DNS Problem?

dillinja · August 21st, 2006

Hi everyone and thanks for reading this. I have an annoying intermittent broadband problem!
Every couple of days or so I find I cannot connect to the Internet. I get a "DNS res" error page come up on my browser. This happens for anything up to 2 hours during which time I have to reboot until I can eventually connect. My 360 can't connect either and it also reports a DNS problem when it goes into it's diagnostic mode that it does when it can't connect. Once I am logged in successfully my connection is 100% bulletproof.
I have reported this to my ISP (BT) and they are totally useless. I have been trawling the forums looking for help and found something about changing your DNS settings to Dynamic. If I log into my router (Netgear DG834GT) through a browser there is an option for me to do this but I need add a hostname, username and password.
Does anyone know if this might fix the problem I am having and what details I need to enter?

**Admiral Michael** · August 22nd, 2006

The hostname, username and password are probably for an PPPoE connection (aka DSL). On my Linksys I can specify a DNS setting under DHCP.

Here's how the typical router handles DNS. When your computer requests an IP from DHCP (router) the router gives it an address but also sets the DNS to the router's UP addy. When your computer requires DNS it asks the router which in turn asks the DNS servers assigned by your ISP, I know that Bell Sympatico (my ISP) has crappy DNS servers.

You could try using 4.2.2.1 and 4.2.2.2 as a DNS server. The DNS setting under DHCP tells the computer to use those addresses instead of the router's IP taking the router out of the loop and possibly eliminating the issue.

**X-Istence** · August 22nd, 2006

My router is not one that replaces it with it's own. Mine is a linksys and just passes off the standard ISP ones. I have set up my own DNS server on my network, and have addded those to the router to be handed out to anyone that connects. Completely bypassing my ISP and doing my own DNS caching, results in happy family members, faster internet speeds, and in general increased surfing pleasure.

fyreme · August 22nd, 2006

Hi everyone,

This is my second post, this thread is very interesting. I have a linksys router, and my isp dns servers have never given me any problems, but hey, knowledge is power.

What are the dns addys, 4.2.2.1 and 4.2.2.2 ?

X-Istence, I take it your set up your dns server without any zones? Does it just use its own root hints then, to migrate through the dns hierarchy, and resolve names through recursion? Interesting setup, never would have thought of it.

tia

rotjong · August 22nd, 2006

Try using the OpenDNS. Check the http://www.opendns.com site for info.

OpenDNS DNS server IPs:

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

rotjong

**X-Istence** · August 22nd, 2006

Originally Posted by fyreme

Hi everyone,

This is my second post, this thread is very interesting. I have a linksys router, and my isp dns servers have never given me any problems, but hey, knowledge is power.

What are the dns addys, 4.2.2.1 and 4.2.2.2 ?

X-Istence, I take it your set up your dns server without any zones? Does it just use its own root hints then, to migrate through the dns hierarchy, and resolve names through recursion? Interesting setup, never would have thought of it.

tia

Little program named dnscache from DJB does just that, nameserver resolving and caching. I don't use bind. With dnscache there are no zones to set up as it does only one thing, cache and do recursive queries, to host domains you would use tinydns also from DJB, which is what this site uses to return IP address's for hostnames.

**kcnychief** · August 22nd, 2006

I'm not in the UK, but I believe BT is Cable Internet which doesn't require any authentication, at least not in most cases.

I'm not entirely convinced your ISP is at fault. I would think if "their DNS" was giving you problems for 2+ hours, it would be a known issue and others would be complaining rather than just you.

I would suggest taking your router out temporarily, but the "Every couple of days or so" might be a tough time interval to test.

You could try verifying you are at the latest firmware, maybe borrowing an extra router from someone else to test with?

dillinja · August 22nd, 2006

Thanks everyone. Next time I get this problem I will call BT at the time and see if they can come up with anything whilst it's actually happening. I'll post up anything I find out.

**Geffy** · August 22nd, 2006

Originally Posted by kcnychief

I'm not in the UK, but I believe BT is Cable Internet

You'd be wrong

BT is ADSL based, theres a couple cable internet companies in the UK, but nearly all are PPPoA ADSL based.

If was you I'd try the openDNS servers that were suggested, but I'm not so I will continue using my djb dnscache similar to X-Istence instead.

**kcnychief** · August 22nd, 2006

Eh I guess I should stop guessing about things that happen across the ocean

Regardless though - if it was a BT thing wouldn't more users have reported it?

**Geffy** · August 22nd, 2006

Originally Posted by kcnychief

Eh I guess I should stop guessing about things that happen across the ocean

Regardless though - if it was a BT thing wouldn't more users have reported it?

You over-estimate the typical level of competence of BT users (and staff), its possibly a bit above AOL

fyreme · August 25th, 2006

Just configured opendns, easy, and faster, Thank you

r0k · September 27th, 2006

Originally Posted by fyreme

Just configured opendns, easy, and faster, Thank you

Thanks for pointing this out! I made the switch this morning! No more comcrap dns!

