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j.albert's profile

Tutor

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8 Messages

Sunday, August 31st, 2014 6:02 PM

Can't connect to medicare.gov

I'm an ATT Uverse user in Western Connecticut (06810).

I'm a Mac user, OS X on several computers, several versions of X at my disposal (10.6, 10.7, 10.8). I'm well-versed on the Mac (Mac user for 27 years), but this has me stumped for the moment, and it seems to be UVerse-related.

I can't access the "medicare.gov" website using standard methods (read on).

I -can- access other "gov" sites, such as "loc.gov", "irs.gov", "va.gov", even "healthcare.gov".
But again, I -can't- reach "medicare.gov".

I have tried several browsers including Safari, Firefox, iCab, an old version of Camino. None work -- I enter "medicare.gov" in the URL entry bar and..... nothing.

This is on ALL the Macs in the household (four total), and I've switched between older and newer iterations of the OS -- again, nothing.

I -have found- something that works, but only part way:
If I use the EPIC privacy browser and choose the option to hide my IP address via a proxy server, it connects right up to "medicare.gov". However, using such a proxy limits my ability to interact with the site (example -- cannot get "find plans" search to work).

Interestingly, if I chose to run Epic in "non-stealth" mode (IP address NOT hidden via proxy), Epic behaves just like the other browsers above -- i.e., no connection.

Also -- if I use the Tor browser, I get the same results as using Epic in "stealth mode" -- I can connect to medicare.gov (even though full interaction with the site is limited because of the proxy server).

As an aside, I can go anywhere else on the net I want. No problems connecting to sites, EXCEPT for "medicare.gov".

I'm not the only person using UVerse in Connecticut that can't connect. There are others in my general area of CT who can't reach medicare.gov, either. Seems to be in the Fairfield County area.

Doing some googling, I've encountered postings from others (who seem to all be Windows users) who have had pretty much the same connection problem with the medicare.gov site. I even saw posts which said in some cases the only resolution was to change out the ISP's modem.

Thanks,
- John

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Professor

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2.4K Messages

10 years ago

The website currently can be reached by IPV6 if anyone was curious. To enable IPV6 on your gateway please go to:

https://esupport.att3.2wire.com/online-tool/compat-index.jsp

then click the enable IPV6 button after the test completes that'll show up on the right.

 

You may need to reboot your gateway after clicking the enable ipv6 button.

 

Hopefully your computers and such are IPV6 compatible.

 

I guess this is sort of a work around for now.

 

ACE - Expert

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34.7K Messages

10 years ago

If switching to something that blocks your IP address from the site fixes it...  perhaps the site has decided that a block of IP addresses has been responsible for an DDoS (or similar) attack and is blocking it?

 

New Member

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25.7K Messages

10 years ago

I don't know if this has anything to do with your issue, but a retired buddy of mine never could get access to the DFAS "My Pay" site. 

 

I finally found this:

 

 In order to use the myPay website, you must use a web browser that supports Secure Socket Layers (SSL) protocol with 128-bit encryption software (strong encryption) and JavaScript enabled. This prevents information from being read by others on the Internet while it is being transmitted between your web browser and the myPay website. 128-bit encryption is the highest level of encryption available. 

 

We set it up and now he has no issues.  Again I have no idea if this would pertain to your issue or not, but thought I would throw it out there.

Tutor

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8 Messages

10 years ago

Some further info:

 

When I open a browser (in this case, Safari running under Mac OS 10.8.5) and type in
medicare.gov, and then hit the enter key....

 

...the browser just "hangs", doesn't even seen to indicate that the medicare.gov site has received my request for it to send its home page.

 

After a short while, the browser will time-out. In this case, Safari gives this report:
"Safari can't open the page.
Safari can't open the page http://medicare.gov/" because the server where this page is located isn't responding."

 

This is repeatable and it happens EVERY time I try to connect to medicare.gov.

 

HOWEVER -
If I launch the Epic Privacy Browser with "stealth mode" enabled (which hides my IP address and diverts web communications via a proxy), the medicare/gov site DOES receive my request to it, and I do get the site's homepage.

 

SOMETHING in the att/Uverse software/hardware/servers in the Fairfield County (CT) area is preventing the browser's request (after I type in medicare.gov and hit return) from reaching the actual medicare.gov web site. The site doesn't seem to respond, because (of course) it hasn't received my request...

Expert

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20.4K Messages

10 years ago

@j.albert  Can you get here:  http://www.usa.gov/ ?

 

If so, Search Medicare, in the results click medicare.gov, see if it'll come up. 😉

 

Chris
__________________________________________________________

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? PM ATT Uverse Care (all service problems)
or ATT Customer Care (all other problems)

Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

Tutor

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8 Messages

10 years ago

[[  Can you get here:  http://www.usa.gov/ ? ]]

 

Yes.

 

[[ If so, Search Medicare, in the results click medicare.gov, see if it'll come up. ]]

 

Nope. Same results as before.

ATT Uverse (or some service related to it) is blocking connections to

- medicare.gov

and also

- cms.gov

 

... in Southwest Connecticut.

Expert

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20.4K Messages

10 years ago

@j.albert Contact ATT Uverse Care here:
https://forums.att.com/t5/notes/privatenotespage/tab/compose/note-to-user-id/2365485

Send them a private message, on this link, and they should be able to give the help needed to solve your Uverse internet medicare.gov service problems. They are available M-F 8am-11pm Eastern time, response may take up to 2 business days.

This is not the regular CS/TS people, but the social media Community Specialists that know the people to contact to get things done. I personally know as they've helped me on a DVR swap.

Include your account#, email address and a good phone # (land or cell) and time to contact you on.

Check the blue PM envelope, upper right on every page, for their reply. Good luck 😉

 

Chris
__________________________________________________________

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? PM ATT Uverse Care (all service problems)
or ATT Customer Care (all other problems)

Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

Expert

 • 

20.4K Messages

10 years ago

@Darknessrise The test enabled IPV6, two things were there to checkmark

 

LAN IPV6   and DCHPV6

 

Should I have 1 or both checkmarked?  LAN IPV6 came up already checked. Smiley Surprised

 

Chris
__________________________________________________________

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? PM ATT Uverse Care (all service problems) or
ATT Customer Care(all other problems)

Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

Professor

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2.4K Messages

10 years ago

I suppose that you should check both. They actually let you check boxes on that page? They probably changed it since time I enabled it. or are you talking about in the gateway pages? If you're talking about the gateway UI, I know that the DCHPV6 box is grayed out. You can enable it, but it doesn't do anything anyway at the moment from what I saw.

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