Flare Sci-Fi Forums: DNS problems

This is topic DNS problems in forum Officers' Lounge at Flare Sci-Fi Forums.

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Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :

I connect to the internet through a router and for some reason if I leave it on while I'm away for a couple hours it disconnects or something. Oddly I can connect to Flare, but no other websites unless I reboot the computer.

Someone told me it's Comcasts shitty DNS servers. Is there a way to fix my connection without having to reboot?

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Does the router have an option to "keep connection alive", or some such? Have you tried activating it?

Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :

I don't see anything.

The weird thing is, I leave my computer on inactive for say two hours and come back the only website I can access is Flare. I can't access anything else such as AIM or other websites. I don't understand why after an idle period Flare is the only thing that will load every single time. What's different about this site that allows me to access it and write this post and other sites I can't?

That's got to be something I can do that doesn't require a reboot. A simple log off and log back on won't cut it.

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Well, if the site simply loaded, I would have suggested it was in your browser cache. But, if the site actually works, but nothing else will load... I have no idea.

Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :

That was my initial thought as well. But the post I made above was when I left my computer idle for a couple hours. And it wasn't just that once, but every single time it happens, Flare will be the only site my computer picks up. So clearly there's still some sort of active connection yet only to here and nowhere else I try.

A simple reboot resets the connection or something, but for this three year old computer a reboot takes a long damn time.

Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :

I encountered the same problem on the weekend! I had the computer on for a while - and I couldn't connect to ANY website - just timed out, or MSN. YET, my e-mail and irc worked fine.

Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :

Open a DOS box and enter:

IPConfig /flushdns
IPConfig /registerdns

Then close it and, erh, browse.

(If your PC obtains its DNS info from your router instead of Comcast's servers, this probably won't work.)

Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :

Nope. Tried it and it didn't work.

Yet of course every single time this fucking happens Flare is the only site that will work for me.

Posted by akb1979 (Member # 557) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Hobbes:
Yet of course every single time this fucking happens Flare is the only site that will work for me.

And?

You're complaining? At least you have quality Net access, not one of those shite sites! HEHE! [Big Grin]

Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :

Actually when it happens to me - I don't think I have any access - I'm guessing you might have Flare access cause it's in your cache?

Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :

Well, if flare works (looking at new threads, not just ones you've seen before) and nothing else does, then yeah, I'm thinking it's a DNS problem. For a test, write down the IP address of something like altavista, something you don't visit often. Next time it disconnects, see if you can get to altavista using the domain name, then see if you can get there using the IP address. That should narrow it down some.

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Hobbes:
A simple reboot resets the connection or something, but for this three year old computer a reboot takes a long damn time.

Then turn off the 5 billion and one things you've got loading at startup.

Doing a registry clean would probably help, too.

Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :

OK. Open a DOS box again, enter...

IPConfig /all

...and tell me wether your default gateway IP and DNS server IP are the same. Then tell me the model and type of your router. Then do what Liam said, or I will spank you.

Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :

Have you tried just rebooting your router and cable modem/DSL modem?

At home we have a SMC router and every once in a while it just needs a good reboot. (i.e. maybe once a week) Go figure since its firmware based, but whatever. Speaking of which, see if there's a firmware update for your router. (and in rarer cases, for the modem)

Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :

What is 'firmware'?

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

It's the stuff on the Read Only Memory inside the hardware. ROM is a bit of a misnomer, since it can usually be written over, but only through magic. Or something.

Anyway, it's software on hardware. Sort of. Your BIOS is firmware.

Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :

I got yer firmware for ye.

I had this weird thing where IE(the forbidden browser) was the only browser that would connect on one of my PCs. This was right as I was switching over to Firefox and I started getting all pissy about the big fuss you lot were making over it. Not quite sure what I did, but I was futzing around in the Internet Control panel and then it started working. But it got me thinking that IE has some special hold over the OS.

Also you can enter multiple DNS server locations (on your router or in your machine's Network control panel) so if one DNS is giving you hassle it'll switch to another. I mean provided you know of an alternate.