Routing issue? Can't reach plus.net from my Plusnet FTTC connection

[#1]

Hi folks,

Weird issue that I first noticed yesterday and it's still a problem today. I'm on Plusnet but can't reach the plus.net (or www.plus.net) website from my connection. This is from all browsers and machines at my house. If I VPN or proxy via somewhere else, I can access it (and it's how I'm writing this post now)

My current IP is 195.213.60.60

Unfortunately plus.net isn't pingable from anywhere which makes troubleshooting tricky.

Traceroute shows:

traceroute: Warning: www.plus.net has multiple addresses; using 212.159.9.2
traceroute to portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
 1  * 192.168.1.254 (192.168.1.254)  0.711 ms *
 2  * * *
 3  * * *
 4  132.hiper04.sheff.dial.plus.net.uk (195.166.143.132)  8.138 ms
    128.hiper04.sheff.dial.plus.net.uk (195.166.143.128)  9.308 ms  9.047 ms
 5  * 195.99.125.141 (195.99.125.141)  10.083 ms *
 6  195.166.129.160 (195.166.129.160)  7.242 ms  8.436 ms *
 7  * * *
 8  * * *
 9  * * *
10  * * *

... I can't really be bothered to log a ticket to troubleshoot this. I only noticed as I tried to access my bill yesterday. I can live without it as I have a workaround - but just thought the folks at Plusnet would like to know that something's not right.

[#2]

@Bobsta 

1. Plusnet servers do not respond to pings at all, so this is not a helpful approach to diagnostics
2. What IP address does plus.net resolve to for you?
   

   PS C:\Users\*****> nslookup
   Default Server:  UnKnown
   Address:  a.b.c.d (DNS server)
   
   > plus.net
   Server:  UnKnown
   Address:  a.b.c.d (DNS server)
   
   Non-authoritative answer:
   Name:    plus.net
   Addresses:  212.159.8.2
             212.159.9.2
   
   >​

3. What does pathping report for you?
   

   PS C:\Users\*****> pathping plus.net
   
   Tracing route to plus.net [212.159.8.2]
   over a maximum of 30 hops:
     0  ****.home [192.168.1.34]
     1  192.168.1.254
     2  195.166.130.255
     3  84.93.253.123
     4  84.93.224.48.plus.net [84.93.224.48]
     5  84.93.232.57.plus.net [84.93.232.57]
     6     *        *        *
   Computing statistics for 125 seconds...
               Source to Here   This Node/Link
   Hop  RTT    Lost/Sent = Pct  Lost/Sent = Pct  Address
     0                                           Lent.home [192.168.1.34]
                                   0/ 100 =  0%   |
     1    4ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  192.168.1.254
                                   0/ 100 =  0%   |
     2  ---     100/ 100 =100%   100/ 100 =100%  195.166.130.255
                                   0/ 100 =  0%   |
     3   32ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  84.93.253.123
                                   1/ 100 =  1%   |
     4   38ms     1/ 100 =  1%     0/ 100 =  0%  84.93.224.48.plus.net [84.93.224.48]
                                  99/ 100 = 99%   |
     5  ---     100/ 100 =100%     0/ 100 =  0%  84.93.232.57.plus.net [84.93.232.57]
   
   Trace complete.​

This IP address range has been allocated to Plusnet since Jan 2018 - see Webupdates — RIPE Network Coordination Centre

[#3]

Hi @Townman 

plus.net resolves as follows:

% nslookup plus.net
Server:		192.168.1.254
Address:	192.168.1.254#53

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:	plus.net
Address: 212.159.8.2
Name:	plus.net
Address: 212.159.9.2

Pathping to both IPs:

C:\>pathping plus.net

Tracing route to plus.net [212.159.9.2]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  0  media [192.168.1.4]
  1     *        *     router [192.168.1.254]
  2  172.16.14.203
  3     *        *        *
Computing statistics for 50 seconds...
            Source to Here   This Node/Link
Hop  RTT    Lost/Sent = Pct  Lost/Sent = Pct  Address
  0                                           media [192.168.1.4]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  1    0ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  router [192.168.1.254]
                              100/ 100 =100%   |
  2  ---     100/ 100 =100%     0/ 100 =  0%  172.16.14.203

Trace complete.

C:\>pathping 212.159.8.2

Tracing route to portal.plus.net [212.159.8.2]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  0  media [192.168.1.4]
  1  router [192.168.1.254]
  2  172.16.14.203
  3     *        *        *
Computing statistics for 50 seconds...
            Source to Here   This Node/Link
Hop  RTT    Lost/Sent = Pct  Lost/Sent = Pct  Address
  0                                           media [192.168.1.4]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  1    0ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  router [192.168.1.254]
                              100/ 100 =100%   |
  2  ---     100/ 100 =100%     0/ 100 =  0%  172.16.14.203

Trace complete.

Thanks,

Rob

[#4]

To check on connection I'd suggest using telnet (if enabled) or Test-NetConnection in a Windows Power Shell, syntax would be

telnet www.plus.net 443

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "www.plus.net" -Port 443

or

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "www.plus.net" -Port 80

With both of the commands netstat can be used to check the connection(ESTABLISHED, TIME-WAIT, CLOSE-WAIT or SYN-SENT)

C:\>netstat -n | findstr 212.

TCP 192.168.10.100:50427 212.159.8.2:443 ESTABLISHED

Dan.

