A strange problem with Pipex

I have Pipex ADSL line. When I try to access some websites (such as
Onestopphoneshop), it either doesn't open or if it does, after about 5 min
the screen just freezes. There's nothing wrong with the websites themselves,
as I can access them with no problem through another dial-up. I have emptied
the cache but made no difference. Anyone has idea what's going on? Is it
Pipex problem or is there something I can do to remedy it?

Alec

On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 10:23:40 -0000, "Alec"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have Pipex ADSL line. When I try to access some websites (such as
>Onestopphoneshop), it either doesn't open or if it does, after about 5 min
>the screen just freezes. There's nothing wrong with the websites themselves,
>as I can access them with no problem through another dial-up. I have emptied
>the cache but made no difference. Anyone has idea what's going on? Is it
>Pipex problem or is there something I can do to remedy it?
>
>Alec
>
what firewall are you using?

"Paul" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 10:23:40 -0000, "Alec"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >I have Pipex ADSL line. When I try to access some websites (such as
> >Onestopphoneshop), it either doesn't open or if it does, after about 5
min
> >the screen just freezes. There's nothing wrong with the websites
themselves,
> >as I can access them with no problem through another dial-up. I have
emptied
> >the cache but made no difference. Anyone has idea what's going on? Is it
> >Pipex problem or is there something I can do to remedy it?
> >
> >Alec
> >
> what firewall are you using?

Not using a Netgear router by any chance are you? I've found that my DG834G
v1.05.00 was failing DNS queries and I saw exactly this behaviour. I'm told
that the latest Beta release might help (not had chance to try) but also, if
you configure your PC to know the DNS server, instead of relying on DHCP/DNS
via the router, things then work.

Paul DS.

In article <42245ef8$0$10945$(E-Mail Removed)> ,
Paul D.Smith <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>"Paul" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
>> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 10:23:40 -0000, "Alec"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>> >I have Pipex ADSL line. When I try to access some websites (such as
>> >Onestopphoneshop), it either doesn't open or if it does, after about 5
>min
>> >the screen just freezes. There's nothing wrong with the websites
>themselves,
>> >as I can access them with no problem through another dial-up. I have
>emptied
>> >the cache but made no difference. Anyone has idea what's going on? Is it
>> >Pipex problem or is there something I can do to remedy it?
>> >
>> >Alec
>> >
>> what firewall are you using?
>
>Not using a Netgear router by any chance are you? I've found that my DG834G
>v1.05.00 was failing DNS queries and I saw exactly this behaviour. I'm told
>that the latest Beta release might help (not had chance to try) but also, if
>you configure your PC to know the DNS server, instead of relying on DHCP/DNS
>via the router, things then work.
>

Interesting. That is exactly the same problem I had which I solved in exactly
the same manner. I have an Speedtouch 510 though.
I never did work out what the problem was but it wasn't obvious.

Pete

"Pete" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:d01nh5$aqt$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
> In article <42245ef8$0$10945$(E-Mail Removed)> ,
> Paul D.Smith <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >"Paul" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> >news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
> >> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 10:23:40 -0000, "Alec"
> >> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >>
> >> >I have Pipex ADSL line. When I try to access some websites (such as
> >> >Onestopphoneshop), it either doesn't open or if it does, after about 5
> >min
> >> >the screen just freezes. There's nothing wrong with the websites
> >themselves,
> >> >as I can access them with no problem through another dial-up. I have
> >emptied
> >> >the cache but made no difference. Anyone has idea what's going on? Is
it
> >> >Pipex problem or is there something I can do to remedy it?
> >> >
> >> >Alec
> >> >
> >> what firewall are you using?
> >
> >Not using a Netgear router by any chance are you? I've found that my
DG834G
> >v1.05.00 was failing DNS queries and I saw exactly this behaviour. I'm
told
> >that the latest Beta release might help (not had chance to try) but also,
if
> >you configure your PC to know the DNS server, instead of relying on
DHCP/DNS
> >via the router, things then work.
> >
>
> Interesting. That is exactly the same problem I had which I solved in
exactly
> the same manner. I have an Speedtouch 510 though.
> I never did work out what the problem was but it wasn't obvious.
>
> Pete

I used Ethereal to diagnose the LAN/router leg and found that either
negative DNS responses came back, or no responses at all. The first caused
"Page not found" errors, the latter cause my browser to hang, apparently
waiting for some sort of response.

Paul DS.

