This is a variant of a question I asked a few weeks ago.

Sometimes when trying to access a website, one finds it doesn't respond,
even though you know it's online (for example, because you can access it
using another machine).

Is there some way of diagnosing how it is doing this? In the case I previously mentioned,
the host seemed to be checking my browser's user-agent setting, and rejecting it because it
didn't specify a Windows version (I use Linux Mint). Altering the user-agent line in
about:config appeared to fix it for that website.

But with the NS&I (National Savings and Investments) website,
https://secure3.nsandi.com
this method doesn't appear to work. The public section of their website states that they
don't support any Linux browsers, which is obviously why the site is rejecting my requests.
But how can I find out how it does this, and thus possibly find a way round it? Other than
by switching to Windows, of course.

In article <ufoob0$1gfu2$1@dont-email.me>, Jack@handsome.com says...
>This is a variant of a question I asked a few weeks ago.
>
>Sometimes when trying to access a website, one finds it doesn't respond,
>even though you know it's online (for example, because you can access it
>using another machine).
>
>Is there some way of diagnosing how it is doing this? In the case I
previously mentioned,
>the host seemed to be checking my browser's user-agent setting, and
rejecting it because it
>didn't specify a Windows version (I use Linux Mint). Altering the user-
agent line in
>about:config appeared to fix it for that website.
>
>But with the NS&I (National Savings and Investments) website,
>https://secure3.nsandi.com
>this method doesn't appear to work. The public section of their website
states that they
>don't support any Linux browsers, which is obviously why the site is
rejecting my requests.
>But how can I find out how it does this, and thus possibly find a way round
it? Other than
>by switching to Windows, of course.
>

Does not work from a Windows based Firefox nor Edge Browser in my opinion.
But going to : https://secure.nsandi.com does indeed grant me access.

dbnnet wrote:

> Jack@handsome.com says...
>
>> https://secure3.nsandi.com
>> doesn't appear to work
>
> Does not work from a Windows based Firefox

nor for me, I doubt you're intended to go direct to the "secure3"
server, it might be part of a load-balancer where *it* decides which
server to send you to each time.

> But going to : https://secure.nsandi.com does indeed grant me access.

Same here, but I don't have an account

Am 06.10.23 um 13:25 schrieb dbnnet:
>> Is there some way of diagnosing how it is doing this? In the case I
> previously mentioned,
>> the host seemed to be checking my browser's user-agent setting, and
> rejecting it because it
>> didn't specify a Windows version (I use Linux Mint). Altering the user-
> agent line in
>> about:config appeared to fix it for that website.
>>
>> But with the NS&I (National Savings and Investments) website,
>> https://secure3.nsandi.com
>> this method doesn't appear to work. The public section of their website
> states that they
>> don't support any Linux browsers, which is obviously why the site is
> rejecting my requests.
>> But how can I find out how it does this, and thus possibly find a way round
> it? Other than
>> by switching to Windows, of course.

$MS$-quoting. What a disaster!

--
Morituri te salutant

On 6 Oct 2023 10:42:42 -0000 (UTC) Jack wrote:
>This is a variant of a question I asked a few weeks ago.
>
>Sometimes when trying to access a website, one finds it doesn't respond,
>even though you know it's online (for example, because you can access it
>using another machine).
>
>Is there some way of diagnosing how it is doing this? In the case I previously
>mentioned,
>the host seemed to be checking my browser's user-agent setting, and rejecting
>it because it
>didn't specify a Windows version (I use Linux Mint). Altering the user-agent
>line in
>about:config appeared to fix it for that website.
>
>But with the NS&I (National Savings and Investments) website,
>https://secure3.nsandi.com
>this method doesn't appear to work. The public section of their website states
>that they
>don't support any Linux browsers, which is obviously why the site is rejecting
>my requests.
>But how can I find out how it does this, and thus possibly find a way round
>it? Other than
>by switching to Windows, of course.

Just https://www.nsandi.com/ works fine with Linux. Edit your bookmark.

Just because they say they 'don't support' Linux doesn't mean their site
won't work, it just means their support staff will dismiss your enquiry.
Most banks and building societies are the same. Welcome to Linux.

NS&I's signon procedure is terrible. The other day it involved both an
automated phone call to me _and_ and SMS code.

--
(Remove numerics from email address)

Jack@handsome.com (Handsome Jack) writes:

>This is a variant of a question I asked a few weeks ago.

>Sometimes when trying to access a website, one finds it doesn't respond,
>even though you know it's online (for example, because you can access it
>using another machine).

>Is there some way of diagnosing how it is doing this? In the case I previously mentioned,
>the host seemed to be checking my browser's user-agent setting, and rejecting it because it
>didn't specify a Windows version (I use Linux Mint). Altering the user-agent line in
>about:config appeared to fix it for that website.

>But with the NS&I (National Savings and Investments) website,
>https://secure3.nsandi.com
>this method doesn't appear to work. The public section of their website states that they
>don't support any Linux browsers, which is obviously why the site is rejecting my requests.
>But how can I find out how it does this, and thus possibly find a way round it? Other than
>by switching to Windows, of course.

Any issues with dnr for your setup? The times when I've had something
like what you are describing happen to me is when I had a malformed
setup for domain name resolution.

--
There are the known knowns, things we know we know;
and the known unknowns, things we know we do not know;
but there are also the unknown unknowns,
those things we don't know we don't know.

Jack@handsome.com (Handsome Jack) writes:

>This is a variant of a question I asked a few weeks ago.

>Sometimes when trying to access a website, one finds it doesn't respond,
>even though you know it's online (for example, because you can access it
>using another machine).

