Service Unavailable - Fail to connect

#141 Hello,
This has been a problem for awhile. I noticed the other day that all static sections of the site work as normal but the products, forums, tdn and other sections that seem to use php would not work.

Sometimes when you can't browse and get the error, you can connect using the IP. But no matter what is going on, you can always access the gg homepage, and the product pages for TGE, TGEA ect. Just none of the dynamic pages work.

Chris

#142 What's ironic is that you can't even get to these very forums to report the problem without using the IP address in place of the domain name. The only reason I am able to do this is because I took the time and effort to google "garage games website error" and found the solution on another forum.

So, who's in charge of I.T. at Garage Games? Why hasn't anything been done about this in 5+ months?

#143 It works. For me. For now.

Thanks.

#144 0) Time and time zone it happened (convert to GMT for Akamai)
3:05PM Eastern time
1) The Akamai error displayed on the screen (ex: Reference #6.7c7ffea5.1201635804.f491032)
Reference #6.8f7ffea5.1210878436.7068e9f
2) Client IP address - use http://checkip.dyndns.org
24.2.207.230
3) the url that failed (ie http://www.garagegames.com/main/login) (or is it only on POST?
http://www.garagegames.com/main/login/ (mainpage works)
4) traceroute to www.garagegames.com
Tracing route to garagegames.com [216.116.32.49]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms DD-WRT [192.168.1.1]
2 7 ms 7 ms 6 ms 73.156.204.1
3 8 ms 6 ms 8 ms GE-9-3-rr01.whartford.ct.hartford.comcast.net [6
8.87.181.121]
4 14 ms 8 ms 7 ms te-3-1-rr01.bloomfield.ct.hartford.comcast.net [
68.87.182.242]
5 7 ms 7 ms 7 ms te-9-2-ar01.chartford.ct.hartford.comcast.net [6
8.87.182.238]
6 43 ms 43 ms 44 ms te-0-4-0-4-cr01.newyork.ny.ibone.comcast.net [68
.86.90.65]
7 44 ms 47 ms 44 ms xe-8-2-0.edge1.NewYork2.Level3.net [4.71.186.21]

8 47 ms 44 ms 45 ms ae-1-69.edge6.NewYork1.Level3.net [4.68.16.10]
9 30 ms 28 ms 31 ms qwest-level3-oc48.NewYork.Level3.net [4.68.110.1
74]
10 29 ms 32 ms 30 ms ewr-core-02.inet.qwest.net [205.171.17.129]
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 106 ms 106 ms 105 ms eug-core-02.inet.qwest.net [205.171.205.213]
13 106 ms 108 ms 105 ms eug-edge-02.inet.qwest.net [205.171.150.10]
14 108 ms 107 ms 106 ms 207.109.243.74
15 106 ms 108 ms 110 ms 64-112-224-2-ips-eug-or-core01.tcpipservices.net
[64.112.224.2]
16 108 ms 108 ms 110 ms 64.112.225.134
17 * * * Request timed out.
18 * * * Request timed out.
19 * * * Request timed out.
20 * * * Request timed out.
21 * * * Request timed out.
22 * * * Request timed out.
23 * * * Request timed out.
24 *
5) traceroute to a1.g.akamai.net
Tracing route to a1.g.akamai.net [64.86.184.9]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms DD-WRT [192.168.1.1]
2 10 ms 7 ms 6 ms 73.156.204.1
3 10 ms 6 ms 5 ms GE-9-3-rr01.whartford.ct.hartford.comcast.net [6
8.87.181.121]
4 8 ms 8 ms 7 ms te-3-1-rr01.bloomfield.ct.hartford.comcast.net [
68.87.182.242]
5 6 ms 7 ms 8 ms te-9-2-ar01.chartford.ct.hartford.comcast.net [6
8.87.182.238]
6 45 ms 44 ms 44 ms te-0-4-0-5-cr01.newyork.ny.ibone.comcast.net [68
.86.90.69]
7 44 ms 44 ms 46 ms xe-8-2-0.edge1.NewYork2.Level3.net [4.71.186.21]

8 * 46 ms 50 ms if-6-1.icore1.NTO-NewYork.teleglobe.net [216.6.9
7.21]
9 45 ms 47 ms 45 ms 64.86.184.9

Trace complete.
6) Their OS
Windows XP sp2
7) Their Browser and version
IE7
8) if they try to login via origin-www.garagegames.com does it work?
YES (so far)



Hope this helps somehow been having this problem for weeks. Only reason I haven't bought i liscense yet is because of this not working.

