1 Yep, it's looking much better now.  Softlayer posted this message:

We have turned down our BGP peer with Global Crossing in response to numerous complaints of connectivity issues. We will continue to monitor this situation closely until Global Crossing has resolved this fully.

2 Is there a new virus floating around that has got everything boloxed up? My machine just picked up a Winfixer bug (caught it, thankfully) off 8-bit Theater over at nuklearpower.

3 Will, why are you posting that here? What's it got to do with me?

4 Concern that a big spreading virus might be the cause of the internet troubles?

( though, how exactly can you catch a virus off of a web page? )

5

That's mostly it. If there's a new bug out there that everybody's fighting with, it could casue connection problems. Our IT lady mentioned there was a big critical update coming out for Windows today as well. Hopefully the connection troubles are local and easy to fix.

As for catching a virus from a web page, you do it the same way you get spyware and malware. Some sites are malicious and will fish for hits (beware most bittorrent and warez sites) and send along all kinds of nasty stuff back through your browser. Others are compromised by a third party looking to spread their particular bug.

6

how exactly can you catch a virus off of a web page?

It helps if you run IE.

Anyway, this problem doesn't appear to have anything to do with viruses, but with specific routing problems in the Global Exchange network in Texas.

7

There are known exploits for IE that can force code on you involuntarily and infect your system. Most of those have already been patched by Microsoft, but a lot of people are behind on their patches.

But as Pixy says, the problems I've been having for the last few days have nothing whatever to do with that.

8 Ah, okay.  *hugs copy of Firefox*

9 There are people that still use IE?

10 I've enabled a second web server, so you now show up at two IP addresses.  If you see anything untowards, you know who to yell at.

11 ubo roi- Mostly people who don't know about Firefox, or are technically unsure and unwilling to DL something.  It took until IE7 before I could convince my mom to switch, for example. . . and even that depended on the fact that Firefox is actually *more* like IE6 than IE7 is.

( I don't care what upgrades they have, IE7 has to be the stupidest interface 'upgrade' ever )