Why can't I stay connected!

I have a home wlan I set up long ago that has worked fine till recently.
However, recently even though I never lose connection with the other 2 PCs
on my wireless lan, and the "Wireless Network Connection" continues to show
a good connection, my internet connection (Outlook Express or IE6) which
connected fine just a second ago, suddenly can no longer find the internet
and I get messages like "cannot find server" in the web browser or OE can no
longer find the host. If I disconnect from the network and re-connect
again, I regain my internet access till it goes off again - sometimes in a
minute, sometimes in 5 minutes.

My home wireless lan consists of 3 PC linked to a router which connects to a
cable modem. Problem may be isolated to this one troublesome XP laptop.

I've been fighting this for 3 weeks and it is very annoying. I checked and
have no viruses (Avast), no spyware (Spybot and Ad-aware). My ipconfig /all
shows

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : delllaptop
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI Ethernet
Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-50-C2-23

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-B Notebook Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-66-4B-0A-52
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

Can someone help me? Is there a utility that can show me what is wrong so I
can fix it?

Jeff

We have similar problems with both my Dell desktop and a Dell laptop. Various
of my colleagues have suffered also suffered from the Dell kiss of death when
a Dell iinks to their wlan. I have abandonned using wlan with the Dell
desktop for the moment but will start trying with Dell support next week.

"Jeff" wrote:

> I have a home wlan I set up long ago that has worked fine till recently.
> However, recently even though I never lose connection with the other 2 PCs
> on my wireless lan, and the "Wireless Network Connection" continues to show
> a good connection, my internet connection (Outlook Express or IE6) which
> connected fine just a second ago, suddenly can no longer find the internet
> and I get messages like "cannot find server" in the web browser or OE can no
> longer find the host. If I disconnect from the network and re-connect
> again, I regain my internet access till it goes off again - sometimes in a
> minute, sometimes in 5 minutes.
>
> My home wireless lan consists of 3 PC linked to a router which connects to a
> cable modem. Problem may be isolated to this one troublesome XP laptop.
>
> I've been fighting this for 3 weeks and it is very annoying. I checked and
> have no viruses (Avast), no spyware (Spybot and Ad-aware). My ipconfig /all
> shows
>
> Windows IP Configuration
>
> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : delllaptop
> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>
> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>
> Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI Ethernet
> Adapter
> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-50-C2-23
>
> Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
>
> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-B Notebook Adapter
> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-66-4B-0A-52
> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>
> Can someone help me? Is there a utility that can show me what is wrong so I
> can fix it?
>
> Jeff
>
>
>
>

But I am not using the built in Dell adapter (this is an Inspiron 8100 and
did not have a built in wireless). I am using a Linksys PCcard adapter in
the laptop's PC card slot.

But, please let me know what Dell says.

Jeff

JulianB wrote:
> We have similar problems with both my Dell desktop and a Dell laptop.
> Various of my colleagues have suffered also suffered from the Dell
> kiss of death when a Dell iinks to their wlan. I have abandonned
> using wlan with the Dell desktop for the moment but will start trying
> with Dell support next week.
>
> "Jeff" wrote:
>
>> I have a home wlan I set up long ago that has worked fine till
>> recently. However, recently even though I never lose connection with
>> the other 2 PCs on my wireless lan, and the "Wireless Network
>> Connection" continues to show a good connection, my internet
>> connection (Outlook Express or IE6) which connected fine just a
>> second ago, suddenly can no longer find the internet and I get
>> messages like "cannot find server" in the web browser or OE can no
>> longer find the host. If I disconnect from the network and
>> re-connect again, I regain my internet access till it goes off again
>> - sometimes in a minute, sometimes in 5 minutes.
>>
>> My home wireless lan consists of 3 PC linked to a router which
>> connects to a cable modem. Problem may be isolated to this one
>> troublesome XP laptop.
>>
>> I've been fighting this for 3 weeks and it is very annoying. I
>> checked and have no viruses (Avast), no spyware (Spybot and
>> Ad-aware). My ipconfig /all shows
>>
>> Windows IP Configuration
>>
>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : delllaptop
>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>
>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>
>> Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI
>> Ethernet Adapter
>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-50-C2-23
>>
>> Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
>>
>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-B Notebook
>> Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-66-4B-0A-52
>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>
>> Can someone help me? Is there a utility that can show me what is
>> wrong so I can fix it?
>>
>> Jeff

