Question : http access to web site won't work, why?

Need help figuring this issue out...

No one on my network can access our company's externally hosted web site via HTTP. Outside of my network it works fine. When we try to go to http://www.wbcl.org the browser times out and won't connect. If we do it via HTTPS it works. Also, I can ping www.wbcl.org, name resolves fine and pings come back.

I at first thought this might be an issue with Junipter Networks SSG5 gateway router, or possible something weird with the DNS on my SBS2008 Server. But I have the same problem when I connect a laptop up directly to the Verizon FIOS ethernet cable with the IP address statically configured (ip 71.127.84.53, gw 71.127.84.1) and still have the same problems. Not HTTP connections, but ping and HTTPS works.

I spoke with Verizon FIOS, even sent them a traceroute from the laptop connection and they say it isn't them. We actually have two FIOS services, coming off the same telephone pole. It works on one and not on the other. So I thought it may be my hosting provider somehow blocking port 80 connections from my Verizon FIOS IP addresses (71.127.84.50 - .54) on the FIOS circuit that has the trouble. The hosting company says they aren't blocking any connections from me.

What else could this be? Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Greg Beal

Answer : http access to web site won't work, why?

I'm glad Verizon are trying to help you. The tracetcp only proves that everything is ok from your site to the hosting company but it's the return path that's the problem. Because it's the return path they'll need to be looking at the TCP source port 80 as opposed to the destination port 80.