Site down??

[Alouiseg]

There's a few mumsnetters on Twitter saying that they can't access the site. Are there any problems?

[NetworkGuy]

Wonder if they all use the same ISP ?

Now and then there can be a routing problem which would mean a group of people with something in common might have no access to a web site.

[Alouiseg]

Really odd but I can access it at home on wifi also on o2 iPhone but not when using 3G vodaphone on iPad.

All too confusing for me.

[NetworkGuy]

Sounds like a Vodafone problem.

Unfortunately from a mobile it's awkward to know what the problem is. It could be
1) website problems - you can at least check that the website is working (and might be able to access it indirectly). There are some free web proxy services around the world, often used to bypass local blocks on which websites a user can access. In your case it might mean that you have easy proof the website works, but not via Vodafone...

If you go to www.HideMyAss.com/proxy/ (no joke, that's the true site name) then you can enter www.mumsnet.com and view whether the website is working (the web page data will go from MN web server to hidemyass.com and then from hidemyass.com to Vodafone and then to your iPad.

2) DNS - which is like a 'directory enquiry' service to get a number instead of a name... when you enter a name for a site, such as www.bbc.co.uk or www.mumsnet.com the DNS check is done first, to get an IP number - just now a request for the BBC gave me '212.58.244.71' and for MN, '213.161.73.140'

So if there's a problem at Vodafone, not being able to look up the IP address for MN web server, that would stop you seeing website.

You probably cannot do any DNS check on the iPad - sorry don't have one to play with here... (even less likely on a mobile phone)

Finally:
3) routing problems of the data to/from the ISP

I won't go into detail here, as you may not be able to perform the tests needed, but it sometimes happens that data is sent down the wrong link (like someone messing with signposts at a big roundabout sending traffic off at the wrong road).

[Alouiseg]

Thanks NetworkGuy I shall copy and save your info for future reference

[NetworkGuy]

You could try the 'HideMyAss' (sounds like a Channel 4 health+beauty Gok Wan spin-off show!) website (and bookmark it) and then try direct access to MN, and then you have the ammo you need to ask Vodafone to investigate.

It may work OK, but sometimes a proxy server like that can be a bit slower - and anyway, for any MN page, instead of the data staying within the UK (possibly within the M25 if you live inside it), using the proxy makes the data go from MN web server to USA and then from USA back to UK...

Adds about a quarter of a second delay to every request.

Since many web pages have a quantity of text and then icons and photos, so 1 page might cause 20 or more requests for different items off the MN web site... it means that there could be a few seconds extra downloading time for every page you view if using the proxy. One more reason for Vodafone to check into why direct access isn't working properly.

[Alouiseg]

Hide my Ass........

Is it Friday? Oops wrong thread!

[OliviaMumsnet]

LOL at friday threads.
Thanks Network Guy
I will get the tech chaps to have a look.
MN Towers

[NetworkGuy]

Olivia - it's unlikely to be anything at your end, else you'd have no visitors at all and far more likely to just be affecting some users on Vodafone.

However, if you do want to talk to the techie chaps, my Query on Window Size is unanswered