Unable to connect to some sites and slow startup

[Clive-Coaldale]

Two issues.
1) When I start my ASUS ROG laptop in the morning it takes 30+ seconds for the four startup tabs to open. This started a couple of weeks ago. I cleared some cache. No help there. 
2) One of the sites I use often can't be reached when others are getting in and, according to URL checkers, it is just me. "This site can’t be reached" is displayed and Windows network diagnostics states "..the device or resource (proxy.glb.shawcable.net) is not responding"

Thanks, 
Clive 
Coaldale, Alberta

[mdk]

@Clive-Coaldale -- When I start my ASUS ROG laptop in the morning it takes 30+ seconds for the four startup tabs to open. This started a couple of weeks ago. I cleared some cache. No help there. 

What are some specifications for your laptop? Age? Speed (Gigahertz) of each processor? How many processors? A "spinning" (5400 RPM or 7200 RPM) disk-drive, or a SSD (Solid State Device), or a M.2 memory-stick? How much RAM?

Hopefully, it is NOT your disk-drive that is beginning to fail.

If you startup your computer, and disconnect any Ethernet cable, and disconnect from your home WiFi, and then start the web-browser, do the 4 tabs (attempt) to open any quicker?

> One of the sites I use often can't be reached when others are getting in

What sites work? What sites cannot be reached?

Windows network diagnostics states "..the device or resource (proxy.glb.shawcable.net) is not responding"

What happens after you configure your web-browser to NOT use any "proxy-server" settings?

Are you using any third-party "firewall" software?  That could be blocking some packets from that PROXY.

[rstra]

@Clive-Coaldale  Is your browser configured to use a proxy server? You would want to deactivate any proxy server settings in the browser, it could also be in browser plugins and add-ones.

[Clive-Coaldale]

Thank you @mdk and @rstra 

"Hopefully, it is NOT your disk-drive that is beginning to fail." Argh! ☺
I will say that Windows File Exploer is slow to access files, but I shoot 5,000 photos (40 to 80 MB each) per month. I try to keep the C: (SSD) and 😧 (spinning) drives uncluttered and move ~50 to 100GB of new files to external drives every month.

"If you startup your computer, and disconnect any Ethernet cable, and disconnect from your home WiFi, and then start the web-browser, do the 4 tabs (attempt) to open any quicker?"

The new router is about 20 feet away and my laptop is not connected via ethernet cable. A Shaw tech has been here three times and acknowledged a possible problem with the underground line to our house from the node in the alley. A work order has been issued to install a new underground cable in spring.

The four websites on startup include two Env Canada weather sites. Once the websites are up and running, I can call up new websites and they appear instantly.

Speeds are good:
https://www.speedtest.net/result/14441686776

My laptop is 3 years old. It rarely has an issue with "critical" issues ... perhaps twice a year.

Device name LAPTOP-7OGR6D24
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz 2.59 GHz
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)
Device ID 30CC84DB-17B0-433C-B382-588BF6C3F4B2
Product ID 00325-81439-04694-AAOEM
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

500GB SSD 1TB spinning drive

I am still unable to get to this site:
http://photoshopelementsandmore.com/

"What happens after you configure your web-browser to NOT use any "proxy-server" settings?"
I will have to find out how to do that and get back to you. I might not get to this until evening. 

Thanks for your assistance. 

Clive

[Clive-Coaldale]

Hi again 

"Automatic proxy settings" was ON and is now shut off.
"Manual proxy server" was and still is "off"

When I ran Win Network Diagnostics the "problem found" was "Your DNS server might be unavailable.

Thanks

Clive 

[Clive-Coaldale]

I've loaded several booked marked pages that are real-time such as this satellite page and it pops up instantly. The imagery is not cached (I think anyway).  

https://weather.cod.edu/satrad/?parms=local-Calgary-truecolor-48-1-100-1&checked=map&colorbar=undefi...

[Clive-Coaldale]

Sorry for the barrage of replies. (Cut me some slack as I am really old. ☺ Seriously. ) 

I just checked that website on my wife's tablet and it can't be reached on that device connected to the same router. 

http://photoshopelementsandmore.com/

So a Shaw router thing? 

And I checked using Edge browser .. also no. 

[mdk]

@Clive-Coaldale -- I'm still unable to get to this site: http://photoshopelementsandmore.com

Works fine for me, very quickly:

$ tracert  photoshopelementsandmore.com

Tracing route to photoshopelementsandmore.com [104.18.241.94]

3   9 ms rd1lp-be122-1.gv.shawcable.net [64.59.161.253]
4 11 ms rc1wt-be40.wa.shawcable.net [66.163.68.18]
5 14 ms six.as13335.com [206.81.81.10]
6 12 ms 172.71.140.3
7 13 ms 104.18.241.94

Packets quickly go through Vancouver, into Washington State, with a extremely few "hops" to the destination.

Open a Windows command-line prompt, and enter: IPCONFIG /ALL

to see output like:

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.152(Preferred)
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : March-08-23 07:06:21 AM
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:4e8:0:400b::11 / 2001:4e8:0:400c::11
                                                 64.59.160.13 / 64.59.161.68

which shows my Ethernet adapter (I do not have any WiFi adapter), and the IP-addresses of the DNS-servers. I have no explanation of why the Network Diagnostics report an issue.

[mdk]

@Clive-Coaldale -- open a command-line prompt, and enter:

           nslookup  -debug  photoshopelementsandmore.com

You should get output like:

HEADER:
opcode = QUERY, id = 1, rcode = NOERROR
header flags: response, want recursion, recursion avail.
questions = 1, answers = 1, authority records = 0, additional = 0

------------
Got answer:
HEADER:
opcode = QUERY, id = 2, rcode = NOERROR
header flags: response, want recursion, recursion avail.
questions = 1, answers = 2, authority records = 0, additional = 0

QUESTIONS:
photoshopelementsandmore.com, type = A, class = IN
ANSWERS:
-> photoshopelementsandmore.com
internet address = 104.18.242.94
ttl = 590 (9 mins 50 secs)
-> photoshopelementsandmore.com
internet address = 104.18.241.94
ttl = 590 (9 mins 50 secs)

So, there are 2 answers, and each answer was issued to be valid for almost 10 minutes.  

Answers came from the DNS-servers:

   nslookup -ty=ns photoshopelementsandmore.com 

photoshopelementsandmore.com nameserver = ns.proboards.com
photoshopelementsandmore.com nameserver = ns2.proboards.com

So, everything seems to be "normal".

P.S. Are you old-enough to have been forced to convert your RRSP to a RRIF ?  🙂

[mdk]

@Clive-Coaldale -- I just checked that website on my wife's tablet 

Try powering-off the cable-modem (remove its power-cord) and shutdown her tablet.

Power-on both devices, and try again, to see if this "refreshes" the modem.