NTL DNS proxy related problems?

zendawn · 17-03-2004, 08:50

When I use the NTL DNS proxy (you know the thing that looks up ip addys)
I seem to get 2 problems occur.

1. When I use the Back button on IE the page looses its formatiing, (cant think of a better term). It only happens when I use the NTL DNS but not on others.

2. Yahoo groups, cant process, yet ok when using another DNS server.

anyone know the cause or the solution? or having similar probs?

Tezcatlipoca · 17-03-2004, 19:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by zendawn

When I use the NTL DNS proxy (you know the thing that looks up ip addys)
I seem to get 2 problems occur.

1. When I use the Back button on IE the page looses its formatiing, (cant think of a better term). It only happens when I use the NTL DNS but not on others.

2. Yahoo groups, cant process, yet ok when using another DNS server.

anyone know the cause or the solution? or having similar probs?

I've been having problems accessing some sites when using the NTL DNS servers. No problem at all when I specify non-NTL DNS servers.

Richard M · 17-03-2004, 19:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by zendawn

When I use the NTL DNS proxy (you know the thing that looks up ip addys)
I seem to get 2 problems occur.

1. When I use the Back button on IE the page looses its formatiing, (cant think of a better term). It only happens when I use the NTL DNS but not on others.

2. Yahoo groups, cant process, yet ok when using another DNS server.

anyone know the cause or the solution? or having similar probs?

I think you're confusing DNS servers with proxy/cache servers, which are different.
I'm pretty sure that it would be a dodgy proxy that would cause these problems.

th'engineer · 17-03-2004, 21:58

ring up and report it if its a dodgy proxy

Stuartbe · 17-03-2004, 22:00

I cant see that a DNS server will cause that kind of web page fault.

Must be a proxy m8.

zendawn · 18-03-2004, 06:19

Cheers for the advice, wasnt sure if DNS and Proxy where the same.
Does anyone know why it would cause the page to loose its formatting when going back?

th'engineer · 18-03-2004, 06:30

Dont forget to report to TS and local francvhise info here

APS · 18-03-2004, 06:49

Just to confuse matters, it should be known that although DNS servers and Web proxy servers have separate functions, most Web proxies (and even some web browsers) cache DNS lookup information. This can make it pretty confusing when it comes to trying to track down these problems.

As an example a few months ago when NTLs DNS servers were effectively dead from here, you could still browse to certain web sites if you picked specific NTL proxies. This only worked for common websites and as time went on stopped working, I guess because the proxy DNS cache timed out the cached DNS entries and tried to refresh the entries.

Entering alternative DNS servers in your own settings can often fix NTL DNS problems but not always. I guess it depends on the priority of lookups which I have yet to fathom out.

APS

zendawn · 22-03-2004, 22:52

I'm still having problems with the back button when using an NTL default proxy and am not sure if I've explained the problem properly?
Below is an example of how Cable Forums looks when I use the back button on an NTL proxy.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/zendawn69/backformat.jpg

And here is how it should look normally

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/zendawn69/normal.jpg

Hopefully this will help explain the problem better and pinpoint whats causing the trouble.

threadbare · 22-03-2004, 23:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by zendawn

I'm still having problems with the back button when using an NTL default proxy and am not sure if I've explained the problem properly?
Below is an example of how Cable Forums looks when I use the back button on an NTL proxy.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/zendawn69/backformat.jpg

And here is how it should look normally

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/zendawn69/normal.jpg

Hopefully this will help explain the problem better and pinpoint whats causing the trouble.

try deleting your temp internet files - it maybe your browser cache that is corrupt - tools > internet options > delete files

zendawn · 23-03-2004, 00:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by threadbare

try deleting your temp internet files - it maybe your browser cache that is corrupt - tools > internet options > delete files

Tried it but didnt make a difference, thanks anyway.

It only happens when I don't specify a proxy, took me a while to realise that was a common factor. At first I thought it might have been another program like google toolbar causing the problem but I've tried removing that and other IE add ons too no effect.

slimshady · 23-03-2004, 09:16

Well the problem is probably to do with the WCCP (Web Cache Control Protocol), this is the redirection that is put on the outbound interface of the t2core routers toward the bb routers or the inbound interface from the t2cam or dam routers. But you'r probably just reporting that the problem only occurs when you don't specify a cache

- its probably redirecting you through a different Cache each time or something silly.....

Have you tried a different browser (just to cover all possilibities?)

zendawn · 23-03-2004, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by slimshady

But you'r probably just reporting that the problem only occurs when you don't specify a cache
- its probably redirecting you through a different Cache each time or something silly.....

Have you tried a different browser (just to cover all possilibities?)

I only have IE6 so can't try another browser, but yes it only happens when I dont specify a proxy.
I was thinking it could be a bad reg entry but HiJackThis has found non out of place.

Florence · 23-03-2004, 09:45

In other words its time NTL found another job for the transparent cache and turned them of for good. Instead of wasting resources using them when they are unable to cope. There must be something else these can be used for that is more benificial to the company....

slimshady · 23-03-2004, 12:02

zendawn - maybe you should download Mozilla, Opera or Netscape??!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitty

In other words its time NTL found another job for the transparent cache and turned them of for good. Instead of wasting resources using them when they are unable to cope. There must be something else these can be used for that is more benificial to the company....

Herm debatable, caching is important and does have advantages - it will speed up the browsing experience if implemented correctly, the problem is with the caches being slow because they are either over loaded or not load balanced correctly...and again with them caching stale copys of data.

Not all the problems are down to the caching some is down to issues with Cisco's WCCP redirection protocol, Also, I think you will probably find that the caching has got better since NTL implemented Network Appliance caches instead of the Inktomi ones.

If NTL turned the all the caches off, the network would probably grind to a halt. Most large networks use caching - Just look at the SuperJANET Web Cache Service .

Unfortunately caching is here to stay on nearly all networks not just NTL's. It's about NTL and other companies configuring it correctly.