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Why can’t my laptop open certain websites?

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Hi all, I have a very specific problem.

We have a wifi router at home which supports three laptops and a desktop. For the past month or so, I’ve been unable to open a number of websites on our HP desktop, Dell laptop and my Macbook. These include everything connected with http://wordpress.org and several others. The page simply refuses to load. I can’t access some other websites as well.

I’ve tried everything. We’ve rebooted the router, deleted all the cookies/download history, but nothing works. I’ve tried accessing these websites on IE, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Strangely, when friends use their laptops on the same wifi connection, the websites open just fine.

What do I do? I’m getting desperate here.

Jayashree

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Clarifications

In reply to Why can’t my laptop open certain websites?

Clarifications

Sounds like a Security Setting

In reply to Why can’t my laptop open certain websites?

Is blocking these Web Sites in your Browsers.

If there wasn’t a Mac Involved unless it’s running Windows I would say that a Windows Update changed the Security Settings that your browsers use.

While I would still think that about Windows Systems I’m not sure what could have caused the Mac to do that unless someone has been messing with it’s Security Settings.

Col

Reponse To Answer

In reply to Sounds like a Security Setting

do you have any idea how I would check security settings on a Mac? my mum’s Lenovo laptop isnt able to open those sites either. That’s what stumps me: four computers hooked up to the same wifi can’t access the same things, but a friend’s laptop was able to on the same wifi.

The wifi modem is connected to my desktop which runs on Windows, is it possible that I should meddle with the settings there?

Reponse To Answer

In reply to Sounds like a Security Setting

Safari is a little different to other browsers.

I’m not 100% certain but I think this is what you need to do. 😉

[i]Browsing privately
When you browse the web, Safari stores information about the websites you visit, including the content and any user names and passwords you enter. Other people who use your computer can view that information. If you don’t want this information stored, use Private Browsing.

Private Browsing is always turned off when you open Safari, even if it was on when you last quit Safari.

To turn on Private Browsing:

Choose Action menu > Private Browsing. (The Action menu is near the upper-right corner of the Safari window, and looks like a gear.) A Private button appears in the address field to indicate that Private Browsing is on.

When you see a confirmation message, click OK.
To turn off Private Browsing:

Choose Action menu > Private Browsing (so the checkmark disappears), or click the Private button in the address field. (The Action menu is near the upper-right corner of the Safari window, and looks like a gear.)

Close any windows you’ve used to view private information.

If you don’t close the windows, other users can view those pages using the Back and Forward buttons.
If you forgot to turn on Private Browsing:

After you finish browsing, choose Action menu > Reset Safari. (The Action menu is near the upper-right corner of the Safari window, and looks like a gear.)

When Private Browsing is on, webpages are not added to the history list, the names of downloads are removed from the Downloads window after downloading is complete, AutoFill information isn’t saved, and searches are not added to the pop-up menu in the search field. Websites that store databases on your computer can’t modify the databases, so services normally available at such sites may work differently until you turn off Private Browsing.

Any changes made to cookies are discarded when you turn off Private Browsing.

Important:Private Browsing only removes the names of items you’ve downloaded from the Downloads window. To get rid of the items themselves, you must delete them.

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Related Topics
Resetting Safari [/i]

I lifted that from the Safari Help Section.

Col

Maybe plugin versions

In reply to Why can’t my laptop open certain websites?

Just a guess, but several standard plug-ins have had recent revisions, and I’ve had several sites that would not open until the update was installed. Java and Flash among others.

How do I update plugins?

In reply to Why can’t my laptop open certain websites?

Okay, how do I check which plugins need updates on Chrome on a Macbook? I went to the Flash website and it told me that it was updated. Then I just went to System Update under the Apple icon and updated everything on the list, but it was all basically related to iTunes.

I also tried going to the Apple website and downloading the latest Java updates, but they didn’t install.

[Author]

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