something wrong with my "account"--not sure what it might be called--with CPF? I'll try your suggestions however.

Karl