Whats happend to Halfords?
Discussion
The reason some people are still seeing the holding page (or others might have seen the actual page when it was down) is down to DNS caching rather then regular browsing or ISP caching.
Domain names (i.e halfords.com) are just a short hand way link to the actual IP address (in halfords case 192.167.184.225). When you go to halfords.com your computer looks up the right IP address from your ISP's DNS server which in turn will look it up at one of the root servers.
Each webpage you load is actually made up of dozens of parts, each image etc is a separate item to download. As IP addresses rarely change it doesn't make sense to look up the IP address each time as it's unlikely to have changed. So it's cached in memory.
Therefore the people who looked at the site earlier when it was offline are likely to still be seeing it offline as your probably not going to have got the new (old) IP address yet.
So in short your all right!
Domain names (i.e halfords.com) are just a short hand way link to the actual IP address (in halfords case 192.167.184.225). When you go to halfords.com your computer looks up the right IP address from your ISP's DNS server which in turn will look it up at one of the root servers.
Each webpage you load is actually made up of dozens of parts, each image etc is a separate item to download. As IP addresses rarely change it doesn't make sense to look up the IP address each time as it's unlikely to have changed. So it's cached in memory.
Therefore the people who looked at the site earlier when it was offline are likely to still be seeing it offline as your probably not going to have got the new (old) IP address yet.
So in short your all right!
rpguk said:
So in short your all right!
Except your probably not! 
If I go to halfords.com (which I've never been to on this pc before) I get the network solutions page, I've also tried ipconfig /flushdns then retrying halfords.com I get the same page.
It's much more likely to be slow propergation across various ISP's DNS servers than dns caching at a local level.
I never understand the constant Halfords bashing.
Yes, they aren't as cheap as Internet prices. But then HMV isn't cheaper than Amazon.
Yes, their staff aren't the best in the world. But WE know that and you can work round that with a little knowledge.
But where else can you go on a Sunday morning and buy 5Litres of Autoglym or a H7 headlight bulb or some jubilee clips that might just keep you on the road?
Yes, they aren't as cheap as Internet prices. But then HMV isn't cheaper than Amazon.
Yes, their staff aren't the best in the world. But WE know that and you can work round that with a little knowledge.
But where else can you go on a Sunday morning and buy 5Litres of Autoglym or a H7 headlight bulb or some jubilee clips that might just keep you on the road?
Rich_W said:
I never understand the constant Halfords bashing.
Yes, they aren't as cheap as Internet prices. But then HMV isn't cheaper than Amazon.
Yes, their staff aren't the best in the world. But WE know that and you can work round that with a little knowledge.
But where else can you go on a Sunday morning and buy 5Litres of Autoglym or a H7 headlight bulb or some jubilee clips that might just keep you on the road?
I agree with this. I avoid talking to the staff, or venturing into the stick on tat. But they do have cleaning stuff.. Good oil.. Fuses and other little things you might need. So on the whole, they are expensive but if you need that something right now you pay a premium for it. Yes, they aren't as cheap as Internet prices. But then HMV isn't cheaper than Amazon.
Yes, their staff aren't the best in the world. But WE know that and you can work round that with a little knowledge.
But where else can you go on a Sunday morning and buy 5Litres of Autoglym or a H7 headlight bulb or some jubilee clips that might just keep you on the road?
I fully understand the Halfords bashing.....the staff are apalling and the prices are just a rip off...for tat... cleaning products yep...have to agree but often found cheaper (Autoglym) in Wilkinsons... as for Batteries and other service items.... Local Trade counter at least 1/2 the cost or more cheaper.....fuses and stainless bolts etc...Screwfix...
As for watching the "children" who are changing bulbs etc in the car park....doh!...
As for watching the "children" who are changing bulbs etc in the car park....doh!...
Rich_W said:
I never understand the constant Halfords bashing.
Yes, they aren't as cheap as Internet prices. But then HMV isn't cheaper than Amazon.
Yes, their staff aren't the best in the world. But WE know that and you can work round that with a little knowledge.
But where else can you go on a Sunday morning and buy 5Litres of Autoglym or a H7 headlight bulb or some jubilee clips that might just keep you on the road?
Because some of us remember when Halfords at least made an attempt to be a motor factor.Yes, they aren't as cheap as Internet prices. But then HMV isn't cheaper than Amazon.
Yes, their staff aren't the best in the world. But WE know that and you can work round that with a little knowledge.
But where else can you go on a Sunday morning and buy 5Litres of Autoglym or a H7 headlight bulb or some jubilee clips that might just keep you on the road?
I went to my local branch not long ago needing a short length of fuel hose - they no longer stock this.
I also remember the adverts along the lines of 'where can you get an alternator for a 1988 Citroen BX on a Sunday afternoon'.... well, the answer now is nowhere.
If you want 'mobility aids' and stick on tat, Halfords have the market sewn up.
Maybe they just know their customer base - workshy chavs 'on the sick, innit'.... so they've become the one stop shop for neons and crutches.
VeeFour said:
Rich_W said:
I never understand the constant Halfords bashing.
Yes, they aren't as cheap as Internet prices. But then HMV isn't cheaper than Amazon.
Yes, their staff aren't the best in the world. But WE know that and you can work round that with a little knowledge.
But where else can you go on a Sunday morning and buy 5Litres of Autoglym or a H7 headlight bulb or some jubilee clips that might just keep you on the road?
Because some of us remember when Halfords at least made an attempt to be a motor factor.Yes, they aren't as cheap as Internet prices. But then HMV isn't cheaper than Amazon.
Yes, their staff aren't the best in the world. But WE know that and you can work round that with a little knowledge.
But where else can you go on a Sunday morning and buy 5Litres of Autoglym or a H7 headlight bulb or some jubilee clips that might just keep you on the road?
I went to my local branch not long ago needing a short length of fuel hose - they no longer stock this.
I also remember the adverts along the lines of 'where can you get an alternator for a 1988 Citroen BX on a Sunday afternoon'.... well, the answer now is nowhere.
If you want 'mobility aids' and stick on tat, Halfords have the market sewn up.
Maybe they just know their customer base - workshy chavs 'on the sick, innit'.... so they've become the one stop shop for neons and crutches.
Exactly, Halfords isn't a motor factor, it's a high street shop that happens to sell car accessories.
Sometimes you do get someone with a bit of car knowledge behind the counter, but if you are expecting the kind of knowledge you'd get from someone with a lifetime working in a garage, you're deluding yourselves.
They are like PC World IMO, I only use them if I need something now and they stock it.
Sometimes you do get someone with a bit of car knowledge behind the counter, but if you are expecting the kind of knowledge you'd get from someone with a lifetime working in a garage, you're deluding yourselves.
They are like PC World IMO, I only use them if I need something now and they stock it.
They're a confusing company - I no longer know what they are.
When you see a big display of wheelchairs etc at the front of the store, you have to question if you've wandered into the right place.
Even more confusingly, they appear to have taken back control of Nationwide Autocare* - which is odd, as they've been gradually moving their main stores away from stocking parts over the last few years.
When you see a big display of wheelchairs etc at the front of the store, you have to question if you've wandered into the right place.
Even more confusingly, they appear to have taken back control of Nationwide Autocare* - which is odd, as they've been gradually moving their main stores away from stocking parts over the last few years.
- There's another story there, involving a failed MOT that shouldn't have been a fail according to a tester who re-tested the same car, with no additional work done, just 10 days later....
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