Various Network Issues

[Cmp™]

For a while, I've been having issues with my connection to various sites. Every so often, I'll get an SSL error when I try to connect to Google or sometimes, Google will redirect to Yahoo's YPI or some shit. When I research as to why that is happening, I keep getting results that it's a virus, but I've run Malwarebytes and it doesn't find anything. Yet the issue still happens.

I've also been having periodic connection issues with Steam. I'll still be online and I can chat with people on my friends list and such, but I can't access to the Community pages or Store, but I can access Steam Support. I'm 99% sure that it's a problem on their end, because this only started happening recently and I hadn't changed any network settings within a few days before it started happening, but if anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears. I read it could be a port issue and when I scanned my ports, they were all closed. Apparently I'm supposed to open them with a rule in Windows Firewall, but that doesn't seem to have any effect...

The last main issue I've been having is a higher ping. Usually, on the TF2 servers, I average around 60. For the past week, I've been hitting 90, which is tolerable (for me). Today, it's jumping between 140 and 375, hovering about 225. And I have no idea why. It seems to be just Darkly that I have these issues on, but I don't know what would change that in the span of a day as I had a decent connection yesterday.

I'm on a wireless network. Router is a WRT310Nv2.
Windows 8.1 (it sucks, I know)

Side note, yes, I am an IT major and I should know how to solve these things, but without getting too personal or longwinded, I'll just say that my education hasn't been top notch. I have plans to fill these knowledge gaps soon, but for now, I'd appreciate some help.

Anyway, if you guys could help me, I'd greatly appreciate it, because I have no fucking clue here.

 

[up-n-atom]

Check your DNS servers and your router model is 1 of the many that have been exposed to exploitation. I'd suggest installing the latest Linksys firmware on your router. Most technology news sites report about major router exploits (Keep up to date). Here's examples of some recent news, 'Hackers hijack 300,000-plus wireless routers, make malicious changes', 'Bizarre attack infects Linksys routers with self-replicating malware'. Installing 3rd-party firmware usually alleviates these problems so look into installing DD-WRT (Search router database for latest release "v24-21061" and follow these old INSTRUCTIONS ignoring the recommended release suggestions) *AT YOUR OWN RISK*. If instead you'd rather purchase a new router look at companies like Buffalo Technology (w/ DD-WRT pre-installed, I use a WZR-HP-G300NH for wireless network in AP mode), Ubiquiti Networks, or DIY w/ pfSense (I use this on a salvaged PC for wired network, Example). Use 3rd-party DNS servers Google DNS and/or OpenDNS (I use them w/ all protection enabled and a few filtering rules). Install an anti-virus on your PC (WIndows 8.1 contains Security Essentials) and/or be very conscious of what your downloading. If all else fails then a backup and format is all the more obvious. All of the above will help you with your IT career as well.

 

[$alvador]

If you're using your ISP's DNS, I'd first try switching to Google's DNS (8.8.8.8) and seeing if that changes things. If not, try connecting a different computer/device to your router and seeing if you have the same issues, just to rule out the PC as a source of the problem.

 

[OG buckshot jr]

You're getting nailed by heartbleed. We thank you for your visa, and your sister for her naked selfies.

 

[Cmp™]

I'm almost positive that it's the network as my iPod touch also gets the SSL error that I referenced and it is on the same network.

The router isn't solely mine, so I'm reluctant to put the 3rd party firmware on there and the Linksys site does not show an available firmware update. However, if this continues to be a problem, I'll try and convince my parents to let me at least try it. (Bookmarked the pages for future reference).

I changed my DNS servers to Google as preferred and OpenDNS as an alternate.

I'm always cautious/paranoid about what I download and from where.

Thanks for the advice, guys, I really appreciate it. If one of the issues goes away, I'll let you know.

 

[up-n-atom]

I'm almost positive that it's the network as my iPod touch also gets the SSL error that I referenced and it is on the same network.

The router isn't solely mine, so I'm reluctant to put the 3rd party firmware on there and the Linksys site does not show an available firmware update. However, if this continues to be a problem, I'll try and convince my parents to let me at least try it. (Bookmarked the pages for future reference).

I changed my DNS servers to Google as preferred and OpenDNS as an alternate.

I'm always cautious/paranoid about what I download and from where.

Thanks for the advice, guys, I really appreciate it. If one of the issues goes away, I'll let you know.

Hopefully you set the DNS servers in the router and verified them to be correct. If you use OpenDNS 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220 you can double check by going to http://www.opendns.com/welcome/ (Shows a checkmark for success or a cross for failure) as well as the routers status page. In Windows if you run nslookup www.google.com you should see the Address of your router, and now you'd want to verify on the router via console if accessible. If you set your DNS servers in Windows there is the possibility that if your router has been hacked they may have set a NAT filter to intercept it to their malicious DNS server (Linux/DD-WRT example (iptables), this is what I do on my network to force OpenDNS filtering). Also flush your DNS cache in Windows by running ipconfig /flushdns. FYI OpenDNS usually performs better in Eastern Canada/US compared to Google DNS.

 

[Cmp™]

Really glad I checked back on this so soon. I actually originally only did the Windows DNS settings, but I'm glad I changed that.

I'm usually the one that handles the actual settings in the router in my family, so I've changed those DNS settings to OpenDNS and it is working, according to OpenDNS.

Again, thank you very much for all your help with this. I greatly appreciate it.

 

[up-n-atom]

Really glad I checked back on this so soon. I actually originally only did the Windows DNS settings, but I'm glad I changed that.

I'm usually the one that handles the actual settings in the router in my family, so I've changed those DNS settings to OpenDNS and it is working, according to OpenDNS.

Again, thank you very much for all your help with this. I greatly appreciate it.

If the location information from your profile is correct you should get similar results from OpenDNS vs Google Public DNS. OpenDNS closest server to you would be Seattle, Washington, while Google's is, The Dalles, Oregon. It's up to you which to choose; server locations http://system.opendns.com/ and https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/faq#locations. Google major CDNs to see how they resolve to those locations as opposed to your ISP DNS server. As for your higher ping it's most likely some routing issues which can be temporary, but may be permanent, you can observe your routing conditions in Windows by running tracert <ip/url to server> (Darkly TF2: tracert 208.68.90.174). Have fun being a network overlord :P