Several people in upstate NY are trying to pay return visits to
www.askearth.com, all using different browsers, types of computers,
ISPs and we are at least ten miles apart.  We can access any other web
site and send mail, and have discovered that a friend in Florida can
access the site and says everything seems normal there.  We have
traced the company that links the site's ISP to the internet;  they
say they are not the problem, but will not ID the ISP.  The site is
notorious for not answering or for bouncing back user mail, so we have not
received a response from them.  The problem began Sunday June 1 at
about 5:00 EDT.  We are in the 518 area code.  Our ISPs say everything
is fine with them.  When we try to log on, we get a long delay and a
blank window, followed by the "connection failure" dialogue box. 
What's going on, and how do we regain access to the site?

It's probably just a matter of time. I am in Ohio, and I can't reach
the site either. All this means is that, somewhere between you and the
box where the site is hosted, a router is down or messed up.

You can try opening a command line and running
tracert www.askearth.com

This should show you where it is getting bogged down. When I run a
traceroute, I get stuck in the epoch.net routers. As you can see form
the traceroute below, I am unable to get past epoch. You will likely
see something similar. If you want to, you can contact Epoch.net and
ask them if they have a router down.

Epoch.net
http://www.epoch.net

Epoch itself may not be the problem. The router after them in the
chain may be the one that is down. Your friend in Florida can still
reach the site because they take a different route to get there.

1  10.51.96.1 (IP removed)  12.991 ms  11.494 ms  10.834 ms
 2  pos6-2.warnoh1-rtr1.neo.rr.com (IP removed)  10.788 ms  9.802 ms 
10.926 ms
 3  srp1-0.ncntoh1-rtr1.neo.rr.com (IP removed)  14.809 ms  11.927 ms 
12.656 ms
 4  pop1-col-p3-1.atdn.net (IP removed)  17.182 ms  15.796 ms  16.095
ms
 5  bb1-col-p4-0.atdn.net (IP removed)  19.618 ms  17.325 ms  25.018
ms
 6  bb1-ash-p15-3.atdn.net (IP removed)  44.219 ms  31.424 ms  32.688
ms
 7  pop1-ash-p0-0.atdn.net (IP removed)  56.059 ms  34.371 ms  32.713
ms
 8  level3.atdn.net (66.185.139.202)  31.541 ms  31.649 ms  34.165 ms
 9  unknown.level3.net (209.247.9.173)  32.647 ms  34.173 ms  34.398
ms
10  so-6-0-0.edge1.washington1.level3.net (209.244.11.10)  61.799 ms 
34.647 ms  31.918 ms
11  epoch-level3-vlan.washington1.level3.net (209.244.219.130)  35.236
ms  34.479 ms  34.741 ms
12  pos7-0.dcp-c001.gw.epoch.net (155.229.123.81)  106.68 ms  105.454
ms  105.862 ms
13  pos4-0-0.sna-c101.gw.epoch.net (155.229.57.150)  141.969 ms 
240.61 ms  246.342 ms
14  fast3-1-0.sna-c100.gw.epoch.net (155.229.57.185)  122.493 ms 
110.721 ms  109.318 ms
15  pos0-0.lad-c000.gw.epoch.net (155.229.57.126)  109.64 ms  105.881
ms  105.277 ms
16  * * *
17  * * *
18  * * *
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20  * * *
21  * * *
22  * * *
23  * * *
24  * * *
25  * * *
26  * * *
27  * * *
28  * * *
29  * * *
30  * * *

Best regards,

- Hammer

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Request for Answer Clarification by brainiacamok-ga on 03 Jun 2003 13:45 PDT

Very helpful answer.  I did contact Epoch earlier;  they say they are
okay.  They say they are the ISP for AskEarth.  But they won't
identify the ISP, as I mentioned.
  Can I assume that someone knows about this and is working on it?  Or
do I have to send a carrier pigeon?
  Thanks, I won't forget to rate you.

---

Clarification of Answer by hammer-ga on 03 Jun 2003 13:58 PDT

It's likely they know about it. According to WhoIs, Epoch is the
technical contact for AskEarth. Personally, I think that, unless they
route to some other ISP and just won't tell you who (for some bizarre
reason), the problem is inside the Epoch routing tables/router
hardware. They probably have a number of complaints coming in. If the
site does not come back, and they continue to insist that it isn't
them, send the traceroute that I posted in my answer.

- Hammer

Cheers for all the help, you obviously know the internet well. 
However, I don't, and I had to draw in other people to decode the part
about sending the trace, or risk bugging you too much for a lousy $2. 
Still, a bargain.  Appreciate the follow-up.  Suggest you take care to
clarify smallest details.

The site is not down.  It works fine for me (in California).  It'll clear up.

Thanks for the guidance.  I'll look forward to any developments.  Very
much appreciate your assist.