[Firefox help] Certain websites only available through proxy?

[Aesthesis]

Ever since I moved to my new Uni flat, and probably even before that, I've been having trouble accessing a number of sites with Firefox. Things like Gamespot, Aion, Smart.fm and any number of other sites either never fully load or don't load at all. IE opens them fine and they also open on Firefox through proxies, it confuses the crap out of me, especially when my roommates on the same network can access the sites with no problem. My IP and DNS are automatic and I can only assume the problem is with Firefox itself. A Google search has turned up blank so I'm wondering if anyone has any idea how I can fix this?

Thanks in advance.

[Lupin]

1. Clear cache
2. Clear cookies
3. If both fails reinstall Firefox

[kureshii]

Doesn't sound like a Firefox issue, sounds more like your university network firewall... Firefox doesn't actively filter hosts AFAIK (except through extensions). Try disabling select extensions and see?

[Slykester]

Other than stuff already mentioned, you could check to see if pipelining is causing a problem.

- in the address bar type about:config
- type 'pipelining' into the filter box
- if it is on, turn it off (both)

[fohfoh]

Cleaning cache sounds good.

But why not have all websites through proxy? Why just certain?

[Humanoidz]

Try another web browser like Internet Explorer.  I still use my IE because firefox is not compatible with all sites.

[Klocknov]

Try another web browser like Internet Explorer.  I still use my IE because firefox is not compatible with all sites.

Mine is with the IE tab plugin. Though I really need to check into seeing if chrome has that plugin yet.

[ilk3000]

Chrome created a plugin that basically replaces old IE versions' rendering engines with Chrome's. It's hysterical. Since only about 8% of people actually know what a browser is, they figured that the only way they're going to get dinosaurs to be able to see their new Google stuff is to ask them to install a plugin like shockwave or flash player, which most people have done.

[Lupin]

Doesn't sound like a Firefox issue, sounds more like your university network firewall... Firefox doesn't actively filter hosts AFAIK (except through extensions). Try disabling select extensions and see?

I don't think it's a uni firewall problem. The OP already said he used IE and it worked fine.

[Aesthesis]

Thanks for the great response guys. 

1. Clear cache
2. Clear cookies
3. If both fails reinstall Firefox

There's the answer straight away. I'm not sure which one fixed the problem but most of the sites now load up like normal; kinda curious as to what caused the problem though.

Cleaning cache sounds good.

But why not have all websites through proxy? Why just certain?

'Why not use a proxy anyway?'? As much as I like the idea of anonymity, most of the proxies I've tried have problems with the sites I use day to day. Smart.fm in particular as the interactive apps they have there fail with most all proxies I've tried. If you know of a good one that could work then feel free to recommend.  

[Mikan]

If your looking for a nice proxy I can recommend Tor. I bring that around on  usb to school and it also has built in msn, etc. (friend told me some goverment agency uses it? cant b sure.) But its A-Class stuff. and fully open source now.

[fohfoh]

I just use foxy proxy. A single click in the bottom right hand corner can easily turn it off if you run into problems. It's also not hard to set up. I've never had issues with anything I've accessed though...