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DNS weirdness

jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

Quote from: adriantribe
About your earlier reply to my question - thank you for that.  The problem I have with that is that I use my PC (a laptop) in three different locations using three different connectivity providers (plusnet at home, 3 mobile while out and about, and my university network while at work).  To my knowledge each system sets my laptop to use different DNS servers.  Will it matter if I hard-code servers of my own choice?  Again, sorry for what may be a beginner's question, but thank you for your indulgence!

That makes it a little more awkward if you are not going to have to keep changing the settings.
You could consider using http://treewalkdns.com/ which means you are running a caching DNS server on your own PC (I'm not sure of it's status on Vista). I've used it for some considerable time on XP and have never had any problems.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
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jamessealey
Grafter
Posts: 79
Registered: ‎10-08-2008

Re: DNS weirdness

I rebooted last night after experiencing further problems, however did not check whic gateway I was routing through sorry! DNS seems to be resolving ok this morning, and if it's any use I have checked which gateway I am now connected to:
Pri DNS:	212.159.6.9
Sec DNS: 212.159.6.10
C:\DOCUME~1\JAMES>tracert 212.159.6.9
Tracing route to ptn-cdns01.plus.net [212.159.6.9]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  1    1 ms    1 ms    1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2    27 ms    28 ms    27 ms  lo0-plusnet.pcl-ag02.plus.net [195.166.128.39]
  3    27 ms    26 ms    25 ms  gi1-2-904.pcl-gw02.plus.net [84.92.0.141]
  4    26 ms    25 ms    28 ms  vl63.pcl-lb01.plus.net [212.159.2.252]
  5    29 ms    27 ms    27 ms  ptn-cdns01.plus.net [212.159.6.9]
Trace complete.
C:\DOCUME~1\JAMES>tracert 212.159.6.10
Tracing route to ptn-cdns02.plus.net [212.159.6.10]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  1    1 ms    1 ms    1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2    32 ms    28 ms    27 ms  lo0-plusnet.pcl-ag02.plus.net [195.166.128.39]
  3    25 ms    26 ms    25 ms  gi1-2-904.pcl-gw02.plus.net [84.92.0.141]
  4    26 ms    27 ms    27 ms  vl63.pcl-lb01.plus.net [212.159.2.252]
  5    27 ms    26 ms    27 ms  ptn-cdns02.plus.net [212.159.6.10]
Trace complete.
dannykos
Grafter
Posts: 204
Registered: ‎07-08-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

OK Bob - here's current traces:
traceroute to 212.159.6.9 (212.159.6.9), 64 hops max, 40 byte packets
1  192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1)  8.668 ms  4.169 ms  1.086 ms
2  lo0.plusnet.thn-ag2.plus.net (195.166.128.93)  35.181 ms  29.809 ms  25.879 ms
3  vl604.thn-gw1.plus.net (84.92.4.169)  33.424 ms  234.283 ms *
4  ae0-102.ptn-gw01.plus.net (212.159.1.53)  209.079 ms  147.798 ms  199.677 ms
5  * * *
6  * * *
7  * * *
8  * * *
9  * * *
10  * * *
traceroute to 212.159.6.10 (212.159.6.10), 64 hops max, 40 byte packets
1  192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1)  6.630 ms  3.296 ms  43.461 ms
2  lo0.plusnet.thn-ag2.plus.net (195.166.128.93)  39.010 ms  41.396 ms  25.580 ms
3  vl604.thn-gw1.plus.net (84.92.4.169)  38.570 ms  28.025 ms  134.632 ms
4  ae0-102.ptn-gw01.plus.net (212.159.1.53)  214.517 ms  166.433 ms  209.918 ms
5  * * *
6  ae0-102.ptn-gw01.plus.net (212.159.1.53)  26.608 ms !X * *
7  * * *
8  * * *
9  * * *
10  * * *
Hope that helps!
chalbury
Grafter
Posts: 54
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎23-12-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

Most of the comments above seem to apply to PC users, what should those of us who have 'seen the light' and have Apple Macs do, please?
csogilvie
Grafter
Posts: 5,852
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

Using Terminal.app, use traceroute instead of tracert to do the traces, so 'traceroute 212.159.6.9'.
nslookup works the same way on Macs as it does on windows - 'nslookup www.plus.net'
To find the IP addresses, you can do `cat /etc/resolv.conf`.
chalbury
Grafter
Posts: 54
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎23-12-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

Fanks
bobpullen
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
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Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

Quote from: dannykos
Hope that helps!

