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To check whether a website is online, make an external HTTP request, retry it from your own browser and inspect the result with curl -I https://example.com. Then test DNS, TCP, TLS, HTTP status and (when useful) the network route. Finally, repeat the check from another network or region. A site can be reachable for one location and unavailable for another, so one failed page load is not proof of a global outage.
What “online” actually means
Website availability has layers. A hostname may resolve in DNS while the web server is unhealthy; HTTPS may negotiate successfully while the application returns an error page. Check each layer rather than treating “the browser loaded” or “ping failed” as a complete diagnosis.
| Signal | What it establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| DNS resolution | The hostname maps to an address from that resolver | That the web server or application is healthy |
| TCP connection | A connection reached the target port | That the page returned usable content |
| TLS handshake and certificate | HTTPS negotiation and certificate validation succeeded | That the application returns the right page |
| HTTP 2xx or 3xx | The server answered successfully or redirected | That every region, user or page works |
| HTTP 4xx | The server answered but rejected the request or resource | That the whole site is offline |
| HTTP 5xx | The server or an upstream reported a failure | The precise cause without server logs |
| Ping | ICMP echo reachability when allowed | Website availability; ICMP may be blocked |
| Traceroute | Where the observed network path may stop | Definitive proof of a failing device, because hops can suppress replies |
As Emercom puts it, “A ping says ‘the server is alive’. An HTTP check says ‘the website is actually working’.” Use HTTP as the primary test.
Fast workflow for a site that will not open
1. Retry in a clean browser context
- Copy the complete URL and open it in a private or incognito window.
- Try another browser.
- Temporarily disable extensions, ad blockers and a VPN, then retry.
- Check a second page on the same domain. If only one URL fails, the site may be online while that route or resource is broken.
- Try the same URL on mobile data. If it works there but not on Wi-Fi, suspect your local network, DNS resolver or ISP.
Record the exact message: DNS error, certificate warning, timeout, connection refusal, HTTP status or an application error. The wording identifies the layer to test next.
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2. Run an external HTTP check
An availability checker tests the URL from outside your network. Depending on the service, it can test DNS resolution, TCP connection, TLS, HTTP status, response time, redirects and sometimes returned content. This separates a local problem from an issue visible to an independent observer.
Read the result carefully. A 200 response normally means the server returned a successful response; a 301 or 302 means it answered and redirected. A 401, 403 or 404 is still a response from a reachable server, although access may be denied or the requested resource may not exist. A 500-series response indicates a server-side or upstream failure, not necessarily a total outage.
3. Confirm with curl
From Linux, macOS or Windows with curl installed, run:
curl -I https://example.comThe first line shows the HTTP status. Headers can reveal redirects, caching and server behavior. Follow redirects when you need the final destination:
curl -IL https://example.comA timeout or “could not resolve host” is different from an HTTP 503. Keep the complete output when reporting an incident.
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4. Test DNS, reachability and the route
Use DNS tools to determine whether your resolver can find an address:
nslookup example.com
# or
dig example.comTest ICMP reachability, but do not treat failure as proof that the website is offline:
# Linux/macOS
ping -c 4 example.com
# Windows
ping -n 4 example.comInspect the route when packets appear to stop between you and the host:
# Linux/macOS
traceroute example.com
# Windows
tracert example.comRouters often suppress traceroute replies, so asterisks or a missing hop identify an observation, not a definitive failing device.
5. Compare vantage points
Repeat the HTTP test over mobile data, another Wi-Fi connection or a different DNS resolver. If possible, use probes in a second region. A single external probe is one observation from one location and time. As OrbitProbe notes, a site can be reachable from its server and unreachable for you because of your network, resolver or a regional outage—and the reverse can also happen.
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Interpreting common results
DNS failure
“Could not resolve host” or an empty DNS answer means the name did not resolve through that resolver. Check for a mistyped hostname, an expired or misconfigured DNS record, a stale local cache or resolver outage. Compare nslookup results on another network before concluding the domain is globally broken.
TLS or certificate error
An expired, mismatched or otherwise invalid certificate prevents HTTPS negotiation even when the host is reachable. Verify your device clock, test the exact hostname (including www), and do not bypass certificate warnings for a production site.
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A timeout means the connection did not complete within the allowed period; a refusal means the target actively rejected the connection. Check firewall rules, VPN or proxy settings, local connectivity and the route. Repeat externally to distinguish your network from the destination.
4xx response
The server is reachable but rejected the request or resource. Authentication, authorization, rate limits, geo restrictions and a missing path can all produce 4xx statuses. A 403 or 404 is not evidence that the entire website is offline.
5xx response
The server or an upstream component reported a failure. Retry after a short interval and test another page. Logs, reverse-proxy metrics and origin health checks are required to identify the root cause; the status code alone cannot do that.
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Ping fails while HTTP works
Many hosts block ICMP while permitting TCP 443. If curl returns a normal HTTP response, the failed ping is an ICMP policy, not proof of downtime.
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Use a one-time checker when you need to know whether a URL responded just now. It cannot tell you whether the site was down earlier, how long an incident lasted or whether failures are intermittent. Continuous monitoring performs recurring checks, stores history and sends alerts. Choose a method by the layers it covers (DNS, TCP, TLS, HTTP and content), probe locations, historical data, alerting, authentication or bot-block handling, and whether it works without installing software. Agreement among multiple regions increases confidence that an outage is global.
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Troubleshooting checklist
- Only you see the error: clear DNS or browser cache, disable VPN and extensions, then compare with mobile data.
- DNS differs by network: compare resolvers and inspect the domain’s records; allow for propagation or resolver caching.
- HTTP redirects endlessly: use
curl -IL, check HTTP-to-HTTPS and www/non-www rules, and inspect proxy configuration. - 403 or CAPTCHA: the server is reachable but is applying access controls. Test an authorized session; do not equate the block with downtime.
- Intermittent 5xx or timeouts: repeat from multiple regions and preserve timestamps, status codes and response times for the operator.
- Screenshot is blank: inspect
X-Page-Verdict, wait for a selector or network idle, and check whether a bot challenge prevents rendering.
When to call it an outage
Call an outage only after an HTTP failure is reproducible from more than one independent network or region, or after your monitoring history shows correlated failures. Keep local DNS, VPN, firewall, browser and ISP issues separate from a global service incident. For a high-value site, configure recurring multi-region checks and alerts so the next incident produces history instead of guesswork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a 404 mean the website is down?
No. A 404 confirms that a reachable server could not find the requested resource. Test the domain root and another known page before diagnosing a site-wide outage.
Why can a website work for coworkers but not me?
Different DNS resolvers, ISPs, VPNs, firewalls, caches or regional routes can produce different results. Compare the URL over another network and with an external probe.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
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Choose an interval appropriate to the service’s risk and traffic, then use recurring checks with history, alerts and more than one probe region.
Quick Recap
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