No broadband - seems to be DNS problems

asy1mpo · 13-02-2006, 08:20

Hi

I am in the Manchester area and Internet has been down since last Friday/early Saturday.

I have a set top box (the TV is all working fine and the lights on the front are lit up fine).

I have rebooted PC and set top box several times but still no web pages. I can ping addresses e.g. google, BBC but when i try and type in the IP address in internet explorer it just times out. I have Google mail alert and it cant connect and says some message about DNS.

I have checked NTL status and no problems (only with broadband plus registration or something).

I did call NTL customer support on Thursday or Friday because i realised they were charging me ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£25 instead of ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£18 for the 1Mb internet (i was on the old broadband or something apparently). She said it would not effect the actual internet and the only change would be a billing thing.

Anyone else having a problem. Do you think that call to NTL is related??

Aragorn · 13-02-2006, 09:02

Unlikely to be related, imo.

Have you previously manually set a DNS server or proxy server?

What DNS server are you using - go to DOS/Cmd prompt and type "ipconfig /all". This should show the DNS servers currently in use. The main NTL server is 194.168.4.100.

If that is OK, is there a difference between :
ping www.bbc.co.uk
and
ping 212.58.224.35

If that works, try typing
telnet www.bbc.co.uk 80
This will bypass any proxy servers.

Enough to go on with for now. (Above assumes running XP!)

asy1mpo · 13-02-2006, 09:23

i am using win XP

i have tried manually setting DNS ages ago when i had a problem. have not manually set it since i formatted my laptop few months ago.

that telnet command - do i type that into the command prompt?

i will try all those things when i get home later (at work now). i

Thanks

Aragorn · 13-02-2006, 09:30

Yes, telnet needs to be run from command prompt as well.

Another thing to try, if you haven't already, is downloading Firefox on to a memory stick/cd at work and loading that as an alternate browser.

jem · 13-02-2006, 09:39

If you can ping an address

ping www.bbc.co.uk

say and get a response then DNS name resolution is working ok. Just to be sure try something a little more unusual just in case the address has been cached. I tend to use www.cisco.com on the grounds that unless you happen to work in IT it's very unlikely that the website has been recently viewed and the address has been cached.

If the ping responses fail then you have a DNS problem.

If this is ok then in the command prompt try the telnet command. If you get a successful connection then the internet connection is basically working.

Lastly try entering www.bbc.co.uk into the web browser. If it fails then the problem is almost certainly a failed proxy. If you don't manually specify a proxy then your web traffic is routed via a transparent proxy which is supposed to be set up in such a way that NTL can load balence. Generally it works just fine but can sometime go a bit wrong. I recently had a real problem with Proxies in the south London area and had to work around them but it all seems to be fixed now.

There is a help guide somewhere on how to manually set a proxy for IE and Firefox etc. and what addresses to put in. I can't remember where it is but I'm sure someone else will have the info and post it. Don't forget to try taking the manual proxy setting off after a few days though.

Good Luck

asy1mpo · 13-02-2006, 09:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aragorn

Yes, telnet needs to be run from command prompt as well.Another thing to try, if you haven't already, is downloading Firefox on to a memory stick/cd at work and loading that as an alternate browser.

I already have firefox on my pc at home - why would that make a difference - its my default browser

---------- Post added at 10:47 ---------- Previous post was at 10:46 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by jem

If you can ping an address ping www.bbc.co.uksay and get a response then DNS name resolution is working ok. Just to be sure try something a little more unusual just in case the address has been cached. I tend to use www.cisco.com on the grounds that unless you happen to work in IT it's very unlikely that the website has been recently viewed and the address has been cached.If the ping responses fail then you have a DNS problem.If this is ok then in the command prompt try the telnet command. If you get a successful connection then the internet connection is basically working.Lastly try entering www.bbc.co.uk into the web browser. If it fails then the problem is almost certainly a failed proxy. If you don't manually specify a proxy then your web traffic is routed via a transparent proxy which is supposed to be set up in such a way that NTL can load balence. Generally it works just fine but can sometime go a bit wrong. I recently had a real problem with Proxies in the south London area and had to work around them but it all seems to be fixed now.There is a help guide somewhere on how to manually set a proxy for IE and Firefox etc. and what addresses to put in. I can't remember where it is but I'm sure someone else will have the info and post it. Don't forget to try taking the manual proxy setting off after a few days though.Good Luck

thanks - will give it a try later

i think the url with the proxies you are thinking of is:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d...cache.html#ntl

i have noted some down to try later

Aragorn · 13-02-2006, 10:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by asy1mpo

I already have firefox on my pc at home - why would that make a difference - its my default browser ---------- Post added at 10:47 ---------- Previous post was at 10:46 ---------- thanks - will give it a try later i think the url with the proxies you are thinking of is: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d...cache.html#ntl i have noted some down to try later

The only reason I suggested FF was in case you had a naff manual proxy in IE - a new FF install would use the standard transparent proxy.

Robin's page is certainly the reference point I would use for manual proxies.

asy1mpo · 13-02-2006, 15:52

right, i suppose i could uninstall Firefox, then reinstall it and give it a go

**Paul** · 13-02-2006, 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aragorn

If that works, try typing
telnet www.bbc.co.uk 80
This will bypass any proxy servers.

I'm not sure what you mean here, but this won't bypass the ntl proxy servers.

Aragorn · 13-02-2006, 21:19

Just re-read that - yes it won't avoid the transparent proxy, but would highlight any browser issues (eg, misconfigured manual proxy).

asy1mpo · 14-02-2006, 14:09

i tried the telnet thing and it timed out.

i realised last night when i tested it that when i pinged bbc.co.uk, google etc that the ip address was always the same.

the dns it was using it 174 or 175. something i think. I forgot to bring the paper i wrote it down.

when i changed the DNS to the NTL ones it just timed out.

i always tried different proxy servers but it still didnt work.

i was going to try other things but all the power in my apartment went last night and only got it back up and running this morning.

will try various things tonight. fingers crossed!

Marge · 14-02-2006, 14:58

Any time a package is changed for stb bb it "knocks" off the bb signal so i suspect you haven't got an active bb signal going to your box.

if you wanna pm me your details i can check for you, the mods can confirm i'm an ntl bod

asy1mpo · 14-02-2006, 18:53

i am now online. turns out that when i called ntl to change my billing it kicked off my registration.

i had to basically put in the NTL CD and re-register.

Marge · 14-02-2006, 19:50

Glad it's all sorted and you now happily surfing again