Timing out on certain URLs

Question

I have an internet connection via my local cable provider. I have a cable modem with a wireless router connected to it. About 5 days ago I started having trouble reaching certain websites that I frequent, as well as trouble running an online game (World of Tanks). My provider said there was a server problem that was being worked on. Fast forward... the server trouble has been fixed, but I'm still having very unusual problems. (My biggest concern is that I want to be able to run World of Tanks again.)

Symptoms:

• I have internet access to most sites.
• Intermittent connectivity (sometimes the pages load, but frequently they time out) to specific websites, including:
  • ObsidianPortal.com
  • WorldOfTanks.com
• Pinging ObsidianPortal.com times out with 100% packet loss.
• Pinging WorldOfTanks.com times out with 100% packet loss.
• tracert returns about 8 hops or so before I start getting "request timed out" results.
• technical support by my ISP shows, "nothing wrong" with my connection.

Environment:

• 3 different computers running Windows 7 and Windows 10.
• Netgear Cable modem with 25 mbps service from ISP.
• Netgear Wireless-N router.

So I'm at a loss for how to proceed with troubleshooting this. I've tried 3 different computers all with the same results. I've tried turning off my firewall: same results. I've contacted a few other people to try their WoT games or to connect to ObsidianPortal, and they all had success.

One last thing which may or may not be pertinent. Accessing ObsidianPortal.com using IE or Edge gives an error to me about 75% of my page load attempts. But if I try using Chrome, I only get errors about 10-20% of the time. But remember that prior to 5 days ago, all of this worked without issue every time.

Thanks, in advance.

EDIT:

So one week after my problems began, I has a cable tech scheduled to arrive. Just before his arrival window, I pulled up my computer and tried to get everything ready to show him what was going on. Sure enough, it was all working perfectly, now. As of today, it's 4 days later and things are still working as well as they did before this whole issue began. I strongly suspect it was something that Comcast did and didn't tell me about. Regardless, the problems ended. I appreciate your time. Thanks.

Answer 1

If both the modem and WiFi device are acting as routers, I would fix that first. You only need 1 router, unless you have good reasons. With the WiFi device, router functionality can be avoided by exclusively using only the LAN ethernet ports. Or, you can try putting the modem in bridge mode (no routing) and setup the Netgear as the gateway router.

You mentioned disabling a firewall. Which device? If my 2 router assumption is accurate, both devices will be firewalled, along with a number of other unnecessarily redundant and possibly conflicting services.

Or maybe the networks beyond your control are responsible, which means fixing your network will help pass the time until the other networks are fixed. ;)