Thank you. That sounds logical. To check the router, do I also do
ipconfig/all on the desktop that is actually attached to the router by
cable, not wireless? Or do I go into the router's configuration software?

Thanks.

Jeff

Frankster wrote:
> These intermittent issues you mention are the classic symptom of a
> mis-configured DNS. In this case, from your ipconfig info, it
> appears that this machine is *probably* configured correctly.
> However, I would check your router. Basically, all DNS clients should
> be configured with *only* your local DNS (as this one appears to be)
> and your DNS server (your router I assume) should be configured with
> your ISP supplied DNS servers.
> The scenario you describe is usually caused by one or more of the
> clients being configured with BOTH internal and external (ISP) DNS
> servers. The clients should have only the local DNS server configured.
>
> -Frank
>
> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I have a home wlan I set up long ago that has worked fine till
>> recently. However, recently even though I never lose connection with
>> the other 2 PCs on my wireless lan, and the "Wireless Network
>> Connection" continues to show
>> a good connection, my internet connection (Outlook Express or IE6)
>> which connected fine just a second ago, suddenly can no longer find
>> the internet and I get messages like "cannot find server" in the web
>> browser or OE can no
>> longer find the host. If I disconnect from the network and
>> re-connect again, I regain my internet access till it goes off again
>> - sometimes in a minute, sometimes in 5 minutes.
>>
>> My home wireless lan consists of 3 PC linked to a router which
>> connects to a
>> cable modem. Problem may be isolated to this one troublesome XP
>> laptop. I've been fighting this for 3 weeks and it is very annoying. I
>> checked and have no viruses (Avast), no spyware (Spybot and
>> Ad-aware). My ipconfig /all
>> shows
>>
>> Windows IP Configuration
>>
>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : delllaptop
>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>
>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>
>> Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI
>> Ethernet Adapter
>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-50-C2-23
>>
>> Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
>>
>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-B Notebook
>> Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-66-4B-0A-52
>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>
>> Can someone help me? Is there a utility that can show me what is
>> wrong so I can fix it?
>>
>> Jeff

Thank you so much for helping. I think you are right and it is a DNS
questikon but I did not know where or how to correct.

As you suggested, I went to the desktop PC connected by cable to the SMC
router and opened its web based interface (http://192.168.2.1). I am not
sure which is the DNS that needs to be pointed to so I wil give you what I
found.

Under its "gateway" status:
IP 192.168.2.1
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
DHCP server enabled
UPnP off
DMZ not enabled
It is WPA protected but MAC filter is off for now.

Under the "Internet" status:
WAN IP 70.177.xxx.xxx (in case I am not supposed to divulge this ?)
Subnet mask 255.255.240.0 (is 240 correct here?)
Gateway 70.177.yyy.yyy
Primary DNS 64.83.0.10
Secdondary DNS 64.83.1.10

To remind you the laptop that has trouble remaining online has:
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

Do you notice an error I should change?

Again, thank you so muich for lending a helping hand.

