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DNS Problem

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#1 of 12 Posted Nov-1 5:52 AM

From John Jones Posts 2 Last Nov-1
To All [Msg # 193148.1 ]

Got called by a friend to come look at why none of the PC's in his office could access the Internet any more. He had replaced his DSL modem a couple weeks ago and had been having problems ever since. 1 desktop machine (wired), two laptops (wireless), all running Vista, and connecting to the DSL modem through a fairly new Netgear WRT54 router (the "skinny" type with internal antennas).

Although the AT&T DNS servers are showing up on the modem's interface page, there is apparently something preventing them from being used when a PC needs to reach an Internet site. The only way I could get the PC's to work was to "hard code" the DNS server addresses in the network connection properties on each PC. What might be wrong? They are using Norton 360 on the PC's, if that matters.

John, Clinton Twp, MI

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#2 of 12 Posted Nov-1 12:01 PM

From Dale G. Shields (Wugnet) Posts 9147 Last Nov-21
To John Jones [Msg # 193148.2 193148.1 ] (Unread)

Is that a Speedstream DSL modem, by any chance?

I installed a Linksys router at a client site a couple of months ago that used a Speedstream modem. Would work for about a minute and then stop. Weirdent thing I have seen. Seems that the router would first get the Public IP address from the modem and then it would switch to a Private IP address, right in front of your eyes...

I ended up assigning a Static Private address to the Router in the subnet the Speedstream modem used and that got things going properly...

Very strange indeed...

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#3 of 12 Posted Nov-1 2:40 PM

From groucho Posts 1329 Last Nov-21
To John Jones [Msg # 193148.3 193148.1 ] (Unread)

There could be a number of simple IP addressing problems stopping him, but has he tried first calling netgear support to ask about the configuration? If they can't or won't run it through with him, I'd be surprised. (And get equipment from another vendor.)

I'd shut down the wireless machines and wireless configuration, get the wired ethernet to work first, and then look at the WiFi as a totally separate issue.

Some of the stoppers can be real simple: The gateway address or DHCP range of the box is not the same from all vendors. And if you don't get DHCP working properly, the cmpputers can revert to APIPA (similar to DHCP but using an incompatible address range) and totally hose themselves.

If all that sounds like Greek...that's why it should be simpler to call the maker's tech support.

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#4 of 12 Posted Nov-3 12:38 PM

From John Jones Posts 134 Last Nov-21
To Dale G. Shields (Wugnet) [Msg # 193148.4 193148.2 ]

>> Is that a Speedstream DSL modem, by any chance? <<

They had been using a Speedstream 5100 until about 3 weeks ago, when they replaced it with a Motorola 2210-02 (box says AT&T, too). Went back there today to add RAM to the desktop PC and set security on the wireless connections. Office was busy so I had to limit my "intrusion" into their work, but when I looked at the Linksys configuration pages, I noticed it was only showing 1 DNS server address. Also noticed the firmware was version 1.0, and was dated about a year and a half ago. Think a firmware upgrade might help?

John, Clinton Twp, MI

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#5 of 12 Posted Nov-3 12:40 PM

From John Jones Posts 134 Last Nov-21
To groucho [Msg # 193148.5 193148.3 ]

>> I'd shut down the wireless machines and wireless configuration, get the wired ethernet to work first, and then look at the WiFi as a totally separate issue. <<

All 3 machines are picking up an IP address via DHCP just fine. It's just DNS that's the problem.

John, Clinton Twp, MI

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#6 of 12 Posted Nov-3 1:08 PM

From groucho Posts 1329 Last Nov-21
To John Jones [Msg # 193148.6 193148.5 ]

Then the first suspect would be to call AT&T support and ask for the IP address of their primary and secondary DNS servers--they will have AT LEAST TWO because even DNS servers do go down.

Check with Motorola to make sure those addresses are properly entered in the "dsl modem" and then reboot it to make sure they are actually in effect. It is also possible that the gateway address in the Motorola box is not set the same as it was in the Linksys, that's probably a red herring but check it as well.

If they don't have DNS at that point, it could mean that AT&T is doing something "secure" and shutting out requests from unregistered boxes, similar to the way cable companies were infamous for shutting down new "modems" with unknown IP addresses. You may need to call back AT&T at that point to ask them if your new box needs to be "registered" by the MAC or IP address it is using, etc.

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#7 of 12 Posted Nov-3 2:02 PM

From Dale G. Shields (Wugnet) Posts 9147 Last Nov-21
To John Jones [Msg # 193148.7 193148.4 ]

>>Motorola 2210-02

Did they go through the install process with that Modem? If not, it is still configured to connect to AT&T's servers to esyabkish the account, most likely. Those settings are "limited" to talking to the AT&T website...

Found that out with a client whose modem failed and the got that Motorolla unit as a replacement. The original settings log into a special server. Chaging the settings to their assigned login information got things going ptoperly...

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#8 of 12 Posted Nov-4 6:22 PM

From Irwin Posts 1095 Last Nov-20
To John Jones [Msg # 193148.8 193148.1 ] (Unread)

John,

With the system set to automatic/DHCP, what did you get with IPCONFIG/ALL from the command console? Was the DNS entries wrong or blanked?

You said that the DNS servers are showing up correctly on the modem's admin page, are they showing up on the router's too?

iK© Without OzWin v2.33

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#9 of 12 Posted Nov-15 6:19 AM

From John Jones Posts 134 Last Nov-21
To Dale G. Shields (Wugnet) [Msg # 193148.9 193148.7 ]

>> Did they go through the install process with that Modem? <<

They don't know. Some other guy bought and installed it, so I asked them to track him down and see what he did. Is there supposed to be a setup CD with the modem, or a set of printed instructions, or what?

John, Clinton Twp, MI

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#10 of 12 Posted Nov-15 12:36 PM

From Dale G. Shields (Wugnet) Posts 9147 Last Nov-21
To John Jones [Msg # 193148.10 193148.9 ]

>>Is there supposed to be a setup CD with the modem

I do not recall a CD (and would never use it if there was obe as it wants to install Yahoo junk and "brand" IE/OE with AT&T/Yahoo logos). I also do not recall instructions either. What I did was attach the modem and the first time I brought up a web browser, the default DNS settings in the modem directed me to a set of configuration pages. Since the client already had an established account, those pages were not making sense. So, I went into the modem configuration and found the "custom" settings. I changed the PPPoE info to their account as well as the DNS settings to obtain automatically and that got things going properly. One other thing I found was that modem is a DHCP server, HOWEVER, it is "locked" into providing ONE address...

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