Server not found

I am finding that I get quite a few "Server not found" pages when using Firefox. My ISP is Zen internet.

How can I go about diagnosing this? Are there some tools I should get?

Thanks

Dave

First stage would to try nslookup from the command line to see if the domain resolves on to an IP address.

If it does, then not a DNS issue.
If it does not, then consider changing from using router to do DNS, and hard code the Zen or Google DNS server IP addresses into the network interface DNS settings area.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

hard code the Zen or Google DNS server IP addresses into the network interface DNS settings area.

Or even in the router itself to cover all devices in the network.

When I click the Try again button, I always get the page. It only ever happens the first time.Does that provide more of a clue?

Edited by deleted (Wed 19-Sep-12 18:29:12)

Dave, when you get this problem try accessing google.com, and if that fails try typing in the following:

http://173.194.32.33/

Into the address bar at the top of your browser not the search box or anything.

Tell me if any of those work or if you still get the issue when using the numbers as above.

EDIT: Also see if you get the same issue on any other computers/devices and try using Internet Explorer if possible to see if you get the same problem.

Edited by deleted (Wed 19-Sep-12 18:32:12)

In reply to a post by DaveSmith2020:

When I click the Try again button, I always get the page. It only ever happens the first time.Does that provide more of a clue?

Most likely DNS. Do this as advised earlier

hard code the Zen or Google DNS server IP addresses into the network interface DNS settings area.

I get Google fine and the ip address goes to Google. It doesn't happen on all pages, but it is happening perhaps about 10% of the time. Its very frustrating. Like I said, it always seems to go to any site when I click the Try Again button.

I am not quite sure what you mean.

Another way would be to flush the DNS cache. Open a command prompt and type ipconfig /flushdns

Dave, try using internet explorer or download chrome and try using that for a little while, see if you get the same issue.

Tried that and still get the issue.

The same issue just happened in IE9.

Wireless or a wired connection to your router?

Wired

Try using Google's DNS servers.

Also, due to the symptoms you are suggesting it looks a lot like packet loss.

Open command prompt and type in the following:

ping www.google.com -t

That will run test continously until you close the window, let us know if there are time outs anywhere or if they are all replied to.

In reply to a post by DaveSmith2020:

Tried that and still get the issue.

What was the response from the command?

I get bytes=32, time=32ms, TTL=50. A big list of them!

No responses that say timeed out?

Successfully flushed the DNS resolver cache

Nope

Did you get any timed out messages when you did the ping command?

If you didn't we need you to run a different command.

tracert www.google.com

Then paste the results here (you will have to right click the black window and choose the "Mark" option. Then highlight the text and press two keys together, ctrl and enter, this will copy it so it can be pasted here.

No timed out messages with ping.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Jon>tracert www.google.com

Tracing route to www.google.com [74.125.132.104]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms home.gateway.home.gateway [192.168.1.254]
2 28 ms 28 ms 27 ms losubs.subs.dsl1.th-lon.zen.net.uk [62.3.84.17]

3 28 ms 28 ms 31 ms ge-0-0-0-113.cr2.th-lon.zen.net.uk [62.3.84.181]

4 28 ms 79 ms 27 ms ge-2-0-0-0.cr1.th-lon.zen.net.uk [62.3.80.41]
5 28 ms 28 ms 28 ms 72.14.217.190
6 29 ms 27 ms 28 ms 209.85.240.63
7 51 ms 29 ms 29 ms 209.85.253.92
8 34 ms 50 ms 34 ms 66.249.95.173
9 34 ms 34 ms 34 ms 209.85.251.231
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 34 ms 34 ms 34 ms wb-in-f104.1e100.net [74.125.132.104]

Trace complete.

C:\Users\Jon>

That timeout near the end isn't denoting a problem, I get the same timeout there, its most likely a gateway thats not set to respond to these requests. I was more concerned with any timeouts within the ISPs network.

Nothing indicating any network issues there, I'd suggest running windows in safe mode with networking for 10 mins and see if you have the same issues.

Thanks for your help. I will see if it disappears over the next day or so. Hopefully it will.

Time for the football.

https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/...

Details what to do to use different DNS servers, Google in this case

I see there are reports of DNS problems in the Zen forums http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/zen/t/4158507-mail-...

Edited by deleted (Wed 19-Sep-12 20:00:24)

It's been mentioned on Zen's own forum too:
http://forum.zensupport.co.uk/forums/thread/43454.aspx