Can't connect to one site with Airport Extreme

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Level 1

17 points

Can't connect to one site with Airport Extreme

I'm using an arris dg1670a cable modem (in bridge mode) that connects to my airport extreme (and then on to my computer and wireless devices). This has worked fine for several years, but this week I cannot connect to one particular site (a particular university web site where I log in to get my email). I get this message:

Gateway Timeout: can't connect to remote host

I can connect to every other web page on the internet except for this page.

If I put the airport extreme on bridge mode (or connect my computer directly to the arris modem) I can connect to the university web site with no problem). I tried resetting the airport extreme to factory defaults, and also shut down the entire network for 24 hours, but the problem still remains. This suggest to me the problem lies with the airport extreme which appears to be blocking the university web site.

Does anybody have experience with this as I'm totally lost as to next steps.

Thank you.

IMac, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Oct 1, 2015 9:28 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Bob Timmons

Community+ 2024

Level 10

159,632 points

Oct 1, 2015 10:52 AM in response to amweiss

I've had this same issue on three separate occasions, each time with the same web site or web address.

The first time that it occurred a few years ago, like you, I was convinced that the AirPort router was blocking the connection because I could connect my Mac directly to the modem and access the website that way. So, I contacted Apple Support.

Apple Support said that it was not possible for the AirPort to be the cause of the issue, mentioning that the AirPort does not block outgoing connections in any way. They told me to contact the website administrator to report the issue.

I was not convinced at all, and thought that this appeared to be a typical "blame the other guy" situation, but I went ahead and got a hold of the web admin folks by connecting my Mac directly to the modem and explained the situation to them via email. I expected them to blame the AirPort Extreme.

The website folks asked for the MAC Address of the AirPort Extreme and I sent that info back to them. In about an hour, I got another email back asking me to try the connection again.....and it worked perfectly using the AirPort Extreme.

So the unexpected and surprising answer here is that it was the web site server that was blocking the AirPort Extreme from connecting.....because it thought for some reason that it was being spammed from a particular MAC Address.....which was my AirPort Extreme.....so the server blacklisted the MAC address and would not allow a device using that MAC Address to connect.

When the issue occurred again about a year later, I emailed the admin support folks at the website and the "block" was removed within an hour or two. Same for the the third occurrence.

Now, I am not saying in your case that it is the email server that is blocking the AirPort Extreme. But, given my experience, and Apple Support's insistence that the AirPorts do not block outgoing connections in any way.....I think you might agree that this is a possibility that you may not have considered.

Good luck!

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Answer 2

amweiss Author

Level 1

17 points

Oct 1, 2015 10:44 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks Bob...this is helpful. I was thinking the same thing that it is the MAC address of the Airport Extreme. Now, I've looked all around the Airport Utility and on the Airport Extreme, and cannot find a MAC address (do you recall where that is?). Finally, I had read here (at the bottom of the page)

Airport Extreme Website block..

that getting a new IP address would help this, but I guess it doesn't.

Thanks,

Allen

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Answer 3

Oct 1, 2015 10:53 AM in response to amweiss

The IP address can change, but the MAC Address does not.

I assume that you are using AirPort Utility 6.x on your Mac

Open AirPort Utility

Hold down the option key on your Mac while you double click on the AirPort Extreme icon

The MAC Address of the AirPort Extreme is the Ethernet Address that you see there.

If you have an older 5.x version of AirPort Utility, open up AirPort Utility

Click on the AirPort to highlight it, then click Manual Setup

The Ethernet ID is the MAC Address

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Answer 4

amweiss Author

Level 1

17 points

Oct 1, 2015 10:52 AM in response to amweiss

Thank you so much...going to contact the university right now and see if I can get this cleared up.

Best wishes,

Allen

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Answer 5

amweiss Author

Level 1

17 points

Oct 2, 2015 3:20 PM in response to amweiss

Ok....the problem, as Bob pointed out, was that the server was indeed blocking my external IP address. It turns out that we were given an IP address (at some point since it's dynamically given to us) from our ISP that had a prior block on it from the server. So, when we got the IP, we were blocked too.

It's possible that I could have forced the ISP to give me a different IP (perhaps by changing the airport extreme to another router or anything else that would have forces at new IP), but thankfully I didn't have to do that. So, my suggestion is start with the server that is causing you problems..since it's likely a block on the server that is doing this.

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Answer 6

Oct 2, 2015 3:27 PM in response to amweiss

So, my suggestion is start with the server that is causing you problems..since it's likely a block on the server that is doing this.

If only we could get other users who are having the same problem to do this. Most of them are totally convinced that the AirPort is at fault and they will not even consider any other possibility.

Glad that you got things going again!

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Answer 7

amweiss Author

Level 1

17 points

Oct 2, 2015 3:30 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks Bob..I agree totally now that I've spent the last week or more dealing with this issue. Thanks again for your help on this.

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Answer 8

Nov 2, 2015 4:27 AM in response to amweiss

I am having this same problem with my Airport Express. I am unable to access a specific website. (UPS.com)

When I disconnect the Airport and connect directly to my cable modem, I can access UPS with no problem.

When I reconnect through the Airport, UPS will not open.

All other websites that I have tried continue to open normally with the Airport connected.

How do I contact UPS tech support?

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