Plusnet gateway and DNS problems

Townman · ‎22-08-2007

That is somewhat different from the historical experience of this issue. I have found the long history here - https://community.plus.net/t5/ADSL-Broadband/198-18-1-x-address-problems/m-p/1171271#M279937 - that post reference some diagnostic queries to fire at the router, particularly...

dns server debug spoof list

Edit - crossing posts - @MisterW - which means we are not looking at the historical issue, but something different!

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MisterW · ‎30-07-2007

https://community.plus.net/t5/ADSL-Broadband/DNS-Issues-Technicolor-TG582n/td-p/1087188

Probably a hiccup in the version of dnsmasq used by the tg582n

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avant-guvnor · ‎10-09-2016

How would you explain the issue occurring with a static ip and not a dynamic ip and, only starting 2 months ago?

Townman · ‎22-08-2007

Do the static and dynamic IP addresses refer to the same DNS servers?

Thinking about @MisterW 's comment about you using Google DNS, I thought it is not possible to change the DNS servers in this router?

Post #7 in the last link is a useful diagnostic from @npr the recognised (customer) guru on these routers!

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MisterW · ‎30-07-2007

thought it is not possible to change the DNS servers in this router?

Using the cli it is

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MisterW · ‎30-07-2007

How would you explain the issue occurring with a static ip and not a dynamic ip and, only starting 2 months ago?

The difference between dynamic and static ip could well be down to different routing across the network. I suspect that dnsmasq is intermittently getting timeouts from the real dns servers and then giving up for a short period. As to why it started recently, I have no answer

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avant-guvnor · ‎10-09-2016

Summary:
Issue started 2 months ago. Static ip with Google dns servers (IIRC I also tried the Cloudflare dns servers) so, I configured router to use Plusnet dns servers and issue continued.

Over a week ago, @Gandalf configures my account to use a dynamic ip and no issue for 7+ days.

Yesterday, @Gandalf reverts account back to static ip and in less than 24 hours, issue returns.

avant-guvnor · ‎10-09-2016

@MisterW I suspect that dnsmasq is intermittently getting timeouts from the real dns servers and then giving up for a short period.

Is this timeout setting something I can configure in the router?

MisterW · ‎30-07-2007

Not as far as I am aware. The TG582 is a bit long in the tooth now. Gandalf has sent you a new router I believe. Lets see how it goes with that.

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pvmb · ‎12-02-2014

@Townman wrote:
If this is the historical TG582n and Win 8/8.1/10 IP address spoofing issue then I doubt a static / public IP address will make any difference.

With this problem I have seen two browser windows pointing at the same website work and not work concurrently.

Flushing the device’s DNS cache is a good test to see if this is the problem “in play”.

Yes! I am familiar with this. If it is, then it could be time for the old Command Prompt: IPCONFIG /flushdns command. Then wait a bit.

Though why only now? Changes to PC OS? Anything else?

Townman · ‎22-08-2007

@avant-guvnor wrote:

Over a week ago, @Gandalf configures my account to use a dynamic ip and no issue for 7+ days.

Yesterday, @Gandalf reverts account back to static ip and in less than 24 hours, issue returns.

Interesting!!

When I had all of the issues back in history (!) I was on a static IP address - the influence of that never hit the radar screen at that time. The fact that it has done so here suggests a network performance consideration, for (I believe that) whilst the DNS server specification is the same regardless of the IP type in use, the network path to the same could well be different.

Here's mine from a 84.92.x.x static IP address...

#Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19041.985]
#06/06/21-21:24:16.49
C:\Users\Kevin>tracert 212.159.6.9

Tracing route to cdns01.plus.net [212.159.6.9]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     4 ms     2 ms     1 ms  192.168.1.254
  2    10 ms    10 ms    10 ms  250.core.plus.net [195.166.130.250]
  3   198 ms    10 ms    22 ms  84.93.253.87
  4    10 ms    10 ms    10 ms  cdns01.plus.net [212.159.6.9]

Trace complete.

OK this is becoming scary!! Just ran the same tracert on another user's service in the 80.229.x.x static IP pool...

C:\Users\Steve>tracert 212.159.6.9

Tracing route to FWDR-9.FWDR-6.FWDR-159.FWDR-212 [212.159.6.9]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     1 ms     1 ms     1 ms  dsldevice.lan [192.168.1.254]
  2    12 ms    13 ms    13 ms  251.core.plus.net [195.166.130.251]
  3    13 ms    13 ms    13 ms  84.93.253.95
  4    14 ms    16 ms    14 ms  FWDR-9.FWDR-6.FWDR-159.FWDR-212 [212.159.6.9]

Trace complete.

Note the different rDNS identifier for the same IP address on line #4.

@Gandalf does this rather suggest that depending on which gateway a user comes into the network via, they are accessing a different (DNS) server for the same IP address?

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avant-guvnor · ‎10-09-2016

@Gandalf I've sent you a different type of router to use instead.

Can you let us know how it goes once you've got it?

Received and installed the Sagecom F@ST 2704N router and ran for a couple of weeks. No DNS/browsing issues.

However, the browsing experienced was extremely slow compared to the Technicolor routers, so I reverted back to the TG582n. Browsing much faster again, no DNS/browsing issues.

So, I wonder. Has anything changed at the Plusnet end and why no response to the last post by @Townman?

pvmb · ‎12-02-2014

Hey! I've just had a thought. Unfortunately it doesn't help the OP here, AFAICS.

I have an old TG582n router, I am still using a Windows 8 PC, I am familiar with that router WANdown spoofing DNS issue. I am used to it; it happens randomly; not too frequently; I know how to clear it when it happens. So it generally isn't that much of a bother to me. Then again, in the past - long long ago - with all the same equipment, I don't recall it happening.

Is there anything else? Yes, long ago I had a Plusnet pool assigned IP, changed on every router reboot or reconnection. Now? Well, 'officially' I don't have a 'static IP'. I haven't asked for a static IP, I am not paying for a static IP, my network account settings do not show a static IP. However...

My IP is always the same, been so for ages (NO. Rebooting the router will NOT change it!).

I have not officially got a 'static IP'. In reality, my IP has been the same for years. That's a static IP in any meaningful sense.

Could my WANdown spoofing issues have originally started when my non 'static IP' did in fact become effectively static?

Townman · ‎22-08-2007

Not overly sure!

I have a static IP since days when one could have one just for the asking … and I got hit by the spoofing issue on my first sojourn into Win8.

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avant-guvnor · ‎10-09-2016

Final update:

Over 3 months and the issue was not resolved. Browsing the web is so basic but since April it was so intermittent it was unusable and incredibly frustrating for me, especially when it had been absolutely rock solid for several years, until April.

No explanation and no compensation from Plusnet, so sadly I have had to leave Plusnet.

Thanks to those who tried to help me.

Signing off ...