In article <42247797$0$10950$(E-Mail Removed)> ,
Paul D.Smith <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>"Pete" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:d01nh5$aqt$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> In article <42245ef8$0$10945$(E-Mail Removed)> ,
>> Paul D.Smith <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> >Not using a Netgear router by any chance are you? I've found that my
>DG834G
>> >v1.05.00 was failing DNS queries and I saw exactly this behaviour. I'm
>told
>> >that the latest Beta release might help (not had chance to try) but also,
>if
>> >you configure your PC to know the DNS server, instead of relying on
>DHCP/DNS
>> >via the router, things then work.
>> >
>>
>> Interesting. That is exactly the same problem I had which I solved in
>exactly
>> the same manner. I have an Speedtouch 510 though.
>> I never did work out what the problem was but it wasn't obvious.
>>
>> Pete
>
>I used Ethereal to diagnose the LAN/router leg and found that either
>negative DNS responses came back, or no responses at all. The first caused
>"Page not found" errors, the latter cause my browser to hang, apparently
>waiting for some sort of response.
>
Sounds like what I was seeing.
My suspicion was that if Pipexs DNS servers gave a negative response (or
know response at all), this negative result was getting cached somewhere.
Further requests for that address were failed locally. Once that DNS entry
timed out, it would work again.
Why this works any differently when DNS servers are configured on the PC
I'm still not clear of.

Pete

[snip]I used Ethereal to diagnose the LAN/router leg and found that either
> >negative DNS responses came back, or no responses at all. The first
caused
> >"Page not found" errors, the latter cause my browser to hang, apparently
> >waiting for some sort of response.
> >
> Sounds like what I was seeing.
> My suspicion was that if Pipexs DNS servers gave a negative response (or
> know response at all), this negative result was getting cached somewhere.
> Further requests for that address were failed locally. Once that DNS entry
> timed out, it would work again.
> Why this works any differently when DNS servers are configured on the PC
> I'm still not clear of.
>
> Pete

If you leave the LAN clients to use DHCP to find a DNS server, then the
router acts as a DNS proxy. My understanding of this is that the router
answers DNS queries it knows about (for example other LAN clients that have
also registered using DHCP) but uses remote DNS servers to satisfy queries
for servers that the router does not know about.

There seem to be two problems

1. The router proxies on DNS queries then looses patience waiting for a
response so sends its own "don't know" response.
2. The router gives up on DNS completely and just swallows requests.

I can't confirm what happens on the ADSL side (anyone lend me an ADSL
Sniffer? ;-) ) but that is consistent with what I was seeing from Ethereal.

Now if you configure a DNS server on your LAN client, it sends the DNS query
directly to that server and the router neither proxies nor intercepts. Net
result, the router doesn't get a chance to screw things up!

Paul DS.

"Paul" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 10:23:40 -0000, "Alec"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>I have Pipex ADSL line. When I try to access some websites (such as
>>Onestopphoneshop), it either doesn't open or if it does, after about 5 min
>>the screen just freezes. There's nothing wrong with the websites
>>themselves,
>>as I can access them with no problem through another dial-up. I have
>>emptied
>>the cache but made no difference. Anyone has idea what's going on? Is it
>>Pipex problem or is there something I can do to remedy it?
>>
>>Alec
>>
> what firewall are you using?
>
Firewall on Windows XP through Network Places.

Alec

"Paul D.Smith" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:42245ef8$0$10945$(E-Mail Removed). net...
> "Paul" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 10:23:40 -0000, "Alec"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>> >I have Pipex ADSL line. When I try to access some websites (such as
>> >Onestopphoneshop), it either doesn't open or if it does, after about 5
> min
>> >the screen just freezes. There's nothing wrong with the websites
> themselves,
>> >as I can access them with no problem through another dial-up. I have
> emptied
>> >the cache but made no difference. Anyone has idea what's going on? Is it
>> >Pipex problem or is there something I can do to remedy it?
>> >
>> >Alec
>> >
>> what firewall are you using?
>
> Not using a Netgear router by any chance are you? I've found that my
> DG834G
> v1.05.00 was failing DNS queries and I saw exactly this behaviour. I'm
> told
> that the latest Beta release might help (not had chance to try) but also,
> if
> you configure your PC to know the DNS server, instead of relying on
> DHCP/DNS
> via the router, things then work.
>
D-Link DSL-504. I simply installed it using the supplied CD and default
settings.

Alec

"Paul D.Smith" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:42245ef8$0$10945$(E-Mail Removed). net...
> "Paul" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 10:23:40 -0000, "Alec"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>> >I have Pipex ADSL line. When I try to access some websites (such as
>> >Onestopphoneshop), it either doesn't open or if it does, after about 5
> min
>> >the screen just freezes. There's nothing wrong with the websites
> themselves,
>> >as I can access them with no problem through another dial-up. I have
> emptied
>> >the cache but made no difference. Anyone has idea what's going on? Is it
>> >Pipex problem or is there something I can do to remedy it?
>> >
>> >Alec
>> >
>> what firewall are you using?
>
> Not using a Netgear router by any chance are you? I've found that my
> DG834G
> v1.05.00 was failing DNS queries and I saw exactly this behaviour. I'm
> told
> that the latest Beta release might help (not had chance to try) but also,
> if
> you configure your PC to know the DNS server, instead of relying on
> DHCP/DNS
> via the router, things then work.
>
Can you give me a step-by-step instruction on how to do this on my PC? I'm
running XP Home using Explorer.

Alec