Legal randomly blocked

[Srassi]

Virgin Media randomly blocked a legal website I regularly use for work. The website is vhhml.org, a database hosted by a university institution. I am an academic researcher whose work is heavily dependant on this site's resources. I've had two lengthy phone chats with customer service and technical teams. All they could do was confirm that the site was blocked in error and the block will be removed on 1 May. The problem is, I need the block removed now, not in a week, as I'm currently working from home due to health and my job depends on it. This is very concerning from a net neutrality and data privacy perspective; vhmml.org is a legal educational website that Virgin arbitrarily decided to block. I'm paying a lot of money for broadband and supporting a family in the midst of a cost of living crisis, so would appreciate if this problem could be resolved swiftly. Further info:

-- I noticed the block on 22 April 2023. Prior to that, I was always able to access the site, with no interruptions, via Virgin Media Broadband.

-- The problem occurs on all devices connected to Virgin media broadband.

-- The site works on other networks (e.g. my phone data), so I know this to be an issue on Virgin's side.

-- On 23 April I ran two trace tests with technical and customer support, with no resolution.     

[Srassi]

Nope, still doesn't work.

[Srassi]

Nope, still doesn't work. And again, an agent confirmed that the company made the decision to block it. 

[Client62]

"And again, an agent confirmed that the company made the decision to block it"

This is not true

I can access the site via a VM home internet connection.

[-tony-]

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@Srassi wrote:

Nope, still doesn't work. And again, an agent confirmed that the company made the decision to block it. 

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imo you are giving the agent/s far too much credit - if it was offshore they are more than clueless - they read from a script anything outside that is usually cloud cuckoo land

my guess is the conversation and thinking went something like this

you - can you tell me why i cannot access ****.org via my vm account - i could up to 22nd april - i can access it via data from my phone

agent - [scratching head] - no idea

you - has VM blocked it - that would seem the obvious answer as [again] i can access it on any other isp or platform

agent - [taking what you have just said] yes VM have blocked access

you - it should not be blocked - can you unblock it

agent - [needing an answer to close the call with a positive result] it will be unblocked on the 1st may

the 1st may is in the future so job done - you are off the pnone and call is closed

sorry you may disagree and i may be wrong but i doubt it - its how offshore works - they are completely useless and lie for a living

[neilrmason]

Sorry to add to your woe, but it also works for me.

I had a similar problem a while ago when the web site I was trying to attempt didn’t work on modem mode on the virgin router but was fine when the modem was running normally

never got to the bottom of that, but do feel your pain

good luck

[Srassi]

It is true, at least according to what I was told by VM agents over the phone. I spent an hour yesterday with customer services and a technical team. After running trace tests on command prompt with one agent (who was perfectly polite and civil), I was transferred to another who informed me (a) a recent decision was made to block the vhmml.org (whether by an individual or some kind of security algorithm I don't know); (b) the block won't be removed until 1 May; (c) the decision was made higher up in the company; and (d) there is nothing he could do about it. He got very agitated and rude when I asked why that decision was made and who I could speak to about.  

[Srassi]

It is true, at least according to what I was told by VM agents over the phone. I spent an hour yesterday with customer services and a technical team. After running trace tests on command prompt with one agent (who was perfectly polite and civil), I was transferred to another who informed me (a) a recent decision was made to block the vhmml.org (whether by an individual or some kind of security algorithm I don't know); (b) the block won't be removed until 1 May; (c) the decision was made higher up in the company; and (d) there is nothing he could do about it. He got very agitated and rude when I asked why that decision was made and who I could speak to about.

[Srassi]

Hi, thanks for this. Could you give me an idea about how you did this? Thanks.

[legacy1]

not blocked get this and run it
https://simulatedsimian.github.io/tracetcp.html

C:\tracetcp_v1.0.3>tracetcp www.vhmml.org:443

Tracing route to 152.65.160.186 on port 443
Over a maximum of 30 hops.
1 10 ms 15 ms 8 ms 10.112.32.133
2 9 ms 11 ms 10 ms 80.1.81.185 [basl-core-2b-xe-100-0.network.virginmedia.net]
3 11 ms 9 ms 12 ms 81.96.0.153 [basl-core-2a-ae1-0.network.virginmedia.net]
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 14 ms 14 ms 14 ms 62.254.42.174 [uk-lon03a-ri1.network.virginmedia.net]
6 13 ms 14 ms 13 ms 213.46.174.118
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 101 ms 101 ms 143 ms 62.115.138.248 [ldn-bb1-link.ip.twelve99.net]
9 140 ms 119 ms 118 ms 80.91.246.162 [chi-b23-link.ip.twelve99.net]
10 129 ms 129 ms 132 ms 213.155.130.177 [kanc-b2-link.ip.twelve99.net]
11 130 ms 128 ms 130 ms 213.248.75.207 [midcontinent-ic-326071.ip.twelve99-cust.net]
12 129 ms 127 ms 129 ms 69.9.207.204 [69-9-207-204-static.midco.net]
13 117 ms 132 ms 116 ms 24.220.1.57 [24-220-1-57-static.midco.net]
14 131 ms 132 ms 131 ms 24.124.16.8 [24-124-16-8-static.midco.net]
15 * 143 ms * 213.155.130.177 [kanc-b2-link.ip.twelve99.net]
16 129 ms * * 69.9.207.158 [69-9-207-158-static.midco.net]
17 * 143 ms * 69.9.207.204 [69-9-207-204-static.midco.net]
18 147 ms Destination Reached in 117 ms. Connection established to 152.65.160.186
Trace Complete.

[jpeg1]

Works fine for me over my Virginmedia connection. 

A very interesting site BTW.