Is there a problem with Google

[mizzy]

Hi there,

I'm using firewall software called Gauntlet 5.5 on NT4.
This server also acts as my proxy.

I'm having a really strange problem with the google web site. Whenever my users access the google web site and then try to access another web site they cannot, they are stuck on google!
The URL changes but the screen does not refresh.
Now I'm sure that this is a problem on my server but the problem only occurs with Google, no other web site causes this problem.
Have google changed their web site? do I need to open a few more ports on my firewall?

Many thanks for any help,

 

[petermeachem]

It's not a Google toolbar problem is it? I've had a few strange things happening with that.

http://www.therockalltimes.co.uk/

http://english2american.com/

 

[mizzy]

Thanks for the reply,

Unfortunatley this is not a google toolbar problem (it is not installed)

Regards,

 

[flyboytim]

Google was having server problems today. It said "Please try again in a minute or so" and a little while later it said "Please try again in 30 seconds"

 

[thorleif]

I am having the identical problem with my proxy server. I am running Avirt Gateway 4.2 proxy on win2k. I know that somehow it is my proxy & google causing the problem, because if I set my browser to hit my firewall directly instead of through the proxy the pages all load jsut fine. most of our users are running IE 6. I have everyone ticked off, as we are all a bunch of google addicts.

Regards, Leif

 

[mizzy]

Hi Leif,

Well its good to know that someone else is experiencing the problem. I've done the same thing, bypass the firewall/proxy server, and the problem goes away. So it is definatley the firewall/proxy server.

I've tried everything including re-installing the Gauntlet software but this does not resolve the problem.
I've spoken to a few mates who say that it sounds like I require a fix for Gauntlet(caching problems of some sort). Unfortunatley Gauntlet(for NT) is no longer supported and no new fixes will be released. I have to purchase the latest firewall software but I do not have the budget! Rock and hard place!!

Have you had any success with Avirt?

Mizzy.
(P.S. you should know that I also have a problem with MSN.COM, when I access MSN and then try to access another web site I get a http 403 error)

 

[mizzy]

Another addition to the thread.
I have used the netstat command to see what was happening when my PC connects to the internet

When I attach to the google web site I run netstat -n

Proto Local Address Foreign Address State
TCP 127.0.0.1:1037 127.0.0.1:1038 ESTABLISHED
TCP 127.0.0.1:1038 127.0.0.1:1037 ESTABLISHED
TCP 192.168.1.31:1308 192.168.1.4:1352 ESTABLISHED
TCP 192.168.1.31:2487 192.168.1.25:80 TIME_WAIT
TCP 192.168.1.31:2495 192.168.1.25:80 TIME_WAIT
TCP 192.168.1.31:2535 192.168.1.4:1352 TIME_WAIT
TCP 192.168.1.31:2537 192.168.1.25:80 ESTABLISHED

Look at the last line this is my connection to my proxy server. It has a status of Established and it does not change.
This only happens on the Google web site. All other sites have a status of established for 1 or 2 seconds and then it retuns to TIME_OUT. If I try to change to another site while the status is established I cannot.

 

[Firebrand]

This is also happening to me. However, I've been running my Gauntlet server for 2 years fine with no problems, occassionally hotfixing, all the while using google. The google problem has only recently come to light, interestingly around the same time as this thread was opened. Same problem as all you guys, let the requests go without proxy, page loads fine. We're experimenting with it at the moment. If we come up with anything, I'll be sure to post.

 

[mizzy]

Thanks Firebrand,

If I come up with anything here I'll also post.

 

[Firebrand]

I installed an NT4 server today with SP6A, IE5 and Gauntlet 5.5 only. No NT4 hotfixes, no Gauntlet services packs or hotfixes, no anything. Problem still exists. That and the similar times it started happening to us is leading me to believe that those splendid people at google have been messing around...

 

[mizzy]

I did exactly the same thing and got exactly the same result.

I have tried to ask google what they have done but I have not received any reply.

 

[thorleif]

Just some further description of the problem.

1)This is occurring with my windows clients (W2K & W98), as well as clients using Mac OS X. Both using Internet explorer, I haven't tried other browsers yet.

2)A rather cumbersome work-a-round; When you start IE, Google loads (it is the homepage). In the address bar you type in the URL you want to go to,

http://www.ebay.com,

for example. Ebay doesn't load but rather Google.com reloads. now do a google search on this page, the search works. Now hit the "Back" button and Ebay will correctly load. This confirms my suspicions it is cache related.

My investingating continues!

 

[mizzy]

I should have said.

Netscape does NOT seem to have the problem.

We used IE but for the sake of google I'm not going to install netscape around the whole office.

Good hunting.

 

[Firebrand]

Has anyone also noticed this bizarre one? When the proxy is set and you do the search and visit the resulting links, it seems to pick up on at least part of the DNS name. For example, if you search for "test" on google, one of the results is "Stiftung Warentest Online". If you attempt to go to this the Google reloads... but it's Google Deutschland. Same for French and Japanese pages too. Weirder and weirder....

 

[blazernine]

I am having a similar problem with MS Proxy 2.0 on NT. When I go to msn.com, the page comes up just fine, but when I try to follow a link off that page, it never comes up. I eventually get a "Connection timed out" message. This only happens with msn.com. All other sites work just fine. I tried stopping the webproxy service and clearing the urlcache, but I get the same thing.

 

[mizzy]

Hi there,

I have the same problem with MSN
I would advise that you get the latest patches/fixes for
MS Proxy.

I am thinking that this would solve my problems but unfortunatley Gauntlet is no longer supported by the origional developer so there are zero new patches available.(and I have £0.00 to purchase new software; I'd like to get Sidewinder).

 

[mike49099]

I have the same problem with three installations of Sambar. I have tried to contact Google on at least a dozen occasions and have been ignored.

 

[blazernine]

I discovered that my problem wasn't even proxy related. One of the engineers on my team had add an access list to the border router. This access list watches for URLs with known hacking commands embedded, such as *..* and *%2e*. Apparently, the redirect feature that MSN uses on their homepage was tripping this list.

Of course, I learned this AFTER I rebuilt the server...

 

[mizzy]

Blazernine,

I see that the communications between the members of your IT department as just as good as mine!!. One big happy family, not!

Oh well at least you've resolved the problem. Thanks for the posting.

 

[Firebrand]

Well I don't know if you guys are still experiencing this or have upgraded now or whatever but I have been forced to try to find a way to solve this, as my US parent company bosses won't let me upgrade !!

I'm currently in a testing period at the moment on a few machines on our LAN and may have come up with a solution. In your web browser, try turning on "Use HTTP 1.1 through proxy connections". I've only been testing this since yesterday morning (BST) and I'm not sure about other browsers as we only use IE, but it definitely seems to work for IE6 ar least. Can anyone confirm ?