Unable to access some sites......

Hi,

for the past couple of days I’m unable to accses some sites on my browser (I use Chrome but have since checked this on Opera and brave too…same issue). I get the following error :

[i]This site can’t be reached
futurism.com took too long to respond.
Try:

Checking the connection
Checking the proxy and the firewall
Running Windows Network Diagnostics
ERR_TIMED_OUT

Reload Details[/i]

This has been happening only with certain sites. And only for the past couple of days.

Could this be a Tcp/Udp issue with the Firewall settings, please ?

Thanks and regards.

  • Which Avast…? (Free/Premium/One)
  • Which version/build of Avast…?
  • OS…? (32/64 Bit…? - which SP/Build…?)
  • Other security related software installed…?
  • Which AV(s) did you use before Avast…?

No issue here reaching the site via Chrome.
Answer Asyn’s question so we have something more to work with.

Hello Asyn and bob3160. Thank you both for your replies. The details are as under, please :

  1. Avast Premium Security

  2. Program Version : 21.11.2500 (build 21.11.6809.528)

    Virus Definition Version : 220130-0

    UI Version : 1.0.688

  3. OS Windows 7 32 bit

  4. No other security software installed

  5. I’ve been using Avast Premium for about 4 years now.

This issue is quite recent - the past couple of days. Prior to that, I’d get a page saying invalid certificate etc. but there used to be an Advanced option where the link of the web page would be displayed and on clicking the link one would be taken to the web page. However, for the past two days, that is not the page being displayed. Instead I get the page I described above. There is no Advanced button that I can click and see the link of the web page I am trying to visit. I have the screenshot as an attachment in my message below. Any help would be greatly appreciated, please.

Hi,

Further to my update above, I have attached the screenshot of the error I am getting, please. Any help would be greatly appreciated. As I’ve said above, this behaviour is only a couple of days old.

Hi, to start with, does it work if you temporarily disable Avast…!?

Hello, Asyn. I turned off the Core Shields and the Firewall. I still get the same error message that I had attached in my previous update.

This happens only with some sites. Many other sites load fine. The sites with which this happens are the sites for which I used to get a “Privacy Error”. I would click the “Advanced” button on the web page, the link of the site would show, I would click the link and the site would load.

Instead of the “Privacy Error”, I am now getting this web page for those very same sites. And since this error page does not have the “Advanced” button (unlike the error page in the “Privacy Error” page), I don’t have a way of loading the site. This behaviour is true across browsers.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, please.

Is the firewall set to Private or Trusted?

Ok, that means your issue is most probably not related to Avast. Is your W7 up to date…!?

Hello, Asyn - Windows is uptodate.

Hello, bob3160 - Under Firewall I see the Wireless Network I use being a “Trusted Network”.

I noticed some unusual behaviour just now. In Chrome, under Reset and Clean Up, I clicked on Restore settings to their original defaults. When I do this, this particular site futurism.com opens ot the Privacy Error page where I can think cklick the Advanced button and load the page.

However, other sites, say, refind.com still show the same ERR_TIMED_OUT error.

I also went to the IP 4 Properties and changed the DNS settings from Automatic detection to 8.8.8.8 (Preferred) and 4.4.8.8 (Alternate).

It still doesn’t work (for refind.com).

I’ve never noticed such unusual behaviour where different sites give different errors,

Hi, as you said you had cert issues before, probably related to: https://scotthelme.co.uk/lets-encrypt-old-root-expiration/

Hello, Asyn. Thnak you for that link. My gut feel says that is the problem as the date mentioned there - 30-Sep-2021 is about the time I started facing the certificate issues. However, I work in Finance and am not well-versed with the deep technicalities that the article speaks of. Is there an easy wy to update the root certificate, please ?

Asyn, in addition to the above, I must mention again that this behaviour is shown only by certain sites. Gmail, Yahoo, YouTube, Facebook, and many other sites open just fine.

Hi, there should be no cert issues if your W7 is up to date, I’d suggest to recheck that first.

In broad terms - most software which has been updated in the past 5 years should be unaffected, and most hardware devices made since 2011 should be capable of the necessary software upgrades.

Hello, Asyn. Thnak you very much for taking the time out to reply with your very helpful suggestions. I greatly appreciate you taking the time out to help a complete stranger. Big of you.

I know a friend in IT and I think I’ll request him to install Windows afresh on my system. Hopefully, that should solve the problem.

Thank you again for all your kind help, Asyn. Greatly appreciate it.

It’s simple enough to do. Here are some easy to follow directions,
https://www.techradar.com/how-to/how-to-perform-a-clean-install-of-windows-10

You’re welcome.

bob3160, thank you for that link and for your helpful suggestions. Much appreciated.

You’re welcome. Let us know if that solves your problem. :slight_smile:

Hello Asyn, bob3160 - I hope you’ve had a good weeke and are looking forward to the weekend.

I had given my laptop to my friend yesterday and he returned it today after re-installing the OS. That seems to have solved the problem. So, as you had guessed, the problem was likely with the OS.

Thank you to both of you for having taken the time out to help a complete stranger. Like I had said, it was big of you.

Thank you again, and I hope you have a very good weekend.