Connection refused for certain websites - RBK853 V4.6.8.2

[pemell]

I cannot reach certain websites using my RBK853. It works fine if I connect the computer directly to the fiber media converter (or with mobile data), so the connection and websites are running fine, but they just won't load when connected to the Orbi router. I don't use Armor, and I don't understand why the websites won't load. For example these two normal sites refuses to load with Chrome telling me "ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED":

https://www.folksam.se

https://bygghemma.se

Any idea why they won't load when using the Orbi? I tried to factory reset to no avail, and issue is there with all default settings.

[plemans]

Have you tried using a different dns server? 

Here's a few for ipv4. Also remember to change the ipv6 dns server if ipv6 is enabled
CloudFlare 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
GoogleDNS 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

Also, do you have ipv6 enabled?

[pemell]

Yes I tried both Cloudflare and Google DNS, along with the ISP provided server, and issue persists. Most websites loads as expected, but some just won't.

No I don't have ipv6 enabled.

[pemell]

Using telnet to connect to the two mentioned websites gives:

"Unable to connect to remote host: Connection timed out"

What on earth is blocking the connection to those websites in my Orbi router. As I mentioned, they load just fine if I connect directly through the fiber media converter.

[plemans]

have you tried enabling ipv6?

[pemell]

Just tried enabling it and setting it to "Auto detect", but issue persists. The websites I mentioned in the first post won't load, which is my insurance company and my standard retailer. It's a big pity they can't be used with an Orbi 😕

[plemans]

Did you try a different device? Or different browser?

[pemell]

Yes, it's the same on all devices.

Tested with phone and two laptops directly connected to the fiber media converter = works as expected.

Tested with the same devices, but via Orbi connected to the fiber media converter = won't load.

[CrimpOn]

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@pemell wrote:

 For example these two normal sites refuses to load with Chrome telling me "ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED":

https://www.folksam.se

https://bygghemma.se

---

 ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED is a very specific error message which gives the impression that the browser was able to resolve the IP address of the web server and attempt to open a connection, but that the web server refused to allow the connection to complete. Internet search turned up a number of suggestions for how to resolve it:

https://kinsta.com/blog/err_connection_refused/#:~:text=The%20ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED%20error%20is%20... 

and

https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/err_connection_refused 

I noticed that when I attempted to resolve those URLs into IP addresses, there were a number of "timeouts" on my Orbi.  Would it be convenient to verify that your laptops are able to resolve those two URLs into IP addresses?

What I got (eventually) was:

• www.folksam.se  193.183.162.44
• bygghemma.se   217.151.200.59

[pemell]

Yes, laptops are able to resolve those two URLs into IP addresses.

This is me trying to telnet www.folksam.se:

$ telnet www.folksam.se 80
Trying 193.183.162.44...
telnet: Unable to connect to remote host: Connection timed out

Same goes for the other address bygghemma.se with "Connection timed out".

Now, circumventing the Orbi and trying to connect directly to the fiber media converter gives this successful result:

$ telnet www.folksam.se 80
Trying 193.183.162.44...
Connected to www.folksam.se.

That's why I think there must be something in the Orbi that blocks it 😕

[CrimpOn]

(except that this is consuming your life) What an interesting problem!

Those are both secure web sites (https), so I presume they accept connections on port 80 in order to redirect them to port 443.

Would you mind sharing the IP subnet that the fiber unit has assigned to the Orbi router, and the IP subnet that the Orbi has created for the LAN site?

[pemell]

I'm unsure what you mean by IP subnet but the fiber unit assigned 100.72.124.114 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0 to the Orbi router and LAN address is 192.168.1.1 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0

[CrimpOn]

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@pemell wrote:

I'm unsure what you mean by IP subnet but the fiber unit assigned 100.72.124.114 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0 to the Orbi router and LAN address is 192.168.1.1 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0

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192.168.1.x is typical for a residential router LAN subnet.  The 100.72.124.114 is definitely unusual. (i.e. it is not a typical 'private' IP

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_network  )

If the fiber unit will accept connection by a smartphone (i.e. WiFi), my assumption is that it is a combination media conversion/router/WiFi unit and that it would assign a private IP to the Orbi router.

On the router's web interface, the Advanced Tab home page, when you click the blue box Connection Status, what does it show for "Default Gateway"?

[pemell]

It should be a regular fiber media converter as there is no wifi, interface or other router functions. I connected my smartphone to the fiber unit with an ethernet dongle when testing (Samsung S22 Ultra supports ethernet). My smartphone and laptop both reports 100.72.122.79 when plugged into the fiber unit, so I guess that's the IP assigned to the ethernet dongle I used when plugging in those devices.

Default gateway is 100.72.124.1

[pemell]

I switched "Router MAC Address" to using "Use Computer MAC Address" and now the websites loads fine.

Swtiching MAC Address assigned a new IP to my Orbi, and a new public IP. I don't know what among these changes fixed the issue for me, but something did.

Do "Use Computer MAC Address" have any side effects or I can stick with this option?

Also, thank you @plemans and @CrimpOn for answering and trying to support me.

[CrimpOn]

Jolly Good.  Should be no problem at all.  The only possible issue would be if both the router and the computer somehow are both connected to the fiber unit at the same time.  Cannot have two identical MAC addresses on the same LAN subnet.

Great solution!