> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ipcheck.ing/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ipcheck.ing/knowledge-base/diagnose/cant-open-a-website.md).

# Can't Open a Website?

One site will not load while everything else works. Before you restart the router again, spend two minutes narrowing down which of four things is actually happening.

{% hint style="success" %}
**Quick answer.** Work outwards, in this order: **is the site down for everyone → is it a DNS problem → is it blocked where you are → is it your own network?** Each step has a specific test on [ipcheck.ing](https://ipcheck.ing), and each one rules out a whole category so you stop guessing.
{% endhint %}

## Work through it in order

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Is the site down for everyone?

The cheapest thing to rule out. If the site is having an outage, nothing on your side will help.

For well-known AI and developer services, open **Advanced Tools → Service Status**. It reads the official status pages of services such as Claude, OpenAI, GitHub, and Cloudflare, and shows the current state plus recent incidents. Expand a card to see individual sub-services and what has been going wrong lately.

The [Connectivity Check](/knowledge-base/connection-tools/connectivity-check.md) section also shows a banner pointing here when one of those services fails its test — because a failing check is very often the service, not you.

For anything else, use a third-party "is it down" checker, or ask a friend on a different network to try the same address.

**Site is down →** wait. There is nothing to fix. **Site is fine for others →** continue.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Is it DNS?

Symptoms that point here: the browser says the server cannot be found, or the address does not exist, or the page loads on your phone's mobile data but not on Wi-Fi.

Open **Advanced Tools → DNS Resolution**, type the domain, and run it. MyIP asks a range of well-known resolvers around the world — over plain DNS and over encrypted DoH — and lays their answers side by side.

| What the table shows                                | What it means                                                                                                                               |
| --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Every provider returns the same address             | DNS is fine. Move to the next step.                                                                                                         |
| Most providers agree, one or two return nothing     | Those resolvers are having a bad day. Not your problem.                                                                                     |
| Providers return **different, unrelated** addresses | Something on the path is answering for someone else — see [Is My DNS Hijacked or Polluted?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/is-my-dns-hijacked.md) |
| Nobody returns anything for any record type         | The domain may genuinely not exist, or has expired. Check with [Whois Search](/knowledge-base/lookup-privacy/whois-search.md).              |

{% hint style="info" %}
Try both the **A** and **AAAA** record types. A site with a broken IPv6 address can fail on an IPv6-capable connection while working perfectly over IPv4.
{% endhint %}

**Quick fix to try:** switch your device or router to a public resolver and reload. If that fixes it, the problem was your ISP's resolver. Details: [DNS Resolver](/knowledge-base/lookup-privacy/dns-resolver.md)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Is it blocked where you are?

Symptoms: the connection hangs and eventually times out, or it resets immediately, or the site works through a VPN but not without one.

Open **Advanced Tools → Censorship Check** and enter the domain. Two things happen.

First, MyIP looks up 30 days of open measurement data from OONI's global volunteer network, and shows which countries observed blocking or interference — and by what method: DNS tampering, TCP blocking, connection failure, or content tampering.

Second, you can pick countries and run a live probe test from real machines in those places, to confirm what is happening right now.

Read the results carefully:

* **Your country is listed as blocked** — that is your answer. A VPN or proxy is the practical workaround.
* **No measurements at all** — that does not mean it is not blocked. It means nobody has tested it recently. Run the live test yourself.
* **Live probes succeed but you still cannot connect** — the probes mostly run in datacenters, and some sites treat datacenter traffic differently from home connections. Take it as a hint, not a verdict.

Full guide: [Censorship Check](/knowledge-base/network-tests/censorship-check.md)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Is it your own network?

If you got here, the site is up, DNS resolves, and it is not blocked. Look closer to home.

Run the [Connectivity Check](/knowledge-base/connection-tools/connectivity-check.md) at the top of the page. It tries to load a small image from a set of well-known sites and reports OK, Unavailable, or Timeout for each, with a rough round-trip time.

| Pattern                                      | What it points to                                                                                                                 |
| -------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Everything fails                             | Your connection is down, or a proxy is misconfigured                                                                              |
| Everything passes except one or two sites    | Those specific sites are the problem — go back to step 1 for them                                                                 |
| Some sites pass, a whole region's sites fail | Routing or blocking in one direction — try [MTR Test](/knowledge-base/network-tests/mtr-test.md)                                  |
| Everything passes but pages still stall      | Not reachability, but throughput or latency — see [Why Is My Internet Slow?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/why-is-my-internet-slow.md) |

You can add your own sites to this grid with the **+** tile, so the site you actually care about is part of the test.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Symptom shortcuts

If you would rather jump straight to a likely cause:

| What you see in the browser                           | Most likely cause                             | Go to                                                                      |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "Server not found" / "DNS address could not be found" | DNS                                           | Step 2                                                                     |
| Page hangs, then times out                            | Blocking, or a routing problem                | Step 3, then step 4                                                        |
| Connection reset immediately                          | Blocking, or a firewall                       | Step 3                                                                     |
| Certificate warning on a site that normally works     | Interception — treat seriously                | [Is My DNS Hijacked?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/is-my-dns-hijacked.md)      |
| An error page from the site itself                    | The site is up; the problem is inside it      | Step 1                                                                     |
| Loads on mobile data, not on Wi-Fi                    | Your router, its DNS, or your ISP             | Steps 2 and 4                                                              |
| Loads with the VPN on, not with it off                | Blocking on your local network or by your ISP | Step 3                                                                     |
| Loads with the VPN off, not with it on                | The site blocks your VPN's exit address       | [Invisibility Test](/knowledge-base/connection-tools/invisibility-test.md) |

<details>

<summary>It only fails in one browser</summary>

Then it is not the network. Try a private window first — that disables most extensions. If it works there, an extension is responsible. Otherwise clear that site's cached data. A stale service worker or an expired cookie can break one site in one browser while everything else is fine.

</details>

<details>

<summary>It fails only on one device on my network</summary>

Compare that device's DNS settings and proxy settings with a device that works. On phones, check whether a VPN profile or a content-filtering profile is installed. Also check your router's parental controls or blocklists.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Everything is slow rather than broken</summary>

Different problem, different page: [Why Is My Internet Slow?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/why-is-my-internet-slow.md)

</details>

## Still stuck?

* [Is My DNS Hijacked or Polluted?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/is-my-dns-hijacked.md) — when resolvers disagree
* [Censorship Check](/knowledge-base/network-tests/censorship-check.md) — the blocking data in detail
* [Sharing a Diagnostic Report](/knowledge-base/getting-started/sharing-a-diagnostic-report.md) — hand your results to someone who can help


---

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