It does, thanks Smiley

Bob Pullen
Plusnet Product Team
If I've been helpful then please give thanks ⤵

avatastic
Grafter
Posts: 1,136
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

Quote from: Bob
My suspicions are that this is a communication/routing problem that's only affected one site. If this is the case then rebooting your kit should clear the problem once you connect to a gateway that routes your DNS requests to another location.

Does one need to resynch the line or just re-start the ppp session to do the gateway shuffle?
I ask because my line has been synched for 14 days and other than the DNS wibble is fine and stable.
the ppp session length is now indicated in my sig
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198kHz
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 5,730
Thanks: 2,773
Fixes: 41
Registered: ‎30-07-2008

Re: DNS weirdness

Just restart the PPP session.
Murphy was an optimist
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Jadeygogetters
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎07-07-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

I have had the same problem for 48 hours now. DNS problems as every one on this post.

Preferred DNS Server :
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
C:\Users\Jaded>Tracert 212.159.6.10
Tracing route to ptn-cdns02.plus.net [212.159.6.10]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2    22 ms    38 ms    30 ms  lo0-plusnet.pcl-ag01.plus.net [195.166.128.27]
  3    28 ms    53 ms    75 ms  gi1-2-803.pcl-gw1.plus.net [84.92.5.57]
  4    32 ms    36 ms    35 ms  vl63.pcl-lb01.plus.net [212.159.2.252]
  5    51 ms    31 ms    49 ms  ptn-cdns02.plus.net [212.159.6.10]
Trace complete.
C:\Users\Jaded>
Alternate DNS Server:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
C:\Users\Jaded>tracert 212.159.6.9
Tracing route to ptn-cdns01.plus.net [212.159.6.9]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2    22 ms    20 ms    21 ms  lo0-plusnet.pcl-ag01.plus.net [195.166.128.27]
  3    24 ms    22 ms    25 ms  gi1-2-803.pcl-gw1.plus.net [84.92.5.57]
  4    25 ms    24 ms    24 ms  vl63.pcl-lb01.plus.net [212.159.2.252]
  5    41 ms    20 ms    42 ms  ptn-cdns01.plus.net [212.159.6.9]
Trace complete.
C:\Users\Jaded>
Nslookup:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
C:\Users\Jaded>Nslookup www.bbc.co.uk 212.159.6.10
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
Server:  UnKnown
Address:  212.159.6.10
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
*** Request to UnKnown timed-out
C:\Users\Jaded>
Nslookup:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
C:\Users\Jaded>Nslookup www.bbc.co.uk 212.159.6.9
Server:  ptn-cdns01.plus.net
Address:  212.159.6.9
Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    www.bbc.net.uk
Address:  212.58.253.67
Aliases:  www.bbc.co.uk

C:\Users\Jaded>
davidj66
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 746
Thanks: 56
Fixes: 4
Registered: ‎04-09-2008

Re: DNS weirdness

Still up the creek - I've powered down the router twice this morning - the second time for 30 minutes - still can't get on any Microsoft sites, altho some others which wouldn't load earlier are now OK.
rammie1976
Grafter
Posts: 571
Registered: ‎02-09-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

I'm afraid I don't know which Gateway I was going thru and I don't know how to do one of those tracert things. However I've just had the same problems again - random sites not loading whilst others do. I rebooted the router and I'm now connected to "City Lifeline, Juniper 10" (different to the Gateway that seemed to 'cure' the problems last night btw - think that was Juniper 3).
It also hasn't solved it as I know can't get on the BBC site to check the cricket! (Nor on a football messageboard I post on.)
bobpullen
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 16,869
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Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

Quote from: rammie1976
I'm afraid I don't know which Gateway I was going thru and I don't know how to do one of those tracert things.

Give this a go.

Bob Pullen
Plusnet Product Team
If I've been helpful then please give thanks ⤵

rammie1976
Grafter
Posts: 571
Registered: ‎02-09-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

No, I meant I didn't know which Gateway I was on before I had to reboot when the problems occured today - the site you'd linked to, as well as this forum site were two of the many I couldn't get on to.
So when I rebooted I went and checked the Gateway, but I don't know from which one....
adie:quote
bobpullen
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 16,869
Thanks: 4,950
Fixes: 315
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: DNS weirdness

Ah OK, I could tell you what gateway you were on if I knew the time you were connected to it?
Anyway, quick update...
Four of the servers at one of the sites you connect to for DNS resolution keep on failing TCP/IP heathchecks in the load balancer. Restarting the DNS service on the servers seems to fix this but we're yet to figure out why it's getting itself into a tangle in the first place. We've sorted 3 of the 4 servers and have left the fourth 'broken' for the time being so that we've some data to help with our diagnosis.

Bob Pullen
Plusnet Product Team
If I've been helpful then please give thanks ⤵