XP Apps unable to resolve host names

[dave_t]

Hi there,

Laptop has suddenly given up resolving host names....

Personal PC, no Corporate/Enterrpise connection (e.g. via Ethernet);
have only ever used dial-up to Internet, and all worked until recently.

Dial-up to ISP still works o.k.; "ipconfig /all" shows viable IP address
served, and DNS resovers are listed. However, any application run from
CMD prompt (e.g. "ping", "telnet", "tracert", etc.) fails to make a
connection when a host NAME is entered. (The tests with CMD applications
were after the original symptom, whereby IE failed to connect to any
website).

"nslookup" at CMD prompt works; defaults to one of the ISP nameservers,
and resolves any entered host name.

If I then return to CMD prompt (or IE, etc.), and run same applications
directly against IP addresses - all work o.k. (e.g IP connection made).

Of course, WebSites pull in images from other "named" websites, and some
Web Servers require the URL rather than just an IP address - so no easy
workaround to even browse the web to find answers......!!

I have checked most dial-up and network settings - can't find anything
obvious. I wonder if it might be to do with whatever the host name
resolution function is ("GetHostByAddr"...)?? But haven't got a clue at
that level. Any thoughts or suggestions welcome.......??

Many thanks,

 

[Guest]

I am having the same problem...suddenly IE and other browsers won't resolve
host names. Ping doesn't resolve them, either. I connect to the Internet via
cable modem.

I'm starting to see a pattern...Only the first host name is resolved after
the network connection is made. Thereafter, to get another one to resolve, I
must Repair the Network Connection and then the next domain I access works,
as well as the first one. And so it goes...if I try to access a domain name
for the first time, I get the error message that it "can't resolve the name.
Check the spelling and try again."

I'm trying to remember anything I could have installed to cause a problem,
but for the life of me, I can't remember tweaking anything...

Help!