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ONE website crashes my modem - only with Firefox.

  • 21 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 5 views
  • Last reply by Shadow110

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Sorry, but this is a repeat of an old problem, with a new glitch.

This is the text of the old question: "When I connect to homedepot.com, after a minute or so, I lose my DSL connection (red light on modem). This ALWAYS happens on that web site and ONLY on that web site. What the hell? It does not happen with (ugh) internet explorer. I am using Firefox 54.0.1 64-bit on Windows 7, SP1."

I have updated to the latest Firefox, and still have the problem on the computer.

I also use Firefox on my Android phone. Today, I connected to homedepot.com using the phone through my wi-fi router. The modem crashed. After reconnecting, I connected to the same site - again through my wi-fi router - using Chrome on my phone, and there was no problem. So it isn't the computer's OS, as was suggested. I have been using Firefox since version 1.0 and have never had any serious - or strange - problems. Hate to give up on it. Any ideas?

Sorry, but this is a repeat of an old problem, with a new glitch. This is the text of the old question: "When I connect to homedepot.com, after a minute or so, I lose my DSL connection (red light on modem). This ALWAYS happens on that web site and ONLY on that web site. What the hell? It does not happen with (ugh) internet explorer. I am using Firefox 54.0.1 64-bit on Windows 7, SP1." I have updated to the latest Firefox, and still have the problem on the computer. I also use Firefox on my Android phone. Today, I connected to homedepot.com using the phone through my wi-fi router. The modem crashed. After reconnecting, I connected to the same site - again through my wi-fi router - using Chrome on my phone, and there was no problem. So it isn't the computer's OS, as was suggested. I have been using Firefox since version 1.0 and have never had any serious - or strange - problems. Hate to give up on it. Any ideas?

Chosen solution

I changed the DNS in my router and then browsed homedepot.com for about ten minutes with no problems.

I had connected the computer directly to the modem, without the router, and still had the problem. But I guess I was using the default DNS then as well.

So I am going to call this fixed and I really do appreciate all of your assistance,

But the fact remains that only Firefox gave this problem. Chrome and IE did not cause the failure.

Again, thanks to all of you.

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All Replies (20)

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Hi, do what you have to do over 1 site. As this forum is for Desktops/Laptops/Pads you are in the wrong place for a Support for a phone : https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/products/mobile

When you go there please list your extensions and any security software you maybe using on your phone. Thank You.

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I'm not looking for phone support. DId you not notice that the problem occurs on both the computer and the phone? Some respondents to the first question insisted that my problem was with the Windows operating system. The fact that the problem also occurs on the phone - and only with Firefox - would show that it is not the computer's OS, and the fact that it happens on the computer would indicate that it is not a problem only with the phone. It may be a problem with the web site, but it still only happens with Firefox.

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Please try : SAFE MODE

In Firefox Safe mode these changes are effective:

  • all extensions are disabled (about:addons)
  • default theme is used (no persona)
  • userChrome.css and userContent.css are ignored (chrome folder)
  • default toolbar layout is used (file: localstore-safe.rdf)
  • Javascript JIT compilers are disabled (prefs: javascript.options.*jit)
  • hardware acceleration is disabled (Options > Advanced > General)
  • plugins are not affected
  • preferences are not affected

TEST''''is issue still there ?

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On my computer:

 Tried Safe Mode.
 The issue is still there.
 Tried Refresh.
 The Issue is still there.

Keep in mind that the issue is also present when I use mobile Firefox on an Android phone using wi-fi to connect to the DSL modem through my router.

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Okay, I see your earlier thread here: DSL connection lost on homedepot.com. And the problem has continued since Firefox 54?

Hmm, what could possibly be special about the Home Depot site...

The only thing I consider a little bit unusual is it triggers a request to share your location. If you agree to share, Firefox should ask your device for location data. On Windows, nearby wi-fi hotspot names (SSIDs) are sent to Google's location service to get estimated lat/lon, and then that info is provided to the site.

That process is not unique to Home Depot, but if you never share your location on any other site, perhaps that is a factor.

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Excellent idea. Unfortunately, it didn't help.

I removed all 46 of the HomeDepot cookies and tried again. The site asked for my location, and I said no. The problem continued. I tried again and gave permission to use my location. It placed me in Atlanta Georgia, which is about 2,300 miles away. I gave it my zip code and it connected me to the correct store (5 miles away). Then it crashed again.

