AOL Issues?

[LongIslandJam]

Hi folks,

I'm having an issue with my site www.longislandjam.com where AOL users visiting my site cannot access it.

The following is the error:

The web site you have requested may be experiencing technical difficulties due to a busy or broken server.

Please try again by clicking the Reload icon on your navigation bar or, if that doesn't work, you may want to return to the site at a later time.

502 Connection Hangup


So what's the deal?

[Phiya]

Aol ips were blocked in the process of trying to rectify the ddos attack. The blocking has since been disabled. Apparently only users going through aol's proxy servers were effected. Users that were accessing the site through internet explorer did not have a problem.

[fluKe]

Typical AOL users not having enough protection on their PCs to stop trojans making their machines DOS zombies... :rolleyes:

[cchs74]

So what does this mean for AOL users? :confused:

I just moments ago published my website for the first time via Internet Explorer through a DSL connection and it works just fine.

However, when I try to access my web page from AOL, I don't get an error message. I get the "under construction" screen. Phiya, you mention that the isp blocking has been disabled. Does that mean it should now work and I have some other issue afoot? :(

[David Byrnes]

Did you publish your website to the htdocs directory, or to the root directory? All your files need to go into the htdocs directory, with your index page named index.htm or index.html

[cchs74]

Yes, they're in the htdocs folder (although earlier they were outside of it, but a trip to the forum solved that for me earlier. I do have the continuing issue of how to delete the web files that are outside the htdocs folder - the delete buttons don't seem to delete anything. But that's another issue for another thread, unless there's a quick & easy tip anyone wants to give me here... :) )

Anyway, my site works fine if I use Internet Explorer through our DSL connection without signing on to AOL first. If I go online with AOL, I'm under construction again. :(

EDIT to add: Actually, I can be on AOL and use Internet Explorer to get there. That works. But I would prefer that AOL could get there by itself.

[arl]

I believe AOL proxies their outgoing web traffic.

You're probably seeing a stale copy of your site which they have cached. I'm not
sure if there is a way of forcing their cache to revalidate immediately.
Try appending a spurious argument to the URL
(e.g. http://www.example.com/?xyz=442) and see if it makes a difference.

The proxy might also serve up a stale copy if there is a connectivity
problem.

If your IP address has changed, could be a stale entry in a DNS cache
somewhere (can take 2 or 3 days for stale entries to expire)

See AOL Proxy Info (http://webmaster.info.aol.com/proxyinfo.html) for more info.

[cchs74]

Try appending a spurious argument to the URL
(e.g. http://www.example.com/?xyz=442) and see if it makes a difference.

The proxy might also serve up a stale copy if there is a connectivity
problem.

If your IP address has changed, could be a stale entry in a DNS cache
somewhere (can take 2 or 3 days for stale entries to expire)


AOL found my website using the ?xyz=442, arl - thanks for that! :) Does this mean that after the possible stale entry in a DNS cache expires, AOL should be able to access my website normally? Any more tips/thoughts will be gratefully received, because I'm just squeaky new at all this!!!

[David Byrnes]

AOL found my website using the ?xyz=442, arl - thanks for that! :) Does this mean that after the possible stale entry in a DNS cache expires, AOL should be able to access my website normally? Any more tips/thoughts will be gratefully received, because I'm just squeaky new at all this!!!

Well, it SHOULD, but there have always been issues with accessing web sites through AOL. All I can say is cross your fingers, say a few prayers, wave the appropriate dead chicken, sacrifice a virgen or 2, and hope for the best. :rolleyes:

As for deleting the files outside of the htdocs folder, I recommend you use a regular FTP client, such as FileZilla, WSFTP, CoreFTP or CuteFTP. These will allow you to select all the files at once, and delete (just be carefule waht you delete!) :D

[cchs74]

Well, it SHOULD, but there have always been issues with accessing web sites through AOL. All I can say is cross your fingers, say a few prayers, wave the appropriate dead chicken, sacrifice a virgen or 2, and hope for the best. :rolleyes:

Think frozen chicken breasts will work? ;) Guess I'll just wait and hope for the best. If it doesn't work, I guess I can always include a special "AOL users click here" link with that extra URL stuff.

I did get my misplaced web files deleted today, too. So all in all it's been a good day! :)