Strange issue with HTTPS URLs in Firefox 5

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I have a very annoying problem with Firefox 5 (Windows): whenever I open a new tab and enter an HTTPS URL (like Twitter, Google Mail, ...), the page does not load and after a while I get the standard Firefox page not found screen1).

Now, when I just press the button on that screen (Nochmal versuchen in German, I guess it's like try again in English versions), the page loads normaly, just as expected. It's like every secured connection needs an extra kick in the... ... an extra invitation.

I tried to monitor this with Firebug, but there's no trace of any HTTP(S) request. Malware scanners don't report anything on my box.

Anyone any idea what could cause this problem or any idea how to find the reason?

Addition - Monitored the process with wireshark. I see a series of DNS request for verisign names. The DNS server sends answers back, but they seem to be ignored:

82  23.528183   192.168.178.31  192.168.178.1   DNS Standard query A evsecure-ocsp.verisign.com
84  23.576186   192.168.178.1   192.168.178.31  DNS Standard query response CNAME ocsp.verisign.net A 199.7.51.72
87  24.531198   192.168.178.31  192.168.178.1   DNS Standard query A evsecure-ocsp.verisign.com
91  25.530960   192.168.178.31  192.168.178.1   DNS Standard query A evsecure-ocsp.verisign.com
93  25.599791   192.168.178.1   192.168.178.31  DNS Standard query response CNAME ocsp.verisign.net A 199.7.51.72
94  27.522046   192.168.178.31  192.168.178.1   DNS Standard query A evsecure-ocsp.verisign.com
96  27.569982   192.168.178.1   192.168.178.31  DNS Standard query response CNAME ocsp.verisign.net A 199.7.55.72
100 31.524264   192.168.178.31  192.168.178.1   DNS Standard query A evsecure-ocsp.verisign.com
102 31.605979   192.168.178.1   192.168.178.31  DNS Standard query response CNAME ocsp.verisign.net A 199.7.55.72

The last message I see is a connection reset.

1)

A commenter requested the text from the status screen.

Fehler: Datenübertragung unterbrochen

Die Verbindung zu twitter.com wurde unterbrochen, während die Seite geladen wurde.

Andreas_D

Posted 2011-07-02T19:34:22.967

Reputation: 163

Can't replicate. Tried a reinstall? – random – 2011-07-02T19:46:45.800

1Firefox doesn't have a "standard page not found screen". It does, however, have standard screens for DNS failures ("Host not found") and OCSP failures ("Certificate revocation checking failed"). Could you post the exact text displayed? – user1686 – 2011-07-02T22:00:53.040

@grawity (in german language? ...) I know that it has no standard screen, just wanted to point out, that it's not some server error message. – Andreas_D – 2011-07-03T09:03:03.007

Answers

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The error you are seeing is not DNS related, is is after that point probably during SSL negotiation.

SSL negotiation can fail due to a flakey connection, and if you are confident in your local network connection, I would suggest looking at whether your ISP is contributing to the problem. Perhaps if they are using caching proxies and inadvertently interfering with the SSL connection.

Try a different method of connecting, then raise a ticket with your ISP if you are unable to reproduce with the same machine on a different network.

Paul

Posted 2011-07-02T19:34:22.967

Reputation: 52 173

Asked: 2011-07-02T19:34:22.967

Viewed: 685 times

Active: 2012-01-20T04:41:50.237