**Mainframeguy** · September 28th, 2006

Originally Posted by fyreme

Just configured opendns, easy, and faster, Thank you

you did the right thing, you said thanks, the thread is useful..... ===> have some rep

brocher · September 28th, 2006

I was just reading this thread and was wondering if i allocated DNS to my router and pc's if the IP address given out would be different from my ISP.
There were a few site that i have visited that i used to get that now come up saying that users with similar IP address(same company) were block from using the site. Would this get around this problem or not. I do not wish to hide my IP just change it.

**kcnychief** · September 28th, 2006

Originally Posted by brocher

I was just reading this thread and was wondering if i allocated DNS to my router and pc's if the IP address given out would be different from my ISP.
There were a few site that i have visited that i used to get that now come up saying that users with similar IP address(same company) were block from using the site. Would this get around this problem or not. I do not wish to hide my IP just change it.

If you change DNS entries on your Router, this will NOT change the IP you get from your ISP or the IP addresses (internal) that your machines inherit.

August 21st, 2006	Top \| #1
dillinja OSNN Junior Addict Joined: February 2006 Posts: 14 Reputation: 10 Power: 77	DNS Problem? Hi everyone and thanks for reading this. I have an annoying intermittent broadband problem! Every couple of days or so I find I cannot connect to the Internet. I get a "DNS res" error page come up on my browser. This happens for anything up to 2 hours during which time I have to reboot until I can eventually connect. My 360 can't connect either and it also reports a DNS problem when it goes into it's diagnostic mode that it does when it can't connect. Once I am logged in successfully my connection is 100% bulletproof. I have reported this to my ISP (BT) and they are totally useless. I have been trawling the forums looking for help and found something about changing your DNS settings to Dynamic. If I log into my router (Netgear DG834GT) through a browser there is an option for me to do this but I need add a hostname, username and password. Does anyone know if this might fix the problem I am having and what details I need to enter?

August 22nd, 2006	Top \| #2
Admiral Michael Michaelsoft Systems CEO Joined: February 2003 Location: Hamilton, Ontario Canada Earth Posts: 3,125 Blog Entries: 8 Reputation: 2216 Power: 166	Re: DNS Problem? The hostname, username and password are probably for an PPPoE connection (aka DSL). On my Linksys I can specify a DNS setting under DHCP. Here's how the typical router handles DNS. When your computer requests an IP from DHCP (router) the router gives it an address but also sets the DNS to the router's UP addy. When your computer requires DNS it asks the router which in turn asks the DNS servers assigned by your ISP, I know that Bell Sympatico (my ISP) has crappy DNS servers. You could try using 4.2.2.1 and 4.2.2.2 as a DNS server. The DNS setting under DHCP tells the computer to use those addresses instead of the router's IP taking the router out of the loop and possibly eliminating the issue. Apple MacBook Pro Intel Quad-Core i7 2GHz \| Corsair 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 Memory \| WD 750GB 7200RPM Black Edition SATA Hard Drive \| Intel HD Graphics 3000/AMD Radeon HD 6490M 256MB GDDR5 \| 15.4" LED backlit glossy screen @ 1440x900 \| Dual Band Airport Wireless/Bluetooth \| Gigabit Ethernet \| Thunderbolt I/O \| Built-in Webcam \| Backlit Keyboard \| Firewire 800 \| DVDRW \| OS X Lion 10.7.1 My Site \| My DVD Collection \| Your Chevrolet Guy

August 22nd, 2006	Top \| #3
X-Istence * Joined: December 2001 Location: USA Posts: 6,496 Reputation: 2808 Power: 220	Re: DNS Problem? My router is not one that replaces it with it's own. Mine is a linksys and just passes off the standard ISP ones. I have set up my own DNS server on my network, and have addded those to the router to be handed out to anyone that connects. Completely bypassing my ISP and doing my own DNS caching, results in happy family members, faster internet speeds, and in general increased surfing pleasure. An engineers technical notebook

August 22nd, 2006	Top \| #4
fyreme OSNN Junior Addict Joined: August 2006 Posts: 8 Reputation: 10 Power: 71	Re: DNS Problem? Hi everyone, This is my second post, this thread is very interesting. I have a linksys router, and my isp dns servers have never given me any problems, but hey, knowledge is power. What are the dns addys, 4.2.2.1 and 4.2.2.2 ? X-Istence, I take it your set up your dns server without any zones? Does it just use its own root hints then, to migrate through the dns hierarchy, and resolve names through recursion? Interesting setup, never would have thought of it. tia

August 22nd, 2006	Top \| #5
rotjong OSNN Senior Addict Joined: January 2004 Location: The far side of nowhere Posts: 573 Reputation: 585 Power: 112	Re: DNS Problem? Try using the OpenDNS. Check the http://www.opendns.com site for info. OpenDNS DNS server IPs: 208.67.222.222 208.67.220.220 rotjong

