CAN NOT ACCESS THE VODAFONE WEBSITE

[JamesL]

To the eForum Tech Team or anyone else who can help

I do not understand why I can not access the vodafone website using my BT home hub but can using my vodafone prepay dongle?

I mean it can not be my computer that is at fault or the Internet connection I am receiving because if that was the case then I could not access any website at all regardless of whether I was using my BT home hub or my vodafone prepay dongle or anything else that I could use to connect to the Internet but this is just not the case as the only problem I am receiving is from www.vodafone.co.uk although like I said before I can still access this from my vodafone dongle but only the dongle and since I used to be able to access the website two or three weeks ago from my BT home Hub why I can not do it now is a real puzzel to me that I hope anyone who reads this can answer?

JamesL

[kitzer]

Whilst I do agree the issue is only with some networks, there IS a configuration issue somewhere on the vodafone network.   Did you look at the tracerts I provided?

I've already said several times that I can access it via mobile data... but not via fixed broadband. I also said I have a broken foot and its not easy for me to check via another network atm. I want to be able to connect to the site via my home broadband connection to view my account. Vodafone need to look into this because it means there WILL be many more seeing the same issue once they try to use https

JamesL is with BT, I am with Plusnet - there are also others that are seeing this issue.

vodafone has configured their server at www.vodafone.co.uk to drop ICMP packets. If you turn off ICMP then Path MTU Discovery doesnt work. PMTUD is what tells the server what size packets to send to the other end. Most networks use an MTU of 1500.

However BT wholesale FTTC uses PPPoE which has a max MTU of 1492. If vodafone is sending packets of 1500 then the packet gets fragmented and the other end doesnt receive the data. It gets blackholed somewhere.  Vodafone need to be aware that there is an issue.    How many new accounts may they lose because people cant access their site properly.

Look at the SureSignal thread, look how many people are having problems with Vodafone when using fibre because of the MTU of 1492. BT wholesale cant change that - its a restriction of the internet protocol. See PPPoE Architecture -  Cisco Link

What vodafone needs to do is NOT disable ICMP so that PMTUD will work, so that their server knows what size packets to send. This only started a few weeks ago, so they have changed some setting somewhere.

Note that their servers for their subdomains forum.vodafone & blog.vodafone.co.uk etc work fine... they do not have ICMP turned off.

The other alternative is that vodafone is ingoring my IP.   I am working with my ISP to test this.   I have a static IP so I'm messing with my own domains here by offereing to drop my static IP to a dynamic one.

As it stands even my ISP agree the issue appears to be at router  47.73.192.146 - which belongs to vodafone.   This is the one not responding.

[JamesL]

YES I would agree with Drey comments 100% because although I still can't access the Vodafone website using my BT home hub I also still can using my Vodafone prepay dongle so the problem therefore must be something to do with the internet connection I am receiving from my BT home hub because if it was truly the website that was at fault then you would not be able to access the website no matter what you were using to connect to the internet so I would suggest Kitzer you try what Drey suggests

JamesL

[JamesL]

Hello Again Kitzer
And YES I agree with everything you have said although some of the things you have said go over my head like ICMP or PMTUD and of course MTU all of which is not familer to but like I said before all I know is the Vodafone website will only load after I reset my BT broadband home hub but it is only the website that will load after doing this because it will still not let me access my account and then after I close the page down and open it up again it is no longer available which needless to say I am not happy about and if you consider this was not the case just four or five weeks ago when to website was working fine using my BT home hub somebody that works in Vodafone must have gooffed or as you have said tampered with something they would have been better leaving alone? Now of course it is not a problem for me to access both the website and my account using Vodafone mobile broadband provided from my prepay dongle but I have a limited data plan using this method wheareas using my BT home hub is unlimited and would much rather use this and as you know this was never a problem before but I am now resigned to the fact that if I ever want to access the website and my account with it then it is just going to have to be using my dongle of course I don't like the idea but have little choice as I have no idea how to fix my BT home hub or would even consider it worth it all for the sake of just one website when everything else is working just fine?
JamesL

[kitzer]

Its only affecting some accounts. It is not just BT and Plusnet either

Here's a load of Virgin media users who couldnt access it either last week.
http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Vodafone-Uk/m-p/2957365

Theres a couple more threads on the virgin media site of other people saying they cant access vodafone.co.uk

Service failing at that same router I mentioned above that belongs to vodafone.

[kitzer]

Just noticed that you said this

"Vodafone website will only load after I reset my BT broadband home hub"

Resetting the BT Home Hub will make sure you get a different IP address (as I mentioned here ).  

With BT you shouldnt need to do a full reset to pick up a new IP, you can just establish a new PPP connection.  Not sure which version of the HH you are using, but there should be a setting in the web GUI which will allow you to do this without performing a full reboot. 

Open the HH and look for a setting which says something like "Disconnect form Internet".   Then switch it back on. 

I can't test this theory as I usually have a static IP.  I am testing something else which I will disclose more on later...  but right now... the finger is pointing at vodafone config.

-----

PS @ JamesL

Did this start happening at about the time when they started requesting that you request a security code that has to be text to you each time you try to enter your account via your web browser?

[JamesL]

Oh I see so it is affecting more than BT and plusnet as I did not know that but regardless because I have tried everything I know I mean resetting my home hub and clearing all of my memory all to no avail I don't know what else I can do other than use my prepay dongle to connect.

JamesL

[kitzer]

Rather than reseting the hub.   Try just establishing a new PPP session.

Ermm  I dont know a simple way of explaining what I mean other than go into the hub and look for a setting which says something similar to "Disconnect from the Internet".      Then when its disconnected, click "Connect to the Internet".   This should force a new IP address..  then see if you can connect to Vodafone.

[JamesL]

Thanks Again Kitzer for your reply

But I have tried to reset my home hub more than once and YES it does connect to the website after that but I lose connection again after I close the page down and then reopen it and it will still not let me login after doing all that.

JamesL

[kitzer]

What Im trying to say is that you may not have to do a full reset of the Home Hub. Just force a new IP address by disconnecting and reconnecting from inside the HomeHub settings. This should be much quicker.

[JamesL]

Thanks but the only thing I can find about what you say on my home hub is the reset button?

JamesL