#145 Thanks! I logged it.

#146 Update: It works from my home IP (ISP = Comcast), but 3 miles down the road where I work (ISP = Atlantech), no luck.

Service Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request. Please try again later.
Reference #6.7b7ffea5.1210889086.1815fcca

A tracert to garagegames.com times out at the first hop.

These errors occur only on dynamic pages like the forums, download pages, etc. Static pages are fine.

#147 I'm still getting it. I have to use Tor to access the forums, resources and "What's New" pages. It's got to be something IP related. I also have comcast so I doubt if that matters.

#148 Here's some more:

#6.8f7ffea5.1210900283.8770289
#6.7c7ffea5.1210900282.12168
#6.8f7ffea5.1210900279.876fa46

I cannot access *any* GG page, except the home page unless I use origin-www.garagegames.com.

Connecting from Comcast in Northern Vermont (24.61.4.*)

#149 The reference numbers do me no good. They won't even look at the service request unless I give them all the information that they asked for. That's why I log everything.

#150 @Joe
Have you changed your hosts file to get around their proxies/routers? It's a crap solution, but it works. It doesn't solve the problem of it happening (especially since it appears to not be a problem when they investigate) but it makes the site usable for the few that are having the problem.

#151 Add me to the list of people with this problem. Works fine from work, but not from home:

Work = AT&T; Home = Comcast

Service Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request. Please try again later.

Reference #6.8f7ffea5.1211327763.1bf2ac5

EDIT: using the IP (216.116.32.49) doesn't help but (origin-www.garagegames.com) seems to work for the forums at least...no dice getting to download or product pages though.

#152 @David
I have the Firefox Tor addon installed, so I can get to this site with one click :) The pages are a little slower to load but other than that it's no big deal.

#153 Is it this Tor addon? There seem to be a couple of them out there, some requiring you to run your own Tor server.

#154 I'm using this one addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2275. This addon and most others will require you to download and install Tor.

#155 Just wondering if Akamai actually looked into the info I posted? or any news on the situation?

#156 @Joe
Cool! Thanks!

@kriptic
If you keep wondering such things in perpetual silence, preferably for a number of months, then you are just beginning to understand my world and frustrations. Every time that someone alters their hosts file, uses a plugin like Tor, or changes their URL to get past their proxies, I'm pretty sure it looks like the problem solves itself, even though we never hear anything either way.

#157 @David
I installed Tor and the Firefox add-on which allows me to bypass the problem. From your last message though I am a bit confused. Do you want us to NOT use these methods to get around the issue or is it just that people get around it and never respond here?

#158 I still get the problem on machines where I didn't implement a workaround. BTW, the best workaround I found is changing the host file, TOR would slow my browser, changing the host file has no sideaffects AFAIK

#159 @David -

Ok using the IP seems to work for me today even though it didn't help yesterday 0o...
I shut off Tor, and took the IP out of my hosts file to get those details you need for Akamai, here they are:

0) Time and time zone it happened (convert to GMT for Akamai) : 00:46:37 Thursday May 22, 2008
1) The Akamai error displayed on the screen : Reference #6.8f7ffea5.1211417145.506eb49
2) Client IP address : 66.31.131.43
3) the url that failed : http://www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.area.php?qs=1
4) traceroute to www.garagegames.com :
>tracert www.garagegames.com

