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Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror'
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Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' |
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Subject: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: GUEST,Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Sep 04 - 11:31 AM HELP, Please! I know that there are any number of you who have expertise on this. I have DSL wired to my office, a dedicated line. Since last Friday I have not been able to reach any Internet sites with any browsers. The message that I get at the bottom of IE is //C:\WINNT\system32\shdoclc.dll/dnserror.htm All of the hardware seems to be in working order. (I'm using the old dialup modem to connect right now--talk about SLOW!) I've scoured settings and diagnostic programs and cannot find any indication that this culprit is anything but a software setting, but I'm darned if I can find it. I've searched on "DNSerror" and found a page that SEEMS to have the answer, but I need help interpreting it: http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/answers.htm . A little more than halfway down this long page is the sentence Can't display page (Server or DNS error) or "Internet Explorer could not open the search page" and this discusses it. I use Win2000Pro on a Hewlett-Packard Pavilion 9870, and honestly, it has been so long since I've used DOS I don't remember if I have a DOS-like feature in here. I went through using the settings in IE and deleted my history (recent pages, etc.) and cookies. I have to reset a bunch of them (including Mudcat, as I realized when I started this thread). I realize this isn't the same thing as running the DOS command and truly deleting all of this stuff. Any ideas? I'll probably think of things I forgot and add them in later, but any help will be appreciated. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 19 Sep 04 - 12:14 PM Agggh! So many possibilities! Well, the DNS 'thingie' is the Dynamic Name Server - it translates the text forms of the domain names into the magic IP numbers. The numbers are what the internet uses to find things - the words are hooked to them via lookup tables. One table may be in your HOSTS file on your machine (strictly, this is checked before asking the net DNS server machines). Some cookies may have the IP numbers embedded in them, and may get looked at first. There may be a routing table kept in your machines RAM - the 'ipconfig /flushdns' will fix this. Some Web accelerators also try tricks like this to keep info stored so as to obviate regular lookups each time the IP number is needed - obviously if that info is corrupt, you will get waylaid. If the host you are trying to find is changed to use another IP number, that is usually notified to the server machines on the net and propagates around, but if your machine is looking up the IP number from your machine, you are stuffed, until you fix this. The DSL 'modem' box may have routing tables in it too. These should be transparent and self fixing, but something may not be working right, and should be reset. One would expect that a power on/off would fix this - but it may retain the info internally for a while after power down - how long it needs to be switched off to rest, I don't know. Your DSL ISP should have tools to fix this. The "If you are using ADSL or DSL make sure that 'dial whenever a network connection is not present' is not enabled. Use 'never dial a connection' instead" hint should not be overlooked too. If you are using both dialup & DSL on the same box, it may have gotten turned on. The LSP-Fix hint implies that malware may have snuck into the system somewhere - this util does not remove the malware but may repair the broken internal links after the malware has been manually deleted. "Repairs Winsock 2 settings, caused by buggy or improperly-removed Internet software, that result in loss of Internet access. LSP-Fix is a free utility to repair a specific type of problem associated with certain Internet software. This type of software is known as a Layered Service Provider or LSP, a piece of software that can be inserted into the Windows TCP/IP handler like a link in a chain. However, due to bugs in the LSP software or deletion of the software, this chain can get broken, rendering the user unable to access the Internet. Unfortunately, this type of software is sometimes quietly installed by unrelated software such as file-sharing programs, sneaking onto a system unannounced. In fact, in many cases, the user does not know of its existence until something goes wrong, and he/she can no longer access Web sites." You shouldn't need a Dos window to run ipconfig - it will work in the Run entry from the start button - if 2000 is like other windows. Certain AV Sw and other mentioned progs MAy be the culprit - you will have to manually disable them - but if you switch off your firewall to test that - don't stay on the net very long unprotected........ Will that do for a start? Robin |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Sep 04 - 12:32 PM Robin, At least someone else is on the same page with me! I have used the same programs for some time now, Symantec Personal Firewall, Norton Anti-virus. I have to admit that I can't remember exactly what I was doing on Friday that might have started this problem. I've looked at logs and don't find anything even showing up for that date, and nothing particularly interesting for the next day when I turned the machine on again. I manually dial up to the internet, nothing is set to automatically log on. I've unplugged the modem a few times to see if that helps, but it doesn't. In the last few days I did reinstall Spybot Search and Destroy, and I did back up the registry--does this set off any alarms for you? I tried to use the Run feature from the start button for "ipconfig/flushdns" (no quotes) but it doesn't like that command. I do use Earthlink as my Internet Provider, but I don't think I've done anything with their software for a while. But maybe this needs to go back to them for another examination (now that I've apologized for suggesting that their DSL coverage in this area was out and they didn't warn us. . . ) I have a router set up for wireless access from the kids' computer, and it works as well as ever. My computer is plugged into the router, and even if I plug in the DSL connection straight from the DSL modem, it still doesn't work. So I've ruled out the hardware and a lot of the software stuff. Thanks for you assistance, I'll keep looking at the flush dns thing. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Sep 04 - 12:49 PM Ah-ha! I knew I could get there, I just didn't remember how. This page is very helpful, if you've almost but not quite forgotten everything you ever knew about DOS (and I used to be quite proficient, eons ago): http://publish.uwo.ca/~jkiernan/dosusing.htm. I've run the command: "ipconfig/flushdns" successfully (according to DOS) and now I'm going to log off of the modem, restart the computer, go eat lunch, then come back and see what happens. Thanks--cross your fingers! SRS |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Sep 04 - 01:25 PM You can uncross them now--perhaps to type another bit of information for me. I'm back on the dialup, because it still doesn't work on the DSL connection. The page I linked to above says this:
