I just cleared my cookies and tried IE. It worked for me without any issue. I have the google toolbar installed, but I don't imagine that would help in any way.

I have also just signed up sucessfully using IE, thanks Heather

Hm. It's a "Cannot find server or DNS error" that I'm getting. Why would I get a DNS error on IE but not on firefox? That makes no sense. They're using the same proxy server, on the same line, using the same DNS and everything. I don't get it.

Going through a proxy by any chance? Check the Firefox proxy settings vs. the IE ones.

Yes, they are both going through the same proxy. In this case, the proxy happens to be the "Ms proxy client" version 2. Which is to say that they both have their proxy settings blank and the OS uses a lower level driver to redirect all non-local TCP communications through the proxy server. All perfectly normal stuff that has worked for years and is in fact working now for every other web site, secure or not.

Also note... I get the exact same behavior on my home computer which is not going through a proxy at all and is just regular dial up.

It's also not the ISP because I'm going through two different ones depending on whether I'm at home or work, and I get the same behavior on both.

Although I think both ISPs use the same DNS server, which is Pacific Bell. But why would one browser fail while another one works, when both are using the same DNS server?

This is so freaking weird.

I've had weird problems comparable to what you're experiencing when surfing GMail from Marriott Courtyard hotels, which use one of these awful transparent proxy services. My guess is that there's some JavaScript inside the GMail client that's trying to work about proxy server weirdness, and that JavaScript works better in Firefox than in IE.

I'd suggest filing it as a bug and seeing how the respond.

Have you tried https://gmail.google.com/ without the querystring? The querystring isn't necessary if you go directly to the ssl address. I wouldn't think that the querystring would be messing you up, but maybe...

My guess is that there's some JavaScript inside the GMail client that's trying to work about proxy server weirdness, and that JavaScript works better in Firefox than in IE.

Then why would I get the same behavior on my dialup line at home which doesn't go through a proxy server at all?

Have you tried https://gmail.google.com/ without the querystring?

That sounded promising. Only I get the same result, cannot find server or DNS error. Darn.

You may not know about your ISP's tranparent proxy.

That sounded promising. Only I get the same result

Dang it... Well, you could of course throw:

216.239.57.107 gmail.google.com

into your hosts file. If you can get to it then it's obviously your dns server you are using that's causing the problem, or the dns server your dns server is using, or the...

Some people on a listserv I belong to said they had trouble accessing Google today. I have a feeling Akamai might be having some regional DNS problems.

I have a feeling Akamai might be having some regional DNS problems.

Maybe more than regional.

But the fact that http://gmail.google.com/ works and https://gmail.google.com/ doesn't points away from DNS and towards some other proxy/firewall/NAT traveshamockery in-between.

Something weird is definitely happening because...

Non-secure links to the invites, such as http://gmail.google.com/gmail/<invite_code_here> work for me in IE

Secure links to the invites, such as https://gmail.google.com/gmail/<invite_code_here> do not work in IE

Neither secure nor unsecure links to any parent page work in IE.

All links work in firefox.

Someone please shoot me now.

Well, you could of course throw:
216.239.57.107 gmail.google.com
into your hosts file. If you can get to it then it's obviously your dns server you are using that's causing the problem, or the dns server your dns server is using, or the...

I get the same result after adding that line to my hosts file.

And I don't think the Akamai problem is related because I've been having this trouble for a week or so. At first I wasn't able to use the invitation Tom had sent me because of it.

Something weird is definitely happening

Have you noticed weird things happening when accessing other areas of Google or other search sites? Or is is just when you try to access Gmail that you have the problems?

It is exclusively with gmail. Every other thing related to web browsing, including other sites which have HTTPS logins and redirects, and including Google itself, works perfectly as it always has.

One thing I've noticed is that IE reports that catch-all DNS/server error for most network related problems -- including the server dropping the connection for unknown reasons. As to why it'd be doing this, I don't know, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a DNS problem.

Thanks for that tip, that's good to know.

Interestingly, the error pops up instantly when it happens, faster than I'd expect for a run of the mill DNS error.

You could snoop the network to see what's really going on.

You know, I've got ethereal sitting here. Why the heck haven't I been using it? *smacks forehead*

I wonder how long this invite thing is going to last.

I imagine they will start by giving the next level of users two invites and then run it out like that so they can keep a lid on the number of users until they are good and ready to open it up.

Gareth

I imagine that, as they add more boxes and scale up the service, they'll keep giving out invitations until the load hits some appropriate level. The "invitation" scheme is a nice way for them to control the number of users and simultaneously create all kinds of great marketing buzz. If you believe that, then they won't go public any time soon because they're already getting all the users they can handle.

I have to say... I just got my Gmail account today and it is COOL! I love it... It doens't really have THAT many more features than other webmail clients I've used, but for some reason it just works better. I really like the interface, too.

Hm. I'm having trouble deciphering the ethereal data. It all seems to be working, it even gets the SSL site certificate, or at least it seems to. It even successfully gets the "favicon.ico" file from the gmail.google.com server and it works. I guess I just don't know what I'm looking for. Anyone with ethereal who knows everything there is to know about the packet sniffing details want to look at the file? It'd have to be someone I trust because my proxy authentication is in that file.

Well, if it's all SSL, then there's not much to be done. Is there no unencrypted way to do it?

But the fact that you're getting real data already means that IE is lying to you.

I'm convinced there's something about the IE settings on this machine that is the cause. Not sure what yet. Because another machine on this same network with IE6 on the same proxy server and everything has no trouble getting to gmail. So it's gotta be something I did. I'm having trouble finding the setting that I might have changed....

It's not any of the security settings because I made sure all my zones were set to default and got the same behavior. I don't think it's any kind of popup blocking software because I turned all of that off and besides it also happens in MyIE2 equally, and I've turned off all its content filtering too.

Very stumped...

Did anyone see this?

Wow!

Well, if they're selling for up to $100 (US) per invite on ebay, I can't imagine anyone wanting to give them away anymore, but if any fellow empegger still wants to share, I'd love to use an invite.

Thanks,

Jim

Well, if they're selling for up to $100 (US) per invite on ebay, I can't imagine anyone wanting to give them away anymore,

$100? For something that will be free to the public soon?

I can't figure out which is more stupid. The person who paid $100 for a gmail account, or beanie baby collectors.

Yeah well with that many pages of listings, I think supply has officially exceeded the demand. My hunch is that a week or two ago very few people were being issued invites, and now everyone and their mother is getting them. I seriously doubt anyone who posts a listing now will get that kind of cash for an invite, but I'm sure a lot of people will take the chance.

The conspiracy theorists among us might think that EBay and Google are in cahoots on this one... Let's create a resource that we have complete control over, get it all over the mainstream press, make people think they're missing out on a gold rush, and then watch the listing and closing fees come in as people try to make a quick buck.

Naaah, couldn't happen...