My Internet is getting darker every day

[markfilipak]

This sounds like you have broken something on a very low level completely (maybe the network)...

If that was true, why do sites browse okay... except the sites I can't log into (which also have some, but not all links that don't work). It's so inconsistent.

I've been wrestling with this for some time now. I've also been having some trouble with my cable modem. Between March 2014 and April 2015 (13 months) I got 11 error log entries in the administrator panel of my cable modem. I think most (if not all) were when Time Warner was working on lines. In May 2015 (1 month) my cable modem recorded 32 errors. In June 2015 my cable modem recorded 67 errors. In July 2015 (so far) my cable modem has recorded 63 errors. The May & June errors were mostly QAM and QPSK framing errors interspersed with sets of 16 consecutive T3 timeouts -- EDIT: the error log entry "16 consecutive T3 timeouts" is a single error (not 16 errors) -- END EDIT. In contrast, the July errors have mostly been minor: Unicast Maintenance Ranging errors and Missing BP Configurations. The framing errors and T3 timeouts seemed to be weather related, and Time Warner seems to have fixed them (but without telling me of course, or admitting to me that they were the cause). BUT (and this is going to sound strange), I get the feeling (and it's just a feeling), that my July problems result from something in my computer (or something at the cable head-end) resetting my cable modem. But I have no way to test that and my cable modem is not recording it. HOWEVER, not recording it may be because of a (rumored) change in DOCSIS-3.

It seems pretty strange that I can log in when I'm in a web site's user config, but then when the end of the log-in process redirects me into the main web site, I'm not logged in. How could the redirection reset my cable modem? By what mechanism? Time Warner of course blames my cable modem. They want me to rent one of their cable modems.

You guys are smart and experienced. Does any of this ring any bells with you?

I think I'm going crazy.

PS: If any of you nice folks would like to relay a request from me to Microsoft -- I can't log in to Microsoft -- that they contact me, would you kindly PM me? - M.

PPS: It would be easy to blame cookies -- I log in okay, but cookies don't get set, so when I get to the main site, no cookie, no auth -- but when I look at my cookies for the sites I can't log into, there's all kinds of cookies with "auth" in their names. - M.

[satrow]

The cable modem/router issue has to be ruled out first, otherwise you'll go round in circles.

[markfilipak]

The cable modem/router issue has to be ruled out first, otherwise you'll go round in circles.

I agree, but still it just doesn't make sense. How would the cable modem affect things in a way that allows me to log in and function as logged in when in some parts of a site (e.g., user control panel), but not function as logged in in other parts of the same site. That's bad mojo. It's impossible.

[satrow]

Have you tried the Live Linux suggestion yet?

[markfilipak]

Have you tried the Live Linux suggestion yet?

No. It's a damned good suggestion. I have to burn a disc. I assume I should boot the whole computer from it, not just a virtual machine.

[satrow]

Sven made the initial suggestion:

... I would try to run the system with a Live Linux, if that doesn't work as well, there is most likely something wrong with the hardware (either on the system itself or in the network).

You could also boot from a USB Live version but it must be booted from it, not from within a VM, not installed.

[markfilipak]

I booted from the Linux Mint 17.1 Xfce live dvd. The networking was notworking. I'll have to try again tomorrow night.

Good night.

[SvenG]

If you can use those sites from the Live system, you are already a bit closer to the solution. I would then focus on the host system cause the symptoms are identical in both, so the likely scenario is that the guest system gets broken data from the host system. The question would be, what changed? Have you played with your network or security settings, or installed a new security software, or something like that? If you can't figure that out... I would start from scratch (unless you have a system backup from the time before it began).

[markfilipak]

If you can use those sites from the Live system, you are already a bit closer to the solution. I would then focus on the host system cause the symptoms are identical in both, so the likely scenario is that the guest system gets broken data from the host system. The question would be, what changed? Have you played with your network or security settings, or installed a new security software, or something like that? If you can't figure that out... I would start from scratch (unless you have a system backup from the time before it began).

The day before yesterday I booted from the live CD, but the WiFi didn't work. I was gone all day yesterday and most of today.

A few minutes ago I went down to the basement and plugged my laptop directly into ethernet. No joy. I can boot the live CD, but it can't find a network. My laptop uses Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller for ethernet & Intel(R) Centrino(R) Wireless-N 6150 for WiFi.

I guess I'll try downloading the latest Mint and try booting it tomorrow.

[markfilipak]

If you can use those sites from the Live system, you are already a bit closer to the solution. I would then focus on the host system cause the symptoms are identical in both, so the likely scenario is that the guest system gets broken data from the host system. ...

The guest doesn't get data from the host. Well, actually, in a way, it does. A VirtualBox virtual bridge driver connects the two of them so they can share the hardware without sharing a common network stack. But I tested that recently and found that it can't be the cause of my trouble.

The way I tested it was to remove the bridge and then see if Win7 networking still worked. It did. Further, with no virtual bridge, the guest networking didn't work.

Even without the bridge I had trouble with CNet & IMDb and the rest. I could browse them. I could log in and edit my user settings. But I could not submit new data (posts, movie data, etc.) because the main sites thought I wasn't logged in.

