Problems connecting to a specific Web site

I have a Linksys Model BEFW11S4. In the last month, I have been unable to access this site when using the router. If I connect directly to the cable modem, I can connect OK. If I dial in, I can connect OK. What should be my next steps in trying to solve this problem? Are there firmware updates I should be installing?

— Bob Chew

First, look on the bottom of your unit for a specific hardware revision number in addition to the model number. It appears that there are several different versions of your unit. This means that the firmware updates are specific to the exact hardware that you have. If there is a firmware update for your device, install it and retest for your problem.

If there was no firmware update or the problem still persists, try accessing just the Web site using the URL without the information past the .com in the URL. If you still can’t get through, use nslookup from a computer behind the router and see what information you get when trying to do an A record lookup to see if you are at least getting an ip address for the web site you are trying to access.

If you are using Windows 98, there should be something similar you can use to get you the same information. If you get an address but still cant get in, now would be a good reason to run a protocol analyzer to see exactly that the problem is. Get the protocol analyzer running and try to access the web site again. Look for any type of error message that would explain the problem.

Check the router settings to see if there is any type of blocking going on that would deny you access to the Web site. If there isn’t, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do a factory reset of the device and reconfigure it for your connection.

It is possible that a problem might be caused by a corrupted configuration file inside the Linksys device. If you are still having problems, compare how the IP on the computer is configured when it is directly connected to the cable modem and when it is behind the firewall. See if there are differences outside of the IP address assigned to the workstation or the default gateway that might also explain the problem.