Help Accessing Different Website (Hertz.com)

[mgarbowski]

I cannot access https://www.hertz.com/ on my mac unless I go into Incognito mode and use a VPN at the same time. That works, but nothing else does, including:

• I deleted all "hertz" cookies
• I cleared my browser cache
• I tried multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
• I flushed my DNS cache
• I told the DuckDuck Go and Privacy Badger extensions to ignore that domain.
• I disabled all extensions 2 or 3 at a time
• I tried a VPN (without incognito mode)
• I switched my computer Wifi to my phone hotspot, thinking maybe my ISP or its backbone was having an issue with Hertz

This is going on since yesterday. The Hertz app works on my phone, and I can access the website in a browser on my phone. But both Mac computers just get a blank page, except on Firefox, which shows this message:

I'm stuck. Incognito blocks cookies, the browser cache and extensions, so one of those should have fixed it but did not. Any help appreciated.

 

[moogoo]

I cannot access https://www.hertz.com/ on my mac unless I go into Incognito mode and use a VPN at the same time. That works, but nothing else does, including:

• I deleted all "hertz" cookies
• I cleared my browser cache
• I tried multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
• I flushed my DNS cache
• I told the DuckDuck Go and Privacy Badger extensions to ignore that domain.
• I disabled all extensions 2 or 3 at a time
• I tried a VPN (without incognito mode)
• I switched my computer Wifi to my phone hotspot, thinking maybe my ISP or its backbone was having an issue with Hertz

This is going on since yesterday. The Hertz app works on my phone, and I can access the website in a browser on my phone. But both Mac computers just get a blank page, except on Firefox, which shows this message:

View attachment 11289

I'm stuck. Incognito blocks cookies, the browser cache and extensions, so one of those should have fixed it but did not. Any help appreciated.

Haven't had a mac for a few years but I'll give it a go!

Have you updated your macs recently in any way? This issue tends to pop up after an update that causes some kind of conflict with one or more of settings, timezones, etc.

Try:

- Updating your browsers to the latest stable version available if you haven't already.
- Check your time and date to ensure they are correct.
- if that doesn't work, try resetting the NVRAM. NOTE: Resetting the NVRAM will likely erase some or all of your system configurations on your mac as well. So you may have to do some reconfiguring. Instructions for doing so are:

1) Turn off your mac and wait 30 seconds to make sure all the caps drain.
2) Find the keys: Option-Command-P-R.
3) Press and hold the keys immediately after pressing the power button to turn on your mac or after your Mac begins to restart. Keep holding until your mac starts up. If your Mac is using a firmware password, it ignores this key combination or starts up from macOS Recovery.

Instructions source: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201255



Hope that helps!

 

[mgarbowski]

Haven't had a mac for a few years but I'll give it a go!

Have you updated your macs recently in any way? This issue tends to pop up after an update that causes some kind of conflict with one or more of settings, timezones, etc.

Try:

- Updating your browsers to the latest stable version available if you haven't already.

- if that doesn't work, try resetting the NVRAM. Instructions for doing so are:

1) Turn off your mac and wait 30 seconds to make sure all the caps drain.
2) Find the keys: Option-Command-P-R.
3) Press and hold the keys immediately after pressing the power button to turn on your mac or after your Mac begins to restart. Keep holding until your mac starts up. If your Mac is using a firmware password, it ignores this key combination or starts up from macOS Recovery.

Instructions source: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201255

Hope that helps!

Browsers are updated. I'll try the NVRAM trick later.I did discover one more thing. I had third-party cookies blocked only in Incognito mode in Chrome. So I tested, and blocked them altogether. Now the site loads in Chrome as long as I have a VPN on, both in regular mode and incognito. And Safari works if I prevent cross-site tracking and use the VPN. None of this makes any sense to me.

 

[moogoo]

Browsers are updated. I'll try the NVRAM trick later.I did discover one more thing. I had third-party cookies blocked only in Incognito mode in Chrome. So I tested, and blocked them altogether. Now the site loads in Chrome as long as I have a VPN on, both in regular mode and incognito. None of this makes any sense to me.

Check the time and date of your computers. If your VPN is on, is it logged into a server in a different timezone? That could be the reason why VPN works.

 

[Seth]

Do you have any weird checkboxes or entries in your proxies?

System Preferences -> Network -> Advanced… -> Proxies

The only thing I have checked is Passive FTP, and a *.local entry.

 

[mgarbowski]

Check the time and date of your computers. If your VPN is on, is it logged into a server in a different timezone? That could be the reason why VPN works.

Well, it's funny, because my I could not figure out how to look up my VPN location. I can pick VPNs by location, but if I use "quick connect" it just picks a random location in the US and it seems I am unable to reverse look up. So I picked a NY VPN, and it worked. Then I picked Dallas in CTZ, and it worked. Then I turned off the VPN, and it works. But the browser-side third-party cookie/tracking blocking still seems to be necessary. Frankly, I no longer care why. I would be annoyed if the site broke when I blocked 3P tracking, but this is fine. I mostly used separate extensions to do that already (the DDG and Privacy Badger extensions I mentioned above). And a web search did suggest the time settings, but AFAICT my computer is set to the proper time.

Do you have any weird checkboxes or entries in your proxies?

System Preferences -> Network -> Advanced… -> Proxies

The only thing I have checked is Passive FTP, and a *.local entry.

Thanks. I didn't have any of that turned on. But as noted earlier in this post, I consider this resolved to my satisfaction. It's a mystery, including why the VPN was a necessary component for a while but no more, but not one I care to spend more time on.

ETA: But thanks to both of you for taking the time to help.