This is the toughest problem I've ever encountered. The problem is absoutely repeatable -- it's cast in stone. I think I've eliminated my computer as the source. The router is very occasionally acting up, but I can't get anything there to be repeatable. My ISP (Time Warner Cable) claims they're not doing anything unusual.

[SvenG]

I doubt that, if you broke something on the host system really badly, the guest system will run properly. Also the fact, that the problem occurs in both systems in an identical way, points to something that is shared amongst both systems (unless you broke both systems in exactly the same way, which is possible but unlikely).

Again, you should really search for local help, analyzing it from the distance is really hard in particular if it is related to hardware.

[markfilipak]

I doubt that, if you broke something on the host system really badly, the guest system will run properly. Also the fact, that the problem occurs in both systems in an identical way, points to something that is shared amongst both systems (unless you broke both systems in exactly the same way, which is possible but unlikely).

Not possible.

Again, you should really search for local help, analyzing it from the distance is really hard in particular if it is related to hardware.

I'm the local help.

Sven,

I appreciate your help, but I think you forget that 2 months ago this was all working correctly. Specifically, there have been no hardware changes, and except for updates, there's been no software changes. Also, this "malady" has been coming on gradually, web site by web site, as though a virus that hates me (personally) has been spreading across the Internet. I can imagine webmasters revising their javascripts on a site-by-site basis over time. As they make those changes, their sites become hostile to me regarding log-in (and some links, depending on how they implement the links). I can easily imagine this is happening to a great many people who then can't communicate with anyone. Certainly, if I wanted to disable the Internet, this is how I would do it.

I just discovered:
1, Windows (Host) did not have Internet Explorer enabled (?) -- however, enabling IE made no difference;
2, Windows (Host) lists both PM 25.2.1 & PM 25.6.0 as installed apps (Both located here: 'c:\Program Files (x86)\Pale Moon\', but of course that's bogus -- the actual Pale Moon '.exe'-file is file version 25.6.0.5682) -- I'm afraid to do anything about this -- however, the problem in the Linux Guest predates any update to 25.6 in the Host;
3, Pale Moon is messing with my URLs. On some sites, if I attempt to submit 'http:', PM changes the protcol to 'https:' and the URL fetch fails if the site doesn't support 'https:' or if there's something wrong with the site cert. When I try to change the protcol to 'http:', PM changes it back to 'https:' and throws another error.

[Moonchild]

Issues logging in when the scheme changes "mid-flight" is nothing strange. Some sites do enforce https everywhere, but if it's not done by the actual website, but instead by something on your end, then that may cause issues like the ones you're experiencing.

Do you have anything installed on your host system that may be doing this? Do you have any web filtering antivirus that sits at the network layer? Do you have anything like this as an extension in Pale Moon?

[Tharn]

You should beeline towards getting a Linux Live system with a working internet. If that means downloading half a dozen distros until you have one that plays ball with your network card & the router, then that is what you should do. Everything else at this point is wasted guesswork.

Go for those with broad hardware support that are advertised as 'just works'. If Mint can't do it, give Mepis or PCLinuxOS a go.

[markfilipak]

You should beeline towards getting a Linux Live system with a working internet. If that means downloading half a dozen distros until you have one that plays ball with your network card & the router, then that is what you should do. Everything else at this point is wasted guesswork.

Go for those with broad hardware support that are advertised as 'just works'. If Mint can't do it, give Mepis or PCLinuxOS a go.

The Linux Mint installer IS a live system. I booted to it, with network, a few months ago. Today... I can't. The network doesn't work... neither WiFi or ethernet.

PS: I'm in the process right now to get (or arrange for the future) a Windows 10 clean install disc that would obviate all this.
Stay tuned to this channel.

PPS: I did download Linux Mint with Cinnamon DE, but haven't had time to burn it yet (1.6 GB!).

[Tharn]

Oh, okay. I hadn't picked up on all the details since the thread's gotten quite big.

My guess is either the network card or the router is shot.

[markfilipak]

Oh, okay. I hadn't picked up on all the details since the thread's gotten quite big.

My guess is either the network card or the router is shot.

That doesn't explain the "selectivity" of the problems. There's some sort of "intelligence" behind the ways I'm being blocked from the web sites I frequent ...that and the fact that it didn't happen all at once, but little-by-little on a site-by-site basis over time ...over the last 2 months.

PS: I was on the phone with Microsoft tech support for 58 minutes this afternoon. The guy I was speaking with was a network tech. He was amazed by my symptoms. He's never seen anything like my problems.

[ikar-us]

The Linux Mint installer IS a live system. I booted to it,

I don't get it either.
Do you boot them in VMs or on metal?

[Tharn]

It is pretty weird, I'll give you that. But routers for example don't necessarily go from working to broken. They can fail gradually. Right now I understand it's mostly stuff similar to cookie issues and yes, usually if a router is going bad you would see some other connectivity issues, half-loaded pages or whatever.

Live Linux means you've excluded software as the cause of it, that doesn't leave very much else (un)fortunately. Unless it's a homecooked router with special software on it.

Oh and of course there's the possibility of a real sinister ISP at work, though I would reserve that for last.

[satrow]

Router security can be breached and infected - usually cured by a reboot as settings changed are held in memory.