Jeff

Frankster wrote:
> Also, I should say, whether a client is connected via cable or wi-fi
> is really irrelevant to DNS issues. It's the settings that count.
> Don't forget, the machine connected to your router via cable is still
> only a DNS client itself. It should only list your internal DNS
> server too.
> -Frank
>
> "Frankster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:T6GdnSjlo9TZsSHeRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> What router are you using?
>>
>> You'll probably want to look at the DNS entries in your router,
>> whatever interface it provides (usually web based).
>>
>> Also, don't forget to make sure every client machine is pointing
>> only to your local DNS server.
>>
>> -Frank
>>
>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Thank you. That sounds logical. To check the router, do I also do
>>> ipconfig/all on the desktop that is actually attached to the router
>>> by cable, not wireless? Or do I go into the router's configuration
>>> software? Thanks.
>>>
>>> Jeff
>>>
>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>> These intermittent issues you mention are the classic symptom of a
>>>> mis-configured DNS. In this case, from your ipconfig info, it
>>>> appears that this machine is *probably* configured correctly.
>>>> However, I would check your router. Basically, all DNS clients
>>>> should be configured with *only* your local DNS (as this one appears to
>>>> be) and your DNS server (your router I assume) should be configured
>>>> with your ISP supplied DNS servers.
>>>> The scenario you describe is usually caused by one or more of the
>>>> clients being configured with BOTH internal and external (ISP) DNS
>>>> servers. The clients should have only the local DNS server
>>>> configured. -Frank
>>>>
>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> I have a home wlan I set up long ago that has worked fine till
>>>>> recently. However, recently even though I never lose connection
>>>>> with the other 2 PCs on my wireless lan, and the "Wireless Network
>>>>> Connection" continues to show
>>>>> a good connection, my internet connection (Outlook Express or IE6)
>>>>> which connected fine just a second ago, suddenly can no longer
>>>>> find the internet and I get messages like "cannot find server" in the
>>>>> web browser or OE can no
>>>>> longer find the host. If I disconnect from the network and
>>>>> re-connect again, I regain my internet access till it goes off
>>>>> again - sometimes in a minute, sometimes in 5 minutes.
>>>>>
>>>>> My home wireless lan consists of 3 PC linked to a router which
>>>>> connects to a
>>>>> cable modem. Problem may be isolated to this one troublesome XP
>>>>> laptop. I've been fighting this for 3 weeks and it is very
>>>>> annoying. I checked and have no viruses (Avast), no spyware
>>>>> (Spybot and Ad-aware). My ipconfig /all
>>>>> shows
>>>>>
>>>>> Windows IP Configuration
>>>>>
>>>>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : delllaptop
>>>>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>>>>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>>>>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>
>>>>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>>>>
>>>>> Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI
>>>>> Ethernet Adapter
>>>>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-50-C2-23
>>>>>
>>>>> Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
>>>>>
>>>>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-B Notebook
>>>>> Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
>>>>> 00-0F-66-4B-0A-52 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>>>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>>>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>
>>>>> Can someone help me? Is there a utility that can show me what is
>>>>> wrong so I can fix it?
>>>>>
>>>>> Jeff

I connected the problem laptop (the one that was losing wireless internet
access) to the router with a cable and there seems to be no loss of internet
access this way.

Does this mean that the problem might be with the Linksys PC Card adapter
itself or could it still be a problem with the configuration of the wlan? I
do not have a second adapter to try on this laptop.

With the cable attachment to the router, ipconfig /all gives

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xyz.........
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI Ethernet
Adapte
r
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : .....
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.178
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, January 05, 2006
1:19:55 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, January 12, 2006
1:19:55 AM

which I believe is similar to what I had with the wireless adapter in place.