Shut down all programmes and boot into dos if you are using Windows 95 or 98. If using Windows ME use an appropriate disc to access DOS. Run the following commands from the windows directory, typically c:\windows\> smartdrv deltree history deltree tempor~1 deltree cookies Reboot using ctrl, alt, del if using Windows 95 or 98. If using WindowsME remember to remove the boot floppy. Windows 2000 users will have to log in as Administrator to be able to delete the folders in question directly from within Windows Explorer. Windows XP users will be able to delete the folders from within Windows Explorer, though you may need to log in as Administrator first. When I use the command line in my system, it doesn't recognize "smartdrv" or "deltree" as commands. I think the usual command for delete was "del"--but I hate to start experimenting deleting things via DOS, for obvious reasons! So the only part of those instructions that worked (but obviously didn't work right, if I didn't do the other steps first) was the "inconfig/fulshdns" bit. So I need to go back to the commands. Let's see, I should be able to find a list of DOS commands somewhere. . . Meanwhile, any good ideas will be appreciated! (I really hate to have to back this system up to May, because I've been busy since then, and will overwrite all of that). SRS |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Amergin Date: 19 Sep 04 - 02:01 PM winsocks |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Amergin Date: 19 Sep 04 - 02:22 PM also can you actually ping out? |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Teresa Date: 19 Sep 04 - 02:24 PM SRS, try double-checking all of your firewall settings. One time I couldn't get on for hours and discovered I'd accidentally "shut down all Internet traffic" in my firewall! Maybe a firmware update on the modem is an option as well. The Earthlink start page for DSL most likely has an update app to do this. And the modem does sync when you plug it in and turn it on? Perhaps a firmware update for the router? Just some suggestions ... good luck! T |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Amergin Date: 19 Sep 04 - 02:30 PM click here |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Sep 04 - 03:22 PM Teresa, I spotted that situation several days ago. It's one of several things that was somehow in the wrong setting. But you're on the same path I was--every time I explored a new avenue it always kept coming back to something authorizing access to the information, and that something was most likely the firewall. I just spent the last couple of hours completely uninstalling my Norton Personal Firewall and Symantec Anti-Virus. I then installed them both, and as I worked, they were able to download what they needed. I'm back online. I don't know if the earlier "ipconfig/flushdns" in anyway helped, and I'm going to be resetting cookies for days as I go about my online business. I haven't heard about any kind of a worm or virus or malware that resets firewalls, but something seems to have corrupted the system. It was a chance to get to renew my knowledge of my computer and software. (I just wish this kind of work was user-driven rather than equipment-failure-driven!) Thanks all for your suggestions. This will drop off the page and be one more specialized resource for Mudcatters (and probably turn up in Google searches by outsiders). SRS |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Teresa Date: 19 Sep 04 - 03:29 PM Welcome back to dSL land, SRS. :) Yes, been there; done that with cookies. Good luck. :( :> T |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 19 Sep 04 - 09:48 PM Glad to see you are back. "ipconfig/flushdns" actually should have a space in it "ipconfig /flushdns" The directory/directories where DOS commands reside must be where you are located to get them to run, unless they are in the PATH statement. How that works in 2000/NT - don't know - but in the 9x variants, that 'set PATH' statement in the autoexec.bat is where it tis set up. The firewall seemed a likely suspect too. If I'd been sitting at the machine I would have prowled the settings and noticed the sort of thing Teresa mentioned eventually, but perhaps the reinstall fixed that anyway. If it had not deleted your personal settings - and some uninstallers leave those files, then reinstalling it would have only picked up the settings and you would not have had any changes. Did you get milk too Teresa? ;-) |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Teresa Date: 19 Sep 04 - 10:01 PM with lots of chocolate in! :) T |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Connection Problem--DSL-'DNSerror' From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Sep 04 - 10:29 PM Robin, I kept spotting those things, and fixing settings when I found them, but could never get it to completely cooperate. I wasn't entirely convinced it was the firewall until this morning. I dumped a lot of stuff when I uninstalled two Symantec programs (firewall and AV). I cleaned the disk, then I defragged, then I reinstalled the programs. I unplugged the DSL cable from the ethernet connection until I had reinstalled the firewall. Only when it was ready to update from the web did I plug it back in. Once that was up, I installed the Anti-Virus. You can't do one without doing the other, they don't play nicely togehter otherwise. I used to use DOS all of the time--I bought my first computer in 1984, and have seen a lot come and go as far as PCs, their abilities, and the programs that run on them. MS-DOS is a very useful tool, but Microsoft has all but made it vanish completely (like it isn't really still there in the background). I even remember writing a few auto-exec batch files in my early computer days! SRS |
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