Tracing route to e893.p.akamaiedge.net [96.6.179.193]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms c-66-31-131-43.hsd1.ma.comcast.net [66.31.131.43]
2 7 ms 7 ms 8 ms TITAN [0.0.0.0]
3 8 ms 7 ms 10 ms ge-2-3-ur01.rehoboth.ma.boston.comcast.net [68.85.160.177]
4 10 ms 8 ms 7 ms te-9-3-ur02.foxboro.ma.boston.comcast.net [68.87.144.117]
5 10 ms 9 ms 9 ms po-23-ur01.brockton.ma.boston.comcast.net [68.87.144.37]
6 11 ms 9 ms 9 ms po-10-ar01.needham.ma.boston.comcast.net [68.87.146.21]
7 11 ms 11 ms 12 ms po-10-ar01.springfield.ma.boston.comcast.net [68.87.146.22]
8 13 ms 13 ms * po-11-ar01.chartford.ct.hartford.comcast.net [68.87.146.26]
9 15 ms 17 ms 16 ms te-0-10-0-4-cr01.newyork.ny.ibone.comcast.net [68.86.90.41]
10 15 ms 17 ms 16 ms xe-10-2-0.edge1.NewYork2.Level3.net [4.78.169.49]
11 15 ms 17 ms 15 ms vlan89.csw3.NewYork1.Level3.net [4.68.16.190]
12 17 ms 16 ms 17 ms ae-84-84.ebr4.NewYork1.Level3.net [4.69.134.121]
13 92 ms 90 ms 89 ms ae-2.ebr4.SanJose1.Level3.net [4.69.135.185]
14 88 ms 90 ms 89 ms ae-84-84.csw3.SanJose1.Level3.net [4.69.134.250]
15 90 ms 88 ms 89 ms ae-3-89.edge1.SanJose3.Level3.net [4.68.18.144]
16 94 ms 90 ms 88 ms verio-level3-10ge.SanJose1.Level3.net [4.68.111.250]
17 90 ms 90 ms 88 ms ae-0.r20.snjsca04.us.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.2.96]
18 94 ms 94 ms 95 ms p64-1-3-0.r21.chcgil09.us.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.5.21]
19 93 ms 94 ms 94 ms ae-0.r20.chcgil09.us.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.3.97]
20 95 ms 95 ms 95 ms p64-0-0-0.r21.nycmny01.us.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.5.5]
21 95 ms 94 ms 96 ms po-3.r02.nycmny01.us.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.2.41]
22 96 ms 96 ms 95 ms a96-6-179-193.deploy.akamaitechnologies.com [96.6.179.193]

Trace complete.
5) traceroute to a1.g.akamai.net :
>tracert a1.g.akamai.net

Tracing route to a1.g.akamai.net [209.234.252.121]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms c-66-31-131-43.hsd1.ma.comcast.net [66.31.131.43]
2 8 ms 8 ms 8 ms TITAN [0.0.0.0]
3 8 ms 8 ms 7 ms ge-2-3-ur01.rehoboth.ma.boston.comcast.net [68.85.160.177]
4 9 ms 8 ms 7 ms te-9-3-ur02.foxboro.ma.boston.comcast.net [68.87.144.117]
5 15 ms 8 ms 8 ms po-23-ur01.brockton.ma.boston.comcast.net [68.87.144.37]
6 10 ms 9 ms 9 ms po-10-ar01.needham.ma.boston.comcast.net [68.87.146.21]
7 11 ms 10 ms 11 ms po-10-ar01.springfield.ma.boston.comcast.net [68.87.146.22]
8 13 ms 13 ms 13 ms po-11-ar01.chartford.ct.hartford.comcast.net [68.87.146.26]
9 17 ms 16 ms 18 ms te-0-10-0-5-cr01.newyork.ny.ibone.comcast.net [68.86.90.45]
10 17 ms 16 ms 16 ms xe-10-3-0.edge1.NewYork2.Level3.net [4.71.184.1]
11 16 ms 68 ms 16 ms ae-2-79.edge1.NewYork1.Level3.net [4.68.16.78]
12 23 ms 18 ms 16 ms CWIE-LLC.edge1.NewYork1.Level3.net [4.71.172.126]
13 17 ms 15 ms 15 ms 209.234.252.121

Trace complete.
6) Their OS : Vista Ultimate
7) Their Browser and version : Firefox 2.0.0.14
8) if they try to login via origin-www.garagegames.com does it work? : Yes

#160 @mark
I just logged it.

@ Joe Rossi
I want you to use the work-arounds so that you can actually use the site and develop your projects. It is still a marginal problem for the majority of visitors. Unfortunately, when people use workarounds, the problems could seem to go away or be a minor blip on Akamai's radar since you're not hitting their proxies or the routers getting munged data from them.

But no, I don't want anyone to stop using the work arounds and wait for Akamai to get around to it. I'm just hoping that they do, but I'd rather not kill productivity completely while waiting for them.