Sudden DNS problem???

  • Thread starter Thread starter NewMan
  • Start date Start date
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NewMan

I have 4 machines at home all using a broadband connection via a
router. All machines are runnin WinXP Pro. 3 Machines are SP2, one
machine is SP1. Yesterday, 3 of the 4 machines (2 x SP2 and 1 x SP1)
would not allow Internet Browsing. I opened a command window, and I
could ping the gateway. I checked IPCONFIG and each machine had indeed
received an address via DHCP. But then I noticed something... There
was NO line for a DNS server????

When I checked the one working machine (SP2), it had an entry for the
DNS server of the router / gateway : 192.168.0.1 - which is correct.

When I manually go into Network Connection Properties, and FORCE the
non-working machines to use 192.168.0.1 as the DNS server, then they
work just fine!

This network has been running just fine for over a year - and now
this???? WTF???

Anyone got any ideas? I don't like it when things that were working
just fine suddenly change for no apparent reason at all.

All advice greatfully appreciated.
 
Don't you just hate it when things that are working great stop working? Well
first of all since you probably have AUTO Windows Critcal Updates setup on
your PC's I would have to say it is the SP2 systems that are causing the
problems. First of all did you happen to check to see if Windows Firewall is
ENABLED on all machines? If it is then DISABLE them. Do you shutdown the
systems periodically or do they remain on all the time. I recommend that you
shutdown them all at least once a week or reboot at the very least. Once you
have done both of those things check to see if it shows up in IPCONFIG. If it
doesn't try releasing and renewing all of the PC's so they get new IP's. If
this makes no difference then go back in and ENABLE the FIREWALL again.

You might also try power cycling the router. You should also check the hosts
file on all (4) systems to make sure that you don't have any strange or
unwanted entries in it? Do you have any third party FIREWALL software
install? Does your Antivirus software have any settings pertaining to
internet connections. Have you also checked to make sure that the WORKGROUP
on all systems is the same? Did you try to go back and setup Network Setup
Wizard on all syystems to insure each one knows how it is supposed to be
connected to the internet and is the same?

Let me know if this helps at all.
 
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