DNS problem?

12beatechie

Hi,
I have a cable modem connected to a Belkin 4-port router and I ran into a DNS issue. Basically, I cannot connect to the Internet but I can ping the IP address from DOS prompt. For example, I can ping 66.102.7.99 (Google IP) but I never get replies for pinging the host name (www.google.com). I tried to set the primary and secondary DNS in both my router and NIC card but still it won't not connect.

I will have to perfrom release/renew or powercycling both cable modem and Belkin router in order for it to work. I have to powercycle everything every now and then and this is tedious. Like last weekend, I did powercycling for more than 10 times in a day!

This leads me to think that my Belkin router is faulty since connecting the cable modem to just one computer works fine.

I hope someone who had this kind of experience can provide advice if they know how to fix the problem other than getting a new router

Thanks in advance!

WindowsLM

Sadly, my only advice to you is to get a new router, or at least test a different one. My friend had this problem with his Belkin router, we tested my netgear, and it worked fine. I would borrow a router and see what the outcome is, but since you said you connected the modem directly to the pc and it worked fine, my money is that it's the router. sorry mate.

bighornsheep

Before you finalize your router is faulty. Try to release the ip address on your router, power cycle your cable modem, and obtain a new ip address on the router. If your router supports ping functions, try to ping a hostname on it first. Sometimes it could be an ISP issue.

If you dont have warranty on the router or does not want to get another one just yet, try and connect your computer directly and see if it's the same problem, if not, then you will know for sure it's very likely the router's issue.

Gennosuke HIGAKI

Does your cable provider allow you to increase the number of connections? Can you set the Belkin in a passive mode, that is, dhcp client to the cable modem? DNS servers are providers? Have you tried other DNS servers?

malcybood

Don't buy a new router until you have tried the following:

Upgrade the firmware by downloading the latest firmware upgrade from the Belkin website to your desktop PC (Via cable modem connection). make sure you download the correct firmware for your particular make/model of router.

Then do the following:

- connect to the router via ethernet RJ45 cable to the router
- go into the router web interface i.e. http://192.168.2.1 (ot whatever your router ethernet interface is)
- Select "Upgrade firmware" down the left hand side of the router menu.
- Browse to the downloaded file that you have saved to your local machine
- Save settings
- Reboot router

Failing this try hard resetting the router to factory defaults by doing the following:

- take the power cable out of the router
- before replugging the power, hold down the reset button on the back of the router (with a pointed object i.e. a pen)
- plug the power back into the router still holding the reset button in
- after approx 15 seconds all lights will appear to be lit and flashing normally
- Check it has reset to factory defaults by checking any changes you made are now gone i.e. administrator password is blank, no wep or wpa encryption configured etc

There is also a "Restore factory defaults within the router http interface menu but I don't always find this to be reliable.

Hope this helps

Malc

12beatechie

malcybood wrote:

Upgrade the firmware by downloading the latest firmware upgrade from the Belkin website to your desktop PC (Via cable modem connection). make sure you download the correct firmware for your particular make/model of router.

Failing this try hard resetting the router to factory defaults

Thanks for your suggestion! No luck with upgrading the newest firmware. I did a hard reset and the connection seems to be stable now. I mean occasionally I lost a couple of pings. I will keep monitoring it and see if hard resetting resolved the problem.

malcybood

Good news man.....If you are losing pings over wireless connection don't worry too much....On SOHO (Small Office Home Office) routers such as Belkin, netgear, linksys etc, this happens where the wireless connection can drop without you even noticing and then reconnect itself.

The only way to guarantee a connection to your router and for it not to drop is over cable but wireless is just too damn convenient not to use isn't it! lol......Glad I could help

All the best

Malc

12beatechie

Hey Malc,
You did it, you solved the problem. I was pinging the host name 10000 times a couple of times and this is the average:

Packets: Sent = 10000, Received = 9978, Lost = 22 (0% loss)

Don't ask me how long it takes for the pinging, I lost count.

Thanks for saving me for getting a new router!

Gennosuke HIGAKI

Glad to hear it working fine

I am a cable subscriber too. For your reference, I introduce my solution. My provider allotted a single LAN port modem. Contract is of single type. For Internet connection via the cable modem, I share a desktop PC with family members.

They use it daytime for ususal Internet browing in w2k. At night I use it as a NAPT router and proxy server to enjoy Internet in my junk lab upstaris. I switch it over as needed, that is, HD boot - W2K, Floppy boot - router.

If you knew or took an interest in Linux, you might try FREESCO. This means not free SCO but free CISCO. http://www.freesco.org/

MOSQUITO is more simpler but in Japanese http://www.ipnuts.net/

An additional NIC is still cheaper than a route, isn't it?

Regards

Danman32

Sometimes the ISP's DNS server is/are faulty. I've gotten client calls where they couldn't get out on the net. Getting out by IP is fine, so I get their DNS config and test them here. No response.

Even if your router is configed to proxy DNS (as my Belkin is), you can set your host config to use external DNS. It is not likely the router or the ISP is going to filter DNS queries.
A well known DNS server IP is 4.2.2.2.

I gave my dad a Netgear, and had it proxy DNS. That would work for a while, but eventually it would stop relaying queries and I'd have to reset (power cycle) the router. If I hard coded the DNS on the hosts, no problems surfaced.

Just so you know, if you do several pings within a short period of time, only one DNS lookup will be done. Subsequent requests will come from host cache.

netcom2000

I agree set up an interface with your Belkin router, mostly IP adddress of 192.168.2.1, dont forget to type http:// and then IP address of your router, then you are presented with a GUI interface with information of your router set-up, and look at the DNS settings there.