I tried this on the Windows 7 Pro machine and also on the XP machine (FF version 52.8.1 esr). Got the same result.

Because it happens on both machines and on the phone, it has to be something between the modem and the HD web site. Right?

Remember that old movie "Ghost in the Machine"?

I don't want to waste any more of your time on this. If I ever discover the problem, I'll let you know what I find.

This is very frustrating for me, as I worked for three decades as a software engineer and I can't stand not being able to debug something.

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Did what you did said no to location and login to HomeDepot and loaded without problems. I think the problem is your DSL modem is unable to handle the traffic cause its seem to crash just from connections.

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Appreciate your reply, WestEnd. Thank you. No doubt the modem is crap - it's from AT&T. But the problem only occurs with HomeDepot.com; it's not a simple connection problem. Sometimes it takes a couple of minutes of browsing the site before it craps out. And I do believe it is the modem that fails. The fact that the problem occurs only with Firefox - on three different devices and with five different versions of Firefox - makes me think that the web site is doing something hinky which Firefox is not catching.

I'm going to try the Web Developer tools which come with Firefox and see if I can find something. Does anyone with experience with these tools have a suggestion as to how I should approach it? Which of the tools to use, or in what order? (God, I miss assembly language.)

Modified by _Howard

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Have you looked in Windows Event Viewer as to what/program/file is causing the modem to crash at the time stamp it crashes at ?

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No, I haven't done that, but I will give it a shot. Thanks for the idea. But I have the same problem with the modem crashing on homedepot when I am using my phone on wi-fi, which uses the same modem as the computer.

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Hi, ya read that. But Event Viewer may point you in a direction if can try it on all Desktops/laptops. It is possible that it will say Firefox or it may point to something else that is fixable or it may point to the modem which you can get exchanged from AT&T (would not know as they do not exist here).

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Did you try to reset the modem? Did you check if there is an update for the firmware of the modem?

There could be a problem with the packet size that is too large on that website or otherwise something unexpected is send and that makes the modem crash (buffer overflow).

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Pkshadow: I browsed the website until the modem crashed. There is nothing in the Event Viewer about that crash. Not a mention of it.

cor-el: I have reset the modem countless times. The modem checks for updates the 24th of every month at 4:29 am, and installs them automatically.

Since the last crash, the modem has reset itself and the browser tab that had been left open on homedepot at the time of the crash is working. For now. Strange.

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Okay. After clicking a link to change to a new page on the homedepot web site, the new page came up - but not completely - and the modem failed. I had the debugger running, and it showed a document that was supposed to be downloaded, but was not.

I checked Event Viewer and it showed "Event 1014 DNS Client Events". The property page for the event said "Name resolution for the name detectportal.firefox.com timed out after none of the configured DNS servers responded."

After the modem began responding again, I reloaded the page where the problem occurred and the missing document downloaded. All was working again.

Do I have a DNS problem that only shows up on one web site?

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HI, are you running any of the following : security software like Avast/AVG, Kaspersky,BitDefender and ESET that intercept secure connections and send their own certificate.

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Firefox's Tracking Protection feature. When it is blocking content in a page, a shield icon will appear at the left end of the address bar next to the padlock icon. This article has more info on managing this feature: Tracking Protection https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/tracking-protection

It is possible this is blocking something,

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I am using Bitdefender.

Yes, I get the blocking content shield on every page of homedepot that I have looked at. I also use AdBlock, but I have previously disabled it with no change in the problem.

I cannot remember whether or not I have disabled tracking. Guess I should try that.

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Well, I disabled tracking protection and it made no difference; still a problem.

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Hi, so ya weird. Am wondering why that is going on as to their Web page only. You can turn it off : network.captive-portal-service.enabled pref to false But it is for wi-fi and asking you if you want to connect.

See what happens.

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Chosen Solution

I changed the DNS in my router and then browsed homedepot.com for about ten minutes with no problems.

I had connected the computer directly to the modem, without the router, and still had the problem. But I guess I was using the default DNS then as well.

So I am going to call this fixed and I really do appreciate all of your assistance,

But the fact remains that only Firefox gave this problem. Chrome and IE did not cause the failure.

Again, thanks to all of you.

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