Cannot connect to certain websites

Three sites that I visit regularly:

• michelfortin.com
• lewrockwell.com
• screencast.com

Are not coming up on my computer nor any computers on my home network. When I connect via my Verizon card, they DO come up... but the signal is marginal so it doesn't really help except to isolate the problem.

The ping tests fail.

I have a call into my ISP, a small local provider.

I don't think it's a DNS problem, as I run OpenDNS through my wireless router, and the resulting non-connectivity for these three sites is the same whether I connect to the router or plug directly into the ISP's modem. Plus, the standard OpenDNS errors are not coming up. I admit I have a lot to learn about DNS issues.

And yes I have reset the wireless router and broadband modem by cutting the power for more than a minute.

As I need one of the sites for my home business and I probably won't hear from my ISP until after the weekend, I'd appreciate if anyone has insight.

Edit: for clarity, I should mention that I previously checked all the sites with downforeveryoneorjustme.com, and checked the hosts file on all affected computers.

When I run tracert, here is the result:

C:\Users\Darrel>tracert screencast.com

Tracing route to screencast.com [72.52.191.14] over a maximum of 30 hops:

1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  WL.domain.com [192.168.2.1]
2     1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.100.1
3   142 ms    25 ms    11 ms  66.239.236.121.ptr.us.xo.net [66.239.236.121]
4    16 ms    14 ms    14 ms  p4-3-0.mar2.spokane-wa.us.xo.net [207.88.83.173]
5    32 ms    26 ms    41 ms  p5-1-0-3d0.rar2.seattle-wa.us.xo.net [65.106.0.153]
6    82 ms    19 ms    22 ms  p5-0-0d0.rar1.seattle-wa.us.xo.net [65.106.1.97]
7    81 ms    61 ms    41 ms  te-3-1-0.rar3.seattle-wa.us.xo.net [65.106.1.46]
8    58 ms    84 ms    84 ms  207.88.13.145.ptr.us.xo.net [207.88.13.145]
9   137 ms   196 ms    90 ms  206.111.7.138.ptr.us.xo.net [206.111.7.138]
10     *        *        *     Request timed out.
11     *        *        *     Request timed out.
12     *        *        *     Request timed out.
13     *        *        *     Request timed out.
14     *        *        *     Request timed out.
15     *        *        *     Request timed out.
16     *        *        *     Request timed out.
17     *        *        *     Request timed out.
18     *        *        *     Request timed out.
19     *        *        *     Request timed out.
20     *        *        *     Request timed out.
21     *        *        *     Request timed out.
22     *        *        *     Request timed out.
23     *        *        *     Request timed out.
24     *        *        *     Request timed out.
25     *        *        *     Request timed out.
26     *        *        *     Request timed out.
27     *        *        *     Request timed out.
28     *        *        *     Request timed out.
29     *        *        *     Request timed out.
30     *        *        *     Request timed out.

Trace complete.

C:\Users\Darrel>

Final Edit: Thank for the help guys. The problems resolved themselves before the end of the day. Yes I could have gone elsewhere to access the screencast.com site... the issue was partly that I live a long way from civilization and the other that I just didn't understand what was happening. I still don't understand it but perhaps my ISP will be able to explain it tomorrow.

Based on your tracert and the other info you've given, it looks like xo.net is having issues with a router that's needed to get you where you want to go. It's beyond your control, so cross your fingers and hope it clears up soon. In the meantime, if you absolutely must get access to your site, either use your Verizon link or physically go elsewhere. It's likely anyone on your local ISP would have the same problem.

If xo.net is your local ISP, call again and complain. (Of course, the problem could be with their peer for that link, not their problem directly, so be polite.)

Here's my traceroute to your site. Is LiquidWeb your hosting provider? Can you access any of your provider's help sites? If not, there's a definite problem on the link between you and your hosted sites.

C:\> tracert screencast.com

Tracing route to screencast.com [72.52.191.14]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  (redacted) [(redacted)]
  2    18 ms    18 ms    19 ms  (redacted) [(redacted)]
  3    18 ms    19 ms    18 ms  (redacted) [(redacted)]
  4    25 ms    24 ms    24 ms  (redacted) [(redacted)]
  5    23 ms    24 ms    23 ms  te3-1.ccr01.clt01.atlas.cogentco.com [38.104.168.29]
  6    30 ms    31 ms    31 ms  te8-4.mpd02.dca01.atlas.cogentco.com [154.54.7.141]
  7    32 ms    31 ms    32 ms  te4-3.mpd02.iad01.atlas.cogentco.com [154.54.26.122]
  8    33 ms    32 ms    32 ms  te2-1.ccr02.iad01.atlas.cogentco.com [154.54.26.77]
  9    32 ms    32 ms    32 ms  sprint.iad01.atlas.cogentco.com [154.54.9.58]
 10    33 ms    32 ms    32 ms  sl-crs1-dc-0-13-0-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.25.12]
 11    43 ms    43 ms    43 ms  sl-crs1-akr-0-10-5-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.18.218]
 12    53 ms    52 ms    52 ms  sl-crs2-chi-0-12-5-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.24.49]
 13    52 ms    51 ms    51 ms  sl-st20-chi-12-0-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.8.219]
 14    63 ms    57 ms    56 ms  63.167.95.70
 15    57 ms    57 ms    63 ms  lw-dc2-core3-ge1-5.rtr.liquidweb.com [209.59.157.141]
 16    57 ms    57 ms    58 ms  lw-dc2-sec1-dist2-po1.rtr.liquidweb.com [209.59.157.128]
 17    59 ms    59 ms    59 ms  72.52.191.14

Hope it gets fixed for you soon.

Open a Panix account and use ssh tunneling to connect via their router instead of your ISP.

You can cancel the account after a month, but if you absolutely have to get work done this weekend ....

Of course, you can also just take a laptop to the nearest public library.