Hey everyone,
I need some help with my website. It’s been blocked by my local ISP, and I’m stumped as to why. I’ve tried a few things like having friends check it (it’s down for them too), and the DNS settings seem to be fine. The only way I can access it is by using a VPN, which isn’t ideal.
This website is sensitive, so I need it accessible without relying on VPNs. Does anyone have any advice on how to fix this? Thanks a ton for any tips!
If DNS isn’t the issue, check if it’s only blocked on your ISP. Try having a friend on another ISP access it to see if it’s specific to yours.
Make sure any ad blockers or parental controls are off, just to rule those out. If it turns out your ISP is specifically blocking it, the only real fix is asking them why.
@Perry
Yeah, I’m starting to think my ISP just blocked it. Thanks for the advice.
If you’re using Cloudflare for DNS, can you check if you’re blocked at that level?
Haden said:
If you’re using Cloudflare for DNS, can you check if you’re blocked at that level?
I don’t think that’s the issue, but I just need a solution at this point.
Haden said:
If you’re using Cloudflare for DNS, can you check if you’re blocked at that level?
I don’t think that’s the issue, but I just need a solution at this point.
Alright, so if it’s your ISP blocking, you have a couple of options:
Without knowing the exact method of blocking, VPNs are usually the workaround.
@Haden
My ISP is known for using deep packet inspection, so I guess that limits my options… thanks for explaining!
What does the error message say? Could it be something simple like reaching a hosting limit? More details might help!
Maeve said:
What does the error message say? Could it be something simple like reaching a hosting limit? More details might help!
No errors on the hosting end. Everything’s fine with disk space and files. Pretty sure it’s just my ISP blocking it.
@Angelina
Can you describe exactly what happens when you try to access the site? Also, does pinging the website work?
If it’s blocked across devices and for others on the same ISP, it might be worth checking with a different DNS server.
So yeah, it’s probably my ISP blocking it.
So yeah, it’s probably my ISP blocking it.
Weird that the browser doesn’t work but ping does. Did you try using Google’s DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare’s (1.1.1.1)? Sometimes switching can solve blocks like this.
@Nicole
Tried that, and yeah, it helps sometimes. But no luck here. Does deep packet inspection play a role in this?
Angelina said:
@Nicole
Tried that, and yeah, it helps sometimes. But no luck here. Does deep packet inspection play a role in this?
Deep packet inspection could definitely be involved if they’re monitoring content.
If this is urgent, I’ve used free hosting services like xsltel as a temporary workaround.
@Nicole
Thanks! Appreciate the help. If you have a quick DNS guide, that’d be awesome.
Angelina said:
@Nicole
Thanks! Appreciate the help. If you have a quick DNS guide, that’d be awesome.
Sure! For Windows, check here and for Mac, here. Use either 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare).
@Nicole
Thanks! Was hoping for a server-side fix, but this helps.
Maybe your ISP uses a third-party blacklist, or your site got flagged. Check if your host’s IP or domain name is blacklisted anywhere.
Winslow said:
Maybe your ISP uses a third-party blacklist, or your site got flagged. Check if your host’s IP or domain name is blacklisted anywhere.
Good idea. I’ll look into that. Thanks!
“My website is sensitive” - what’s that mean? If it’s adult or restricted content, that might be why it’s blocked.