DNS woes - Browser slow, stalling, timing out etc.

I am a former O2 customer transferred to Sky. I had fibre unlimited installed Friday evening. Web browsing performance is rubbish. This appears to be down to the DNS servers pushed to the Sky Hub. 90.207.238.97, 90.207.238.99. Requests are timing out.

I note that I cannot reconfigure the router (hub) to hand out the google DNS servers via DHCP. (In my experience the google DNS being rock solid.)

What to do?
Thanks,

Manufacturer Sky
Model SR101
Firmware Version 1.15i.2202.R

C:\Windows\system32>nslookup sky.com
DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
Server: UnKnown
Address: 192.168.0.1

DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
*** Request to UnKnown timed-out

C:\Windows\system32>nslookup sky.com
DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
Server: UnKnown
Address: 192.168.0.1

DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.
*** Request to UnKnown timed-out

C:\Windows\system32>nslookup sky.com
Server: SkyRouter.Home
Address: 192.168.0.1

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: sky.com
Address: 80.238.9.179


C:\Windows\system32>

If it impossible to set the DNS in the router, the only alternative is to set Google DNS in each PC.

I always find it better to set the DNS on each PC. This lets you use more than one (eg one PC set to Google and one to Open DNS). If one PC stops being able to access the web but the other keeps going you know it's a DNS problem not a general routing problem.

I also have also had problems were the ISP's DNS servers are working but the router it self will not forward this info to the requesting PC. Had the set up once were one PC was using the router for DNS, one set to my ISP (Demon) and one to Open DNS. Used to get a lot of DNS errors from the PC using the router.

If you set a PC to obtain DNS automaticaly it will set the DNS IP to the router and it is possable for the DNS sever on the router to enter an error state which will require a reboot of the router even if the rest of the router functions are working.

Anthony

Next best option is to set on each computer. To find the fastest dns servers for your connection you might consider running Gibson Research's DNS Nameserver Performance Benchmark.

Apart from finding the fastest it also identifies any that re-direct failed look-ups to some form of advertising.

If you cannot run dns with your ISP and you don't want the t's and c's that google proffer. then using nameserver bench is a good way forward.

Just a thought.... Could you maybe just use the sky router in modem mode and then use a router with the features you need?

Wish I had found this thread sooner
I am also a former O2 customer ever since I switched from O2 ADSL to SKY Fibre
I've thought the browsing experience was slower but I've lived with it.
The final straw came tonight when imdb wasn't available but the site was up.
This led me to look at the DNS servers, so a quick change and the difference is unbelievable sites appear instantly and imdb now works.

Not good enough Sky!

Virgin DNS are just as bad.

I never use them i use Google or OpenDNS.

Have to say, I've never had a problem with Sky DNS.

Be/O2 had their DNS issues.