DUN can't access certain web sites!!?

Anyone,
Is there a DNS service in Windows ME, or anything else mysterious, that
could cause certain web sites never to load? I use dial up to my local ISP,
and no one else has this problem with our ISP. For example, I can never
connect to Hotmail.com, cnn.com, etc., but can connect to many other sites
just fine. What in hell is the difference? Why would some sites come in
and not others! Help! Thanks.

EW

Mike
Tue Feb 01 17:21:22 CST 2005

Win Me like other operating system uses whichever DNS server you configure
it to use, or if set to obtain it automatically, that which your ISP
provides. Note though that it is possible to block access to certain sites
in the registry (the Restricted Zone, you can check these out in IE by
using Tools | Internet Options | Security) and also by the use of a HOSTS
file (no extension) in the Windows folder. Some malicious malware is
known to add sites, mainly those of AV vendors to the hosts file so as to
block user access to these sites.

Turning to your problem, when next on line, open a DOS/Command window and
see if you can PING or better TRACERT to these sites. I suggest tracert
since many sites no longer respond to pings. For example, to tracert
hotmail.com:

D:\TEMP>tracert hotmail.com

Tracing route to hotmail.com [64.4.32.7]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 13 ms <10 ms <10 ms 192.168.0.254
2 96 ms 28 ms 42 ms host-83-146-18-11.bulldogdsl.com
[83.146.18.11]
<snip>

indicates that hotmail.com was resolved and tracert started to log the
route to that site.

However if the output is similar to:

D:\TEMP>tracert hotmail.com
Unable to resolve target system name hotmail.com

then your DNS server is unable to resolve hotmail.com

Try using tracert. Can you resolve the IP addresses of the various sites?
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com


EW <ewyatt_erase@excite.com> wrote:

> Anyone,
> Is there a DNS service in Windows ME, or anything else mysterious,
> that could cause certain web sites never to load? I use dial up to
> my local ISP, and no one else has this problem with our ISP. For
> example, I can never connect to Hotmail.com, cnn.com, etc., but can
> connect to many other sites just fine. What in hell is the
> difference? Why would some sites come in and not others! Help! Thanks.
> EW

EW
Tue Feb 01 18:57:31 CST 2005

Mike,
Glad I got you to answer. I will have to get back with you later -- don't
ask -- and I have your email address. This problem is driving me nuts!!

Anyway, here's more regarding my problem: As I said, I cannot access certain
sites using my dialup, ever. HOWEVER, I can access ALL sites using my
(primary) broadband ICS connection from my host computer using Internet
Explorer!! I can also access ALL sites using my free Netzero account. Only
my dialup connection to my local ISP (which is also my broadband provider)
is hosed! This is soooooo weird.

I will get back with you on the "tracert" and let you know by email. Note:
my HOSTS file is not the problem and neither is the Restricted Zone. Bear
with me, and thanks! If you have any other ideas, please reply.

EW


--
The New & Improved Wiatrek Site
www.geocities.com/wiatrekhomeplace
"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
news:eYN0$SLCFHA.2072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Win Me like other operating system uses whichever DNS server you configure
> it to use, or if set to obtain it automatically, that which your ISP
> provides. Note though that it is possible to block access to certain sites
> in the registry (the Restricted Zone, you can check these out in IE by
> using Tools | Internet Options | Security) and also by the use of a HOSTS
> file (no extension) in the Windows folder. Some malicious malware is
> known to add sites, mainly those of AV vendors to the hosts file so as to
> block user access to these sites.
>
> Turning to your problem, when next on line, open a DOS/Command window and
> see if you can PING or better TRACERT to these sites. I suggest tracert
> since many sites no longer respond to pings. For example, to tracert
> hotmail.com:
>
> D:\TEMP>tracert hotmail.com
>
> Tracing route to hotmail.com [64.4.32.7]
> over a maximum of 30 hops:
>
> 1 13 ms <10 ms <10 ms 192.168.0.254
> 2 96 ms 28 ms 42 ms host-83-146-18-11.bulldogdsl.com
> [83.146.18.11]
> <snip>
>
> indicates that hotmail.com was resolved and tracert started to log the
> route to that site.
>
> However if the output is similar to:
>
> D:\TEMP>tracert hotmail.com
> Unable to resolve target system name hotmail.com
>
> then your DNS server is unable to resolve hotmail.com
>
> Try using tracert. Can you resolve the IP addresses of the various sites?
> --
> Mike Maltby MS-MVP
> mike.maltby@gmail.com
>
>
> EW <ewyatt_erase@excite.com> wrote:
>
> > Anyone,
> > Is there a DNS service in Windows ME, or anything else mysterious,
> > that could cause certain web sites never to load? I use dial up to
> > my local ISP, and no one else has this problem with our ISP. For
> > example, I can never connect to Hotmail.com, cnn.com, etc., but can
> > connect to many other sites just fine. What in hell is the
> > difference? Why would some sites come in and not others! Help! Thanks.
> > EW
>

