Can NAT Only firewall setting cause issues with websites?

[Crazcanuk]

I am having issues with some websites not loading or taking a very long time to load. Microsoft office portal and facebook are a couple. I just had Telus Optik install on Dec 28th and have been having these issues since then. I have no experience with NAT only so not sure if that could be the issue or not. I have used Linksys in the past

[Nighthawk]

NAT should have no impact on the websites or their speed. It's just how the router routes connections internally.  I'm on Optik also and have no issues currently and I've got my gateway (Actiontec, not bridged) and an additional DLink router behind it.

• Are you having the issue one one device or more than one?
• What modem and/or router do you have?
  
• Have you tried more than one browser?
• Define "very long time to load" please.
  

[Crazcanuk]

So far just my desktop, honestly haven't tried my surfacepro yet.  My wife hasn't had any issues with her surface but she also doesn't access office portal and doesn't do online gaming.  Using standard Actiontec supplied by Telus no additional router (still have Linksys router but not hooked up).  Tried Firefox, IE11 & Edge.  "Very long time" meaning sometimes they will "time out" and come up saying check internet connection.  I run Norton 360.

Never had these issues prior so just thought maybe it was NAT.

[Nighthawk · Accepted solution]

As a test, disable Norton for a short bit and see if the issue is still there. I've seen Norton have some weird random issues on Windows 10.

[Crazcanuk]

I will give that a try, just seems so strange that it only started after Telus optik was installed.  Stranger things have happened and technology is great when it works.  Thanks for the input Nighthawk!