Virgin Blocking Access to my website

[alandeller]

I am a web designer and having just finished a website and published it, I am now unable to access it via Virgin Media directly.

I built the site directly on the server using by updating my Hosts file to target the specific IP address of the server (as the domain had not fully propagated). When the website was complete, I turned off the Host file redirect and was using the site's domain to access the site, this is now not possible via Virgin Media.

I can access the site using my mobile network - both on the phone and using it to tether my Mac. I can also access it by deploying a VPN. But I can not access it using my laptop/phone on my wifi network.  

I have checked the wifi set-up (I am using Deco mesh network), there is nothing blocking it there. I have been in contact with my website's hosting provider and they are not blocking the site. They have checked their firewalls on the Plesk server and there are no blocks to my IP address and suggest that the block is coming from my ISP's side (Virgin), blocking me from accessing the server.

I don't have any parental controls set-up, though I have added it to the Child Safe - allowed website list (in hope that might work) but with no change in access.

No device on the wifi at home can connect to this domain directly through Virgin Media.

The website that is not accessible to me is: https://inflectionconsulting.co.uk/

Any suggestions for help to address this would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[alandeller]

I haven't had - I did turn it on today and added the website domain to the Allowed Websites, to see if that made any difference, sadly not. I have not idea if this needs time to propagate. Also, I think Virgin have a specific screen for banned sites, not just a DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN type error message.

[Client62]

Regardless of the setting. You might want to verify that the VM DNS filter Child Safe is OFF. 
Test by visiting 18+ content websites it would typically block such as VPN / Betting / etc

Give the VM Business DNS a try : 194.168.4.123 & 194.168.8.123

Results below look OK for us ...

C:\Users\Philip>nslookup inflectionconsulting.co.uk 194.168.4.123
Server: buscache1.service.virginmedia.net
Address: 194.168.4.123

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: inflectionconsulting.co.uk
Address: 149.255.62.1

C:\Users\Philip>nslookup inflectionconsulting.co.uk 194.168.8.123
Server: buscache2.service.virginmedia.net
Address: 194.168.8.123

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: inflectionconsulting.co.uk
Address: 149.255.62.1

[alandeller]

Yes, the Child Safe option is 100% off, and all other sites are fully accessible. It's just this one blinking site. To some extent, it's not the end of the world, but as a web designer, I don't want this issue to continue to occur and have to always access my sites via a VPN.

[Client62]

If you switch from VM DNS to Google DNS is the access to the website ok ?

[alandeller]

I am not sure how to do that - is there a link online you can share how I might action this. Clearly this would be a router level not device level, as any device I have does not connect to the website, so VM is not blocking the device DNS but the wifi/router DNS

[Client62 · Accepted solution]

Bypass Child Safe & Virus Safe

Below are workarounds for when Child Safe & Virus Safe does not or cannot be turned off

Changing network settings to use any Public DNS should re-gain full access for the device.

Try computers with Cisco’s OpenDNS using 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

OpenDNS provide instructions here : https://use.opendns.com/

For Google Public DNS it would be the same method using  8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

[Client62]

Food for thought ... Why is this local host in the DNS lookup : Server: 192.168.68.1  ?

[alandeller]

Thanks so much, that appears to have resolved the issue - updating the static DNS on the router - as per your link.

I really appreciate your input today!!!

Many thanks!