Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
I have a problem that neither Hotmail nor an otherwise helpful technician can solve. I have within my home a network: Compaq desktop with a D-link extreme G card, attached via a modem to an ADSL line, a separate router and a new Tosh laptop with a wi-fi card. Everything works as it should, except that i cannot access Hotmail from the laptop: any other URL can be accessed immediately. I have had various "help" suggestions from Hotmail, including re-installation of IE 6. Nothing works and my computer adviser has given up. If I plug the ADSL line into the laptop direct, I can access Hotmail normally, yet not when I do so remotely through the router and desktop. Do you have any suggestions?
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I have two guesses - one involves your router, and the other involves an obscure network setting.
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I've not tested this, but I wonder if HotMail is sensitive to what's called "double NATing" and wonder if that's what you have happening.
Double NATing happens if you are behind two routers, each attempting to perform "Network Address Translation". I have seen several cases where a broadband modem attempts to perform NAT, and thus in some ways it's "acting like" a router. If you put a NAT router in front of that modem, then you are, effectively, behind two routers.
When you plug your laptop into the ADSL line directly, does your IP address begin with 192. or perhaps 10.? If so, then it appears your ADSL modem is performing NAT. Addresses that begin with 192 or 10 never appear on the internet, but are assigned by routers when sharing a single internet connection between several computers. If your modem is assigning you an address in that range, then it's pretty likely that it's acting a little bit like a router. At least in a way that we care about.
If that happens, you might consider turning DHCP off in your router and seeing if a) all computers connected still connect to the internet properly, and b) whether or not this resolves your problem.
My other guess has little to do with the router, but apparently has resolved HotMail access issues for others. While I think of this as more of a long shot, it's possible that how you connect to the network could impact this.
There is an obscure network setting called "MTU" that deals with how packets are sent on the network. Several people have reported that reducing the MTU setting has restored access to some sites that they couldn't access before. This article: I can't access some websites ... why? covers the setting, and how to go about adjusting it.
As I said, it's a long shot, but it is something that could be affected by your network topology.
Article C2648 - May 8, 2006 « »
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
December 9, 2008 12:59 PM
when i try to get onto bebo it says sorry, you cannot use this site! is there any reason why?
January 3, 2009 7:17 AM
I cant get into my hotmail account and some other web sights.I can access it from my laptop just fine but not my desktop why is this.Iv read all the other comments.
April 8, 2009 2:29 AM
I got this error from changeing to different isp
before that it was okay, but once i changed to another isp, i cant login
November 28, 2009 9:00 AM
I had this problem ever since moving from Virgin to Orange broadband. I have a D-Link DI-524 router and all computers that had XP could not access hotmail, but the laptop that had vista for some reason. I called Orange who had no clue what they were doing after they had done their usually routine of checks. T
At one point i was changing the windows clock to 5mins forward...?!?! Anyway, i came across this site and within 5mins problem was solved! I changed the MTU to 1200, restarted and could then access hotmail and the orange email. Btw i had to change the MTU on all of the computers that had XP.
May 1, 2011 5:56 PM
I had this problem whenever I was in my Ubuntu system, but not while in Windows. I couldn't access yahoo mail, hotmail and moodle. Youtube always stopped working if I logged in.
Adjusting the MTU setting solved all those problems, thank you very much.
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