Some websites won’t load through your router? Compare connection paths first, then check device settings

If some websites are difficult to access only when connecting through a router, the issue may involve the router’s settings, but that does not establish a hardware fault. In the supplied discussions, one person eventually traced the problem to router settings, while others had not yet found the cause. Troubleshooting should begin by comparing results when connecting directly to the modem, through the router, and on other devices, then confirming the device models, which device establishes the PPPoE connection, and the specific errors. The fact that “other websites load” is not enough to identify where the problem lies.

First, distinguish the connection paths and symptoms

One person reported that the same computer could access certain websites when connected directly to the modem, but access through the router was intermittent: refreshing a page could cause it to fail again, and sometimes switching browsers was necessary to connect. In another case, a phone and tablet connected to the home router could not access a company website or Google services, but access returned when they switched to a phone’s hotspot. These are differences in results under different connection methods, not evidence of a single confirmed cause.

• Record which websites fail and whether the results differ between a direct connection and a connection through the router.
• Record certificate warnings, connection timeouts, and occasional successful connections separately, rather than simply noting “no internet access.”
• Check whether other computers in the home are affected; the supplied material includes a case in which a family member could still connect normally using a newer version of Chrome.

Identify the devices and their roles before considering settings changes

A participant initially speculated that the device connected behind the modem was a switch, while later replies treated it as a router. The model, whether its settings page is accessible, and which device currently establishes the PPPoE connection should therefore be confirmed first. The number of ports alone should not determine how to proceed.

One comment suggested that the modem and router might both be handling PPPoE connections or DHCP and recommended adjusting their roles. Another proposed putting the router into bridge mode with DHCP, NAT, and PPPoE disabled, then testing with a switch for comparison. These are troubleshooting suggestions that still need verification, not confirmation of double NAT or settings that every household should apply.Even if using a switch resolves the issue, the original comment said only that the router “might” be old and faulty.

Use a direct connection to narrow down the issue, while retaining each case’s conditions

One reply suggested the following: if restarting the modem and router does not help, connect the computer directly to the modem and test using a PPPoE connection. If the problem persists, ask the service provider to test on-site with a laptop, and address the computer only after the provider’s test works normally. This was the sequence proposed in that comment; not every connection setup requires the user to initiate a PPPoE connection.

Another suggestion had different conditions: other computers worked normally, the affected computer worked normally when connected directly, and the user lacked permission to change the router’s settings. Under those conditions, the recommendation was to troubleshoot the user’s own computer first. These two suggestions should not be combined into a fixed procedure. Whether equipment changes are permitted and whether the problem affects only one device will influence the next step.

A suggested method is not necessarily a confirmed solution

Someone in the supplied material suggested changing DNS settings, but no successful outcome was reported. The person asking the question reported that disabling Chrome’s “Always use secure connections” setting did not help, and deleting cookies did not improve the situation either. These actions therefore cannot be presented as definite solutions. The discussions support comparing connection paths, checking settings, and narrowing down the issue, but do not establish the precise root cause of the certificate warnings or timeouts.