Http sites do not load, but https sites do.

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Level 1

16 points

Http sites do not load, but https sites do.

A couple of days ago (on May 23), I noticed that most websites would not load, but a few would. Then I realized that it was only the https sites that loaded (and it was all of them), and that no http site would load at all.

I have no idea what caused this, as I was using the Internet like always on May 22, and I have never seen this problem before. I turned off the computer and went to bed. When I turned it on in the morning, I discovered the problem.

This occurrs in both Firefox and Safari. The problem just started on May 23, and I don't know what the cause was, or how to fix it.

There is another computer in the house that is on the same wireless network. That computer has no problem (that one is a Mountain Lion).

I'm really frustrated by this issue, as I cannot currently access most websites on this computer. Thank you.

MacBook

Posted on May 26, 2014 6:48 PM

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Answer 1

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Arwen4CJ Author

Level 1

16 points

May 26, 2014 8:24 PM in response to Arwen4CJ

I did some searching using a different computer, and I found out that the problem had to do with Sophos anti-virus. I'd forgotten that it was updated recently, and apparently this 9.0.1 version blocks people from viewing http sites. There is a new feature with this version called web protetection, and that feature is automatically configured to "on." I set both things on that tab to "off," and then I reloaded an http site, and it worked. I checked it in both Firefox and Safari.

Problem solved 🙂

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Answer 2

Arwen4CJ Author

Level 1

16 points

May 28, 2014 6:54 AM in response to Arwen4CJ

Actually, I think the problem was caused by a conflict between AVG LinkScanner and the Sophos when Sophos updated last week.

I had had the AVGLinkScanner on my computer and didn't like it. I couldn't find a way to delete it, so I disabled it a long time ago. I thought that it wouldn't affect my computer anymore, but apparently not.

I was looking through this forum yesterday and I came across a question by someone else who had both Sophos and AVG LinkScanner installed, and the question was similar in nature. They said their problem was fixed by uninstalling the AVG LinkScanner, and they provided a link to another discussion on this forum that details how to uninstall it. So I uninstalled it (finally).

After uninstalling it, I went back into the Sophos settings and turned back on the items in web protetection. Then I tried http sites, and they still worked. I also tried it this morning, after the computer was turned off and back on again, and the http sites still work.

So maybe some of the other people who had Internet connection problems at the same time as I did had a similar issue -- having both AVG LinkScanner (whether enabled or disabled) and Sophos anti-virus.

Either uninstalling AVG LinkScanner or turning off the web protection in Sophos solves the problem. I think uninstalling AVG LinkScanner is better because it is an annoying program and, evidently, can still mess up your computer even when you have it disabled.

I'll look for the link to the uninstalling AVG LinkScanner discussion again so that people can easily find it.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4724011?start=0&tstart=0

Message was edited by: Arwen4CJ Added in the link to the AVGLinkScanner removal discussion

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Answer 3

SHADYZZ

Level 1

4 points

May 11, 2015 2:43 PM in response to Arwen4CJ

This issue has nothing to do with either AVG LinkScanner or Sophos.

I currently have neither of the two, I've never had either of them, and never had ANY anti-virus or firewall software installed on my MacBook.
Yet I am experiencing this issue for the first time.

The issue is not anti-virus software related.

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