502963 - Problem loading page "Server not found"

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[Brian]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1) Gecko/20090624 Firefox/3.5 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1) Gecko/20090624 Firefox/3.5 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)

After clicking on any link to a website, and waiting for about 15-30 seconds, I will get a "Server not found" that Firefox can't find the server.  I would have to refresh the page in order to get the website loaded.

Reproducible: Sometimes

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Click on a random link to any website and wait to see.  This happens sometimes.  More often when I first open Firefox.

Actual Results:  
This will happen at random.

Expected Results:  
Find the website?

Comment 1

[Ria Klaassen (not reading all bugmail)]

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.2a1pre) Gecko/20090707 Minefield/3.6a1pre

This happens here only if the server is very busy, but in that case it is also reported in the error message. 
Please see http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/error+loading+web+sites for a possible solution.

Comment 2

[Sami Ammous]

i face the same issue. random websites won't load, but it doesn't take 10 seconds, it happens immediately. i would click reload a couple of times and the page loads normally. i suspected it's a network connection, but other tabs would be loading without issue. chrome doesn't face the issue. i don't face this on ubuntu. i started facing this only in 3.5. it's most readily seen while stumbling. and it's not a traffic issue (i rarely have more than 3 or 4 tabs open)

Comment 3

[Kevin]

Vista; x86; Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.1.1) Gecko/20090715 Firefox; 
The connection is UVerse broadband and the PC hardware is more than sufficient.

Firefox throws this message:
"Problem Loading Page - 
Server not found
Firefox can't find the server at news.yahoo.com.
    *   Check the address for typing errors such as
          ww.example.com instead of
          www.example.com
    *   If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's network
          connection.
    *   If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure that Firefox is permitted to access the Web."

None of the listed examples are happening.  It is random/intermittent regardless of time or site being navigated to yet it almost always connects when the "Try Again" button is pressed.

This seems to have started after I applied the most recent update.
The descriptions above seem to be true for me also...

The problem may not be earth shattering but it's definitely wrong and is a definite royal pain to have to frequently take extra steps...

Thanks for your time.

Comment 4

[Boyd]

Kevin, 

I have the exact same problem since updating the last release, I tested IE - no issue, made sure it was a connection issue, also check my identical sister PC, which I haven't upgraded it.
No problem on that PC. 

Comcast Cable, XP, Firefox 3.5.3, lost of ram etc

Comment 5

[JoshuaTausz]

I have the same problem using 3.6 on Vista, however it also occurs when going to pages stored in the memory of my address bar, or in my bookmarks.  I've seen comments about the same on forums, and this seems to have caused some people to switch browsers.

Comment 6

[JoshuaTausz]

Pardon, additional information.

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.2) Gecko/20100115 Firefox/3.6 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)

One such sight that it refused to work on was http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php

Comment 7

[Marat]

I have had the same problem, i.e., click on a link to open in a new tab and immediately it says "Problem loading page", and as soon as I refresh or "try again" it will load fine.  Not sure what version this started on, but other have stated 3.5+, so my guess is around 3.6.0 and ongoing.  Cannot reproduce with Safari, IE, or Opera on other computers, but the other computers I have with Firefox also exhibit the same quirk.

No bandwidth issues or network congestion, either.  I am on at all times of day and night, and clock time does not change the frequency of this bug.  I have AT&T 6Mbps DSL (768Kbps up), P4-3.0/3GB/WinXP Pro SP3/FF 3.6.3 -- happens whether it is second tab or tenth.  Not a deal-breaker, but it is annoying.  I've been using this program since it was Phoenix, then Firebird.  Only issue I have ever felt worth reporting are this page-load problem.

Comment 8

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

Reporter, Firefox 4.0.1 has been released, and it features significant improvements over previous releases. Can you please update to Firefox 4.0.1 or later, and retest your bug? Please also create a fresh profile (
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles), update your plugins (Flash, Java, Quicktime, Reader, etc) and update your graphics driver and Operating system to the latest versions available. 

If you still continue to see this issue, please comment. If you do not, please close this bug as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME

filter: prefirefox4uncobugs

Comment 9

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

No reply, INCOMPLETE. Please retest with Firefox 5 or later and a new profile (http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles). If you continue to see this issue with the newest firefox and a new profile, then please comment on this bug.