Why can't my Mac access a particular website?

[beardman]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post...I'm new here.

I suddenly can't access one particular site, phinished.org, on my MacBook. The site is still up and I can access it on my iMac at home. But on the laptop, it doesn't matter which internet connection I use or which browser I try it with, the site will either (a) redirect me to a generic website selling garden equipment, (b) give a network timeout message, or (c) simply load forever.

I tried running MacScan and it didn't help. What should I do?

Thanks.

[statuko]

Did you try with a different browser?

[beardman]

But on the laptop, it doesn't matter which internet connection I use or which browser I try it with...

Yup. Safari and Firefox both.

[rshames]

Try creating a new user, login as that user and see if you can access that site. If you can you will know it is something in that profile and I would start by deleting cookies.

[statuko]

It's a good idea to try with a new user. Did you try using Onyx to clean cookies etc?

Sorry about the question above. I'm myself having trouble today with my mac, my head is not clear.

[cwa107]

Downloaded any "plug ins" or "codecs" to play videos online recently?

First Look: Trojan Horse warning: What you need to know | Utilities | Macworld

[D3v1L80Y]

Before you go through the trouble of creating a new user, I would first clear your browser's cache, cookies and history files.

If that doesn't do the trick, then try power-cycling your network setup.
It's fast, easy and fixes a multitude of network related issues.

[beardman]

I've deleted all my cookies--no change.

I haven't downloaded any codecs or plugins recently. I read the article on that Trojan, and while my DNS pane has two greyed-out IP addresses, there is no black one, so I think that means my DNS is provided by another machine here at the university library...right? I'm going by the following in that article:

If you’re running OS X 10.5, open your Network System Preferences pane and select your active interface (AirPort, Ethernet), then click Advanced. On the Advanced screen, click on the DNS tab. The leftmost box contains your DNS servers, and all the entries should be in black. If the trojan has been installed on your machine, you’ll see the phantom DNS in gray, listed above your normal DNS information, as seen in the image at right—the first two entries are the evil DNS, the last is the normal DNS.

Note: There are other situations where the DNS info may be gray—it appears that if your DNS is provided by another machine, for instance, then your legitimate DNS information will be in gray, not black.

I followed the other directions and I have no plugins.settings in my Library-->Internet Plug-Ins file.

What else could this be?

[beardman]

Before you go through the trouble of creating a new user, I would first clear your browser's cache, cookies and history files.

If that doesn't do the trick, then try power-cycling your network setup.
It's fast, easy and fixes a multitude of network related issues.

How do you power-cycle the network setup?

[beardman]

If powercycling is the whole 'turn off, unplug, take out battery, wait 30 seconds, put back in and turn back on' thing, I did that. Nothing.

I pinged www.phinished.org and it said "10 packets transmitted, 0 received, 100% packet loss."

Would setting up a new user do any good, since I've also deleted all my cookies anyway?

[bobtomay]

Power cycling your network setup starts with the router, which you'll not be able to do since you are using the universities network and not on your own home network.

It very well may be that the university has that site/IP blocked. Suggest asking someone else in the library see if they can get to that site on their computer while on the library's network.

[D3v1L80Y]

How do you power-cycle the network setup?

How to Power Cycle your Network setup

[beardman]

Power cycling your network setup starts with the router, which you'll not be able to do since you are using the universities network and not on your own home network.

It very well may be that the university has that site/IP blocked. Suggest asking someone else in the library see if they can get to that site on their computer while on the library's network.

Yes, I suspected that about powercycling. Thanks for confirming.

I just tried accessing the site from one of the public computers in the library, and it reported a connection timeout and claimed the server was taking too long to respond. But the site is accessible from my home computer, and on "Down For Everyone or Just Me?"

Could there be any explanation for this other than that the university is blocking the site? Could it be that the site is blocking the university? Or something else?

[D3v1L80Y]

Could there be any explanation for this other than that the university is blocking the site? Could it be that the site is blocking the university? Or something else?

The only way to get a definitive answer to that would be to ask the school's IT department.

[vansmith]

The site could be blocked as it may be construed as violating school policy. The website says this:

PhinisheD is the place on the web to find friendly advice and support as you struggle with your dissertation or thesis, and afterwards as you navigate the stormy seas of academia.

While I don't think it is problematic in terms of potentially being against academic integrity rules, your school may think differently.