cannot open github.io sites

[demonicult]

Hello,

For the past few months I am unable to access github.io domains, I can access github.com links but github.io won't open for me.

For quick check
I can access GitHub - microsoft/microsoft.github.io: Microsoft on GitHub this site but not the github.io link Microsoft on GitHub

Edit : As someone replied, the above link redirects to microsoft.com (which does not happen to me as it can't resolve github.io links)
Some more links to try / test

GitHub Pages

Websites for you and your projects, hosted directly from your GitHub repository. Just edit, push, and your changes are live.

github.io

Fake It Till You Make It

microsoft.github.io

Home

microsoftl10n.github.io

Project Mu

Project Mu Documentation

microsoft.github.io

None of the above links would open for me.

Is anyone else having this issue?

I have tried Google DNS, Quad9DNS, OpenDNS and the issue still persists.
It's not just my computer as it's happening over WiFi connected devices too.

My router has no settings to ban any IP, so I am not sure what's the problem.
My ping to github.com returns normal but pings to GitHub.io links come back as timed out.

 

[vishalrao]

The ms github.io link is redirect to a Microsoft domain... try disable all extensions in your browser or a different browser or incognito mode?

 

[vishalrao]

I'm not on mtnl btw

 

[demonicult]

The ms github.io link is redirect to a Microsoft domain... try disable all extensions in your browser or a different browser or incognito mode?

Thanks for replying. I have attached a screenshot of my ping to the server.
So its not a browser issue for sure.

 

[JB701]

i think its a routing issue

|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                      WinMTR statistics                                   |
|                       Host              -   %  | Sent | Recv | Best | Avrg | Wrst | Last |
|------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|
|                            10.117.126.1 -    0 |   20 |   20 |   39 |   40 |   43 |   39 |
|                         169.254.162.186 -    0 |   20 |   20 |   39 |   40 |   44 |   39 |
|       ae11.dar01.che01.networklayer.com -    0 |   20 |   20 |   39 |   40 |   44 |   39 |
|   ae8.bbr01.sr01.che01.networklayer.com -    0 |   20 |   20 |   39 |   41 |   47 |   40 |
|   ae1.bbr02.eq01.sng02.networklayer.com -    0 |   20 |   20 |   71 |   73 |   76 |   72 |
|                   54113.sgw.equinix.com -    0 |   20 |   20 |   71 |   73 |   78 |   71 |
|          cdn-185-199-109-153.github.com -    0 |   20 |   20 |   71 |   73 |   78 |   71 |
|________________________________________________|______|______|______|______|______|______|
   WinMTR v0.92 GPL V2 by Appnor MSP - Fully Managed Hosting & Cloud Provider

github.io is pinging for me

Can you do a traceroute using tracert github.io ?

I think you should email mtnl. Sometimes these routing issues get fixed on it own. Until then you can use a VPN like CloudFlare WARP if you want.

 

[demonicult]

Thanks for checking.

Sometimes these routing issues get fixed on it own.

I thought so too! So ignored for a while but now its getting really annoying.
Yup can access them via VPN but not the best experience as I don't want all my traffic to be always routed through VPN for some domains I need my region to show India.

Alright mailed selfcare@mtnl.net.in about this. Any other email id I should send this too?
If they don't respond in the next few days, mtnl find grievances email and try to contact them.

Tracing route to github.io [185.199.111.153]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

4 4 ms 4 ms 4 ms static-mum-59.185.210.185.mtnl.net.in [59.185.210.185]
5 * * * Request timed out.

Tracing route to github.com [20.205.243.166]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

4 3 ms 3 ms 4 ms static-mum-59.185.211.65.mtnl.net.in [59.185.211.65]
5 3 ms 3 ms 3 ms static-mum-59.185.211.66.mtnl.net.in [59.185.211.66]
6 3 ms 3 ms 2 ms 115.114.89.125.static-Mumbai.vsnl.net.in [115.114.89.125]
7 3 ms * * 121.240.127.246.static-mumbai.vsnl.net.in [121.240.127.246]
8 3 ms 3 ms 3 ms ae22-0.ear02.bom02.ntwk.msn.net [104.44.41.229]

Not including all the hops for github.com but goes up to 13 and resolves normally.

 

---

[vishalrao]

Thanks for replying. I have attached a screenshot of my ping to the server.
So its not a browser issue for sure.

Ping has nothing to do with browser redirect, in case it is getting blocked in your computer/phone browser... have you tried different browser or disabling all extensions temporarily?

 

[vishalrao]

Oh my bad I misread your ping info... I am able to ping github.io so yeah looks like MTNL issue... try contacting them on twitter and raising a ticket on PG portal?

Once on my BSNL fiber dockerhub website was not opening and I contacted them on twitter and it started working after 1-2 days - not sure if they responded to my message or it resolved on its own!

 

[demonicult]

@vishalrao

raising a ticket on PG portal

CPGRAMS-Home

www.pgportal.gov.in

So this site? no response from MTNL Mumbai and I can't find any other email to contact any other officer.

 

[vishalrao]

Yes that's the website...

Any other mtnl users facing the same issue?

 

[demonicult]

@vishalrao
I hoped someone on the forum using MTNL Mumbai could answer that. I guess not many MTNL users here now.

Jio Fiber is being installed in my building and they offering 30 days free trial with STB and stuff. I might get that for 30 days and in the meantime also register a complaint at pgportal.

Any experience with Jio Fiber service?

I am really not a fan of Jio and tbh MTNL has been good to me, no service issues and whenever there is one(once in like 3-4 months), one complaint and its gets resolved in 1-2hrs. But I guess we MTNL users are a dying breed here.

 

[vishalrao]

Yep... Jio has frequently issues like this... Websites getting blocked but they usually resolve in couple of days...

Why not take Jio too... And keep one or the other as backup?

 

[tatyasky]

Take Tata Sky broadband instead of Jio if you want pure internet experience. Few sites are blocked but nothing which GoodbyeDPI cannot fix.

If OTT and SetTopBox are your priorities then go for Jio.

 

[demonicult]

A little update on this, I finally managed to get in touch with MTNL and this is what I got in response (removed some identifying info from the email)

Dear Valued Customer, Greetings of the day. ED_Online Case Ref.No.XXXXXX dated 2022-09-12 12:47:53 Web page "github.io" NOT open, as this site is blocked as per the instruction of dot Dated 25/11/2020. Regards, MTNL Mumbai Reply Generated By:XXXXX,St No-XXXXXX

So my question is, where can I get the order dated 25/11/2020 to check if it was an order to block one website hosted on github.io or an order to ban the root github.io domain?

Also is there a site where I can find all the DOT ordered blocked and unblocked sites?

 

[demonicult]

I just remembered something, I use Deep packet inspection circumvention tool to bypass the DOT banned sites, so surely I should be able to access github.io links too if they are part of the DOT banned list. (Currently I access github.io links via a VPN)

This makes me wonder if the github.io ban is something different which they too aren't sure about?

I have replied them and asked them if it was a blanket ban for the root domain or just some site hosted on github.io as per the order and also asked them to share the order or point me to a direction where I can find it. So far they haven't replied.

I will wait for a week and then look or other ways to find an updated DOT list or email DOT? RTI maybe? idk. This is weird that if its as per DOT order why only MTNL has banned it and no one else?