>Is there some way of diagnosing how it is doing this? In the case I previously mentioned,
>the host seemed to be checking my browser's user-agent setting, and rejecting it because it
>didn't specify a Windows version (I use Linux Mint). Altering the user-agent line in
>about:config appeared to fix it for that website.

>But with the NS&I (National Savings and Investments) website,
>https://secure3.nsandi.com
>this method doesn't appear to work. The public section of their website states that they
>don't support any Linux browsers, which is obviously why the site is rejecting my requests.
>But how can I find out how it does this, and thus possibly find a way round it? Other than
>by switching to Windows, of course.

Ah, didn't read far enough. Yeah, it's just using your user-agent
reporting. Just change that and you'll be good. You can do it manually
or use an add-on like user-agent switcher

--
There are the known knowns, things we know we know;
and the known unknowns, things we know we do not know;
but there are also the unknown unknowns,
those things we don't know we don't know.

Dave Royal <dave@dave123royal.com> wrote:
> On 6 Oct 2023 10:42:42 -0000 (UTC) Jack wrote:
>>This is a variant of a question I asked a few weeks ago.
>>
>>Sometimes when trying to access a website, one finds it doesn't respond,
>>even though you know it's online (for example, because you can access it
>>using another machine).
>>
>>Is there some way of diagnosing how it is doing this? In the case I previously
>>mentioned,
>>the host seemed to be checking my browser's user-agent setting, and rejecting
>>it because it
>>didn't specify a Windows version (I use Linux Mint). Altering the user-agent
>>line in
>>about:config appeared to fix it for that website.
>>
>>But with the NS&I (National Savings and Investments) website,
>>https://secure3.nsandi.com
>>this method doesn't appear to work. The public section of their website states
>>that they
>>don't support any Linux browsers, which is obviously why the site is rejecting
>>my requests.
>>But how can I find out how it does this, and thus possibly find a way round
>>it? Other than
>>by switching to Windows, of course.
>
> Just https://www.nsandi.com/ works fine with Linux.

Yes, but that's not the site you need to go to to log into your account.

>Edit your bookmark.
>
> Just because they say they 'don't support' Linux doesn't mean their site
> won't work, it just means their support staff will dismiss your enquiry.

But the site (the *real* one) doesn't work. So they must be doing
something to stop it.

> Most banks and building societies are the same. Welcome to Linux.
>
> NS&I's signon procedure is terrible. The other day it involved both an
> automated phone call to me _and_ and SMS code.
>
>

Oh, they're grossly incompetent, certainly. But I still hope
there is a way round it.

Mortimer Houghton <mortimer@vivobook.x512d> wrote:
> Jack@handsome.com (Handsome Jack) writes:
>
>>This is a variant of a question I asked a few weeks ago.
>
>>Sometimes when trying to access a website, one finds it doesn't respond,
>>even though you know it's online (for example, because you can access it
>>using another machine).
>
>>Is there some way of diagnosing how it is doing this? In the case I previously mentioned,
>>the host seemed to be checking my browser's user-agent setting, and rejecting it because it
>>didn't specify a Windows version (I use Linux Mint). Altering the user-agent line in
>>about:config appeared to fix it for that website.
>
>>But with the NS&I (National Savings and Investments) website,
>>https://secure3.nsandi.com
>>this method doesn't appear to work. The public section of their website states that they
>>don't support any Linux browsers, which is obviously why the site is rejecting my requests.
>>But how can I find out how it does this, and thus possibly find a way round it? Other than
>>by switching to Windows, of course.
>
>
> Ah, didn't read far enough. Yeah, it's just using your user-agent
> reporting. Just change that and you'll be good. You can do it manually
> or use an add-on like user-agent switcher
>

I thought I'd made it clear that I have done that and it doesn't work with NS&I.
Maybe I've done it wrong. What exactly should I change and to what?

On 7 Oct 2023 08:11:55 -0000 (UTC) Jack wrote:
>Dave Royal <dave@dave123royal.com> wrote:
>> On 6 Oct 2023 10:42:42 -0000 (UTC) Jack wrote:
>>>This is a variant of a question I asked a few weeks ago.
>>>
>>>Sometimes when trying to access a website, one finds it doesn't respond,
>>>even though you know it's online (for example, because you can access it
>>>using another machine).
>>>
>>>Is there some way of diagnosing how it is doing this? In the case I
>>>previously
>>>mentioned,
>>>the host seemed to be checking my browser's user-agent setting, and
>>>rejecting
>>>it because it
>>>didn't specify a Windows version (I use Linux Mint). Altering the user-agent
>>>line in
>>>about:config appeared to fix it for that website.
>>>
>>>But with the NS&I (National Savings and Investments) website,
>>>https://secure3.nsandi.com
>>>this method doesn't appear to work. The public section of their website
>>>states
>>>that they
>>>don't support any Linux browsers, which is obviously why the site is
>>>rejecting
>>>my requests.
>>>But how can I find out how it does this, and thus possibly find a way round
>>>it? Other than
>>>by switching to Windows, of course.
>>
>> Just https://www.nsandi.com/ works fine with Linux.
>
>Yes, but that's not the site you need to go to to log into your account.

The 'secure3' server just happened to be the one you logged into when you
made the bookmark. It's not any more. Start at nsandi.com, hit 'login' and
it'll take you to the latest URL.

It's a common effect if you bookmark an 'internal' URL - it may become out
of date. So if a bookmark doesn't work, try simplifying it by removing the
server part.

I notice their site flatly refuses to use Firefox on Android - it requires
Chrome. But I know it works with Firefix on Linux, or did last week.

--
(Remove numerics from email address)