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August 22nd, 2006	Top \| #6
X-Istence * Joined: December 2001 Location: USA Posts: 6,496 Reputation: 2808 Power: 220	Re: DNS Problem? Originally Posted by fyreme Hi everyone, This is my second post, this thread is very interesting. I have a linksys router, and my isp dns servers have never given me any problems, but hey, knowledge is power. What are the dns addys, 4.2.2.1 and 4.2.2.2 ? X-Istence, I take it your set up your dns server without any zones? Does it just use its own root hints then, to migrate through the dns hierarchy, and resolve names through recursion? Interesting setup, never would have thought of it. tia Little program named dnscache from DJB does just that, nameserver resolving and caching. I don't use bind. With dnscache there are no zones to set up as it does only one thing, cache and do recursive queries, to host domains you would use tinydns also from DJB, which is what this site uses to return IP address's for hostnames. An engineers technical notebook

August 22nd, 2006	Top \| #7
kcnychief █▄█ ▀█▄ █ Joined: April 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 16,949 Reputation: 4941 Power: 305	Re: DNS Problem? I'm not in the UK, but I believe BT is Cable Internet which doesn't require any authentication, at least not in most cases. I'm not entirely convinced your ISP is at fault. I would think if "their DNS" was giving you problems for 2+ hours, it would be a known issue and others would be complaining rather than just you. I would suggest taking your router out temporarily, but the "Every couple of days or so" might be a tough time interval to test. You could try verifying you are at the latest firmware, maybe borrowing an extra router from someone else to test with? XBOX Live Gamertag: kcnychief

August 22nd, 2006	Top \| #8
dillinja OSNN Junior Addict Joined: February 2006 Posts: 14 Reputation: 10 Power: 77	Re: DNS Problem? Thanks everyone. Next time I get this problem I will call BT at the time and see if they can come up with anything whilst it's actually happening. I'll post up anything I find out.

August 22nd, 2006	Top \| #9
Geffy OSNN Veteran Addict Joined: March 2002 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,805 Reputation: 1490 Power: 217	Re: DNS Problem? Originally Posted by kcnychief I'm not in the UK, but I believe BT is Cable Internet You'd be wrong BT is ADSL based, theres a couple cable internet companies in the UK, but nearly all are PPPoA ADSL based. If was you I'd try the openDNS servers that were suggested, but I'm not so I will continue using my djb dnscache similar to X-Istence instead.  • blog • tumblog • lastfm • flickr • #rubyonrails • @twitter "I could be replaced with a very small shell script"

August 22nd, 2006	Top \| #10
kcnychief █▄█ ▀█▄ █ Joined: April 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 16,949 Reputation: 4941 Power: 305	Re: DNS Problem? Eh I guess I should stop guessing about things that happen across the ocean Regardless though - if it was a BT thing wouldn't more users have reported it? XBOX Live Gamertag: kcnychief

August 22nd, 2006	Top \| #11
Geffy OSNN Veteran Addict Joined: March 2002 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,805 Reputation: 1490 Power: 217	Re: DNS Problem? Originally Posted by kcnychief Eh I guess I should stop guessing about things that happen across the ocean Regardless though - if it was a BT thing wouldn't more users have reported it? You over-estimate the typical level of competence of BT users (and staff), its possibly a bit above AOL  • blog • tumblog • lastfm • flickr • #rubyonrails • @twitter "I could be replaced with a very small shell script"

August 25th, 2006	Top \| #12
fyreme OSNN Junior Addict Joined: August 2006 Posts: 8 Reputation: 10 Power: 71	Re: DNS Problem? Just configured opendns, easy, and faster, Thank you

September 27th, 2006	Top \| #13
r0k OSNN One Post Wonder Joined: September 2006 Posts: 1 Reputation: 0 Power: 0	Re: DNS Problem? Originally Posted by fyreme Just configured opendns, easy, and faster, Thank you Thanks for pointing this out! I made the switch this morning! No more comcrap dns!

September 28th, 2006	Top \| #14
Mainframeguy Debiant by way of Ubuntu Joined: August 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 3,763 Blog Entries: 5 Reputation: 1390 Power: 169	Re: DNS Problem? Originally Posted by fyreme Just configured opendns, easy, and faster, Thank you you did the right thing, you said thanks, the thread is useful..... ===> have some rep hosted by Lord

September 28th, 2006	Top \| #15
brocher Banned User Joined: March 2002 Posts: 516 Reputation: 40 Power: 0	Re: DNS Problem? I was just reading this thread and was wondering if i allocated DNS to my router and pc's if the IP address given out would be different from my ISP. There were a few site that i have visited that i used to get that now come up saying that users with similar IP address(same company) were block from using the site. Would this get around this problem or not. I do not wish to hide my IP just change it.

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September 28th, 2006	Top \| #16
kcnychief █▄█ ▀█▄ █ Joined: April 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 16,949 Reputation: 4941 Power: 305	Re: DNS Problem? Originally Posted by brocher I was just reading this thread and was wondering if i allocated DNS to my router and pc's if the IP address given out would be different from my ISP. There were a few site that i have visited that i used to get that now come up saying that users with similar IP address(same company) were block from using the site. Would this get around this problem or not. I do not wish to hide my IP just change it. If you change DNS entries on your Router, this will NOT change the IP you get from your ISP or the IP addresses (internal) that your machines inherit. XBOX Live Gamertag: kcnychief