[#5]

That pathping is dying as soon as it hits the Plusnet private network (gateway) at 

172.16.14.203

What gateway does the router report on the basic status page?

Exactly what happens if you put https://plus.net into your browser's address bar?

Are you using add blockers / cookie crunchers...

[#6]

@Dan_the_Van 

Nice one - something new learnt today...

PS C:\Users\kevin> Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "www.plus.net" -Port 80


ComputerName     : www.plus.net
RemoteAddress    : 212.159.9.2
RemotePort       : 80
InterfaceAlias   : WiFi
SourceAddress    : 192.168.1.34
TcpTestSucceeded : True

[#7]

Hi @Dan_the_Van @Townman 

Telnet and Test-NetConnection both confirm there's no connection possible to plus.net / www.plus.net on port 80 or 443. This isn't a brower or OS issue - I've tested it across multiple platforms (MacOS, Windows, iPhone, etc.) and get the same results - a complete inability to reach plus.net (212.159.9.2 or 212.159.8.2)... Hence my original suggestion that there's a routing issue somewhere.

PS C:\Users\rob> Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "www.plus.net" -Port 80
WARNING: TCP connect to (212.159.9.2 : 80) failed
WARNING: TCP connect to (212.159.8.2 : 80) failed
WARNING: Ping to 212.159.9.2 failed with status: TimedOut
WARNING: Ping to 212.159.8.2 failed with status: TimedOut


ComputerName           : www.plus.net
RemoteAddress          : 212.159.9.2
RemotePort             : 80
InterfaceAlias         : Ethernet
SourceAddress          : 192.168.1.4
PingSucceeded          : False
PingReplyDetails (RTT) : 0 ms
TcpTestSucceeded       : False



PS C:\Users\rob> Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "community.plus.net" -Port 443


ComputerName     : community.plus.net
RemoteAddress    : 18.244.114.49
RemotePort       : 443
InterfaceAlias   : Ethernet
SourceAddress    : 192.168.1.4
TcpTestSucceeded : True



PS C:\Users\rob> Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "plus.net" -Port 443
WARNING: TCP connect to (212.159.9.2 : 443) failed
WARNING: TCP connect to (212.159.8.2 : 443) failed
WARNING: Ping to 212.159.9.2 failed with status: TimedOut
WARNING: Ping to 212.159.8.2 failed with status: TimedOut


ComputerName           : plus.net
RemoteAddress          : 212.159.9.2
RemotePort             : 443
InterfaceAlias         : Ethernet
SourceAddress          : 192.168.1.4
PingSucceeded          : False
PingReplyDetails (RTT) : 0 ms
TcpTestSucceeded       : False

Note that community.plus.net is fine - and it's on a completely different IP.

I wondered if there were any other addresses within the same subnet as www... that I could try. I discovered ftp.plus.net is a near neighbour and whilst it doesn't have a site configured on it, it is listening on port 80. But sure enough, I can't reach that either:

PS C:\Users\rob> Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "ftp.plus.net" -Port 80
WARNING: TCP connect to (212.159.8.91 : 80) failed
WARNING: TCP connect to (212.159.9.91 : 80) failed
WARNING: Ping to 212.159.8.91 failed with status: TimedOut
WARNING: Ping to 212.159.9.91 failed with status: TimedOut


ComputerName           : ftp.plus.net
RemoteAddress          : 212.159.8.91
RemotePort             : 80
InterfaceAlias         : Ethernet
SourceAddress          : 192.168.1.4
PingSucceeded          : False
PingReplyDetails (RTT) : 0 ms
TcpTestSucceeded       : False

Any other sites you can suggest I try? Or can we nudge a Plusnet network engineer to check where the routing is stuffed?

Thanks.

[#8 · Accepted solution]

@Bobsta - you've had the same IP address since Sunday morning. Try powering your router off for 10-15 mins or so and see if it's any better after powering it back up.

I'm wondering if a security application somewhere has blocked your IP.

[#9]

Hi @bobpullen

Perhaps unsurprisingly, changing my IP (from a 195.213.xxx.xxx to a 31.111.xxx.xxx) has resolved the issue. I almost didn't want to take that step as it seems more of a workaround than a fix. Some other customer is likely to pick up my old IP at some point and may experience the same issue.

But thanks for indicating this could be due to security filtering. I've no idea what I might've done to anger the Plus.net systems - but either way, it's working onw.

Thanks,

Rob

[#10]

It might not be you who has angered the Plus.net systems.  It might have been a previous "owner" of that IP address that has been doing something dodgy and got the IP address in trouble.  That's a big advantage of static IP Addresses. You know the history of them, at least since the point in time that you got it, which would likely be much longer ago than a dynamic address.

[#11]

@pjmarsh 

Indeed, but in terms of security filters, it is a bit draconian to inhibit a Plusnet IP address from accessing the membership centre over several days.

I would feel more reassured knowing what it was (is?) rather than what it is thought it might be.  What happens to the next (hapless) user who gets that IP address assigned to them?

[#12]

Yes, @Townman, totally with you.  I was more trying to point out to @Bobsta that it might not be anything to do with them.  

If that is the case, and all assumptions and guesses here are correct, then exactly what is being said about the next user is exactly what is seen with @Bobsta.

Hopefully @bobpullen can get to the bottom on it and get it corrected or block this particular IP address to be being assigned to customers in the future (or at least until the issue(s) with it are cleared).