The purpose of this post will be mostly used for future reference.
I will write instructions in detail about an issue I have experienced for years.
Sometimes I get a very weird issue where I receive a timed out error when accessing my website(s).
It usually happens randomly when i believe my site is down but then i see I can access my website through my phone just fine but anything connected to my ethernet network connection will not connect to any of my websites.
This time I had to register an old .com domain name to access my old emails to cancel some old accounts that I don’t use anymore.
I started up my email client (thunderbird), set up several old email addresses and connected just fine.
After about an hour of using a specific older dot com email, I notice my website would start to time out and fail to connect.
Checking everything from my computer’s firewall settings, antivirus, host file, everything and so on, A restart/reboot of Windows would fixed the problem.
I start up Thunderbird email software and get back to using my old email, check for messages and my website is down again but up on any other online service (up on 4G).
Now nothing at all will connect. Not FTP, IP, or webhost hosted cPanel or even command prompt ping.
I even check on Is My Site Down? (isitdownrightnow.com) and my website is up on their end.
So what is going on?
It turns out that sometimes you are using an IP or a domain name that use to be a security risk by either outgoing or incoming data.
My old dot com domain name use to received way too many garbage adware, viruses and terrible email spams and junk data to the point where I just dropped it altogether.
As for your IP, long ago it could have been used for malicious things so depending on what it is connecting to, it may get blocked by some hosts or ISPs.
I am not that technically informed when it comes to computers, networks, ISPs or whatever so some may read this and think, that is not how it works.
that is fine but I know how it went down and have experienced this for years with very little information found online so that is why I am making this post for myself and for others if it can help anyone out.
Alright, lets begin on how to regain access to your website(s) by getting a new IP.
In this case my setup is a Fios router.
You can find your password on the side of your router.
Click on My Network.
Next Click on Network Connections.
Click settings found at the bottom.
Click Release and then Apply.
Now run quickly to your router and turn it off.
Do Not restart it. Turn it OFF. (I usually pull out the power plug on the back)
Wait 5 minutes and turn back on
This will force your router/connection network to issue you a new IP.
After 5 minutes, you should now have a new IP and can access your website(s).
Hope this has helped.
ShaolinGate Network