Mike
Tue Feb 01 19:05:03 CST 2005

EW,

Check the IP address of the DNS server allocated by each of the three
ISPs, (OK two really but one with two means of access) and then try using
the DNS servers of a connection that works when using dial-up. I can't
access a DUN on a PC running Win Me at the moment but you should be able
to do this by choosing to manually enter the DNS server addresses rather
than have them allocated automatically.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com


EW... <rgill@excite.com> wrote:

> Mike,
> Glad I got you to answer. I will have to get back with you later --
> don't ask -- and I have your email address. This problem is driving
> me nuts!!
>
> Anyway, here's more regarding my problem: As I said, I cannot access
> certain sites using my dialup, ever. HOWEVER, I can access ALL sites
> using my (primary) broadband ICS connection from my host computer
> using Internet Explorer!! I can also access ALL sites using my free
> Netzero account. Only my dialup connection to my local ISP (which is
> also my broadband provider) is hosed! This is soooooo weird.
>
> I will get back with you on the "tracert" and let you know by email.
> Note: my HOSTS file is not the problem and neither is the Restricted
> Zone. Bear with me, and thanks! If you have any other ideas, please
> reply.

EW
Thu Feb 03 17:13:22 CST 2005

Thanks again, Mike, but I have continuing news! For the last two days I
HAVE been able to connect to those troublesome sites very well. Apparently
this was a temporary problem, and I know this non-connectivity was not there
weeks ago. Perhaps the problem had something to do with Akamai's problems
over the last 10 days or so -- their DNS innards had problems, I read.

In any case, I learned a lot, esp. from you. Bottom line: all is fine now,
but I still don't know for sure why it happened. I'll just move on from
here.

Best regards,
EW

"Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
news:OdV07MMCFHA.2572@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> EW,
>
> Check the IP address of the DNS server allocated by each of the three
> ISPs, (OK two really but one with two means of access) and then try using
> the DNS servers of a connection that works when using dial-up. I can't
> access a DUN on a PC running Win Me at the moment but you should be able
> to do this by choosing to manually enter the DNS server addresses rather
> than have them allocated automatically.
> --
> Mike Maltby MS-MVP
> mike.maltby@gmail.com
>
>
> EW... <rgill@excite.com> wrote:
>
>> Mike,
>> Glad I got you to answer. I will have to get back with you later --
>> don't ask -- and I have your email address. This problem is driving
>> me nuts!!
>>
>> Anyway, here's more regarding my problem: As I said, I cannot access
>> certain sites using my dialup, ever. HOWEVER, I can access ALL sites
>> using my (primary) broadband ICS connection from my host computer
>> using Internet Explorer!! I can also access ALL sites using my free
>> Netzero account. Only my dialup connection to my local ISP (which is
>> also my broadband provider) is hosed! This is soooooo weird.
>>
>> I will get back with you on the "tracert" and let you know by email.
>> Note: my HOSTS file is not the problem and neither is the Restricted
>> Zone. Bear with me, and thanks! If you have any other ideas, please
>> reply.
>

Mike
Thu Feb 03 17:52:41 CST 2005

That's good news EW. Personally I always thought the problem was likely
to be external to your hardware. I agree that moving on is probably the
best approach and putting down the problem to being just one of those
transient problems that come and go every so often.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com


EW <ewyatt_erase@excite.com> wrote:

> Thanks again, Mike, but I have continuing news! For the last two
> days I HAVE been able to connect to those troublesome sites very
> well. Apparently this was a temporary problem, and I know this
> non-connectivity was not there weeks ago. Perhaps the problem had
> something to do with Akamai's problems over the last 10 days or so --
> their DNS innards had problems, I read.
> In any case, I learned a lot, esp. from you. Bottom line: all is
> fine now, but I still don't know for sure why it happened. I'll just
> move on from here.