Jeff

Frankster wrote:
> Okay, I am not familiar with the SMC router (routers sometimes use
> different terminology for the same thing), but from what I see, I
> believe you have all this configured correctly. I am interpreting
> "gateway" status to be the LAN side and "Internet" status to be the
> WAN side.
> Having said that, the next step I would pursue is to get this same
> info from your cable modem. If this is a DNS issue, that also could
> be the culprit.
> If the cable modem is configured properly, I would probably suspect
> some other cause of the trouble. In your scenario, it appears that
> the router "Internet" status gateway of 70.177.yyy.yyy must be your
> cable modem's IP. I don't know much about how cable modems operate.
>
> In case you are not sure what we are looking for...
>
> Many folks configure both external (WAN-ISP provided) and internal
> (LAN provided) DNS entries into the TCP/IP properties of their
> machine. They are thinking that if the LAN DNS cannot find a name, it
> will next try the WAN DNS. Not true! That description is more like
> the description of a "forwarder" function within a DNS server itself.
> TCP/IP properties in a DNS client do not act as a "forwarder" in a
> DNS server. What actually may happen is that when you query an
> external domain (like yahoo.com) and the query goes to your internal
> (LAN) DNS, you get an answer. The answer may be "could not find
> host". That is an answer. Therefore It stops right there! The only
> time a client will revert to the secondary TCP/IP DNS entry you have
> configured is if it cannot *reach* the name server at all. Effectively,
> this usually results in this working for a while, but
> one time, for whatever reason, the primary DNS cannot be reached, it
> reverts to the secondary and gets the answer "could not find host". After
> that, it's over, until it once again cannot *reach* the DNS. This usually
> results in seemingly intermittent loss of "connection"
> as it flips back and forth, over time. Often, rebooting will "fix" it
> because the client DNS entries start over at the beginning after a
> reboot.
> You want to make sure your client's (even DNS servers themselves are
> clients too) are "chained" together (my words). IOW, no loops. Just
> from one to the next ,to the next, to the next. No double entries or
> double IPs. The whole thing is supposed to operate in "series".
>
> Anyway, maybe you have a DNS issue, maybe you don't. Check out the
> cable modem and see what you can find. Also, if anyone else sees any
> issues with your setup, please jump in.
>
> -Frank
>
> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Thank you so much for helping. I think you are right and it is a DNS
>> questikon but I did not know where or how to correct.
>>
>> As you suggested, I went to the desktop PC connected by cable to the
>> SMC router and opened its web based interface (http://192.168.2.1).
>> I am not sure which is the DNS that needs to be pointed to so I wil
>> give you what I found.
>>
>> Under its "gateway" status:
>> IP 192.168.2.1
>> Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
>> DHCP server enabled
>> UPnP off
>> DMZ not enabled
>> It is WPA protected but MAC filter is off for now.
>>
>> Under the "Internet" status:
>> WAN IP 70.177.xxx.xxx (in case I am not supposed to divulge this ?)
>> Subnet mask 255.255.240.0 (is 240 correct here?)
>> Gateway 70.177.yyy.yyy
>> Primary DNS 64.83.0.10
>> Secdondary DNS 64.83.1.10
>>
>> To remind you the laptop that has trouble remaining online has:
>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>
>> Do you notice an error I should change?
>>
>> Again, thank you so muich for lending a helping hand.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>> Frankster wrote:
>>> Also, I should say, whether a client is connected via cable or wi-fi
>>> is really irrelevant to DNS issues. It's the settings that count.
>>> Don't forget, the machine connected to your router via cable is
>>> still only a DNS client itself. It should only list your internal
>>> DNS server too.
>>> -Frank
>>>
>>> "Frankster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:T6GdnSjlo9TZsSHeRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> What router are you using?
>>>>
>>>> You'll probably want to look at the DNS entries in your router,
>>>> whatever interface it provides (usually web based).
>>>>
>>>> Also, don't forget to make sure every client machine is pointing
>>>> only to your local DNS server.
>>>>
>>>> -Frank
>>>>
>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> Thank you. That sounds logical. To check the router, do I also
>>>>> do ipconfig/all on the desktop that is actually attached to the
>>>>> router by cable, not wireless? Or do I go into the router's
>>>>> configuration
>>>>> software? Thanks.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jeff
>>>>>
>>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>>> These intermittent issues you mention are the classic symptom of
>>>>>> a mis-configured DNS. In this case, from your ipconfig info, it
>>>>>> appears that this machine is *probably* configured correctly.
>>>>>> However, I would check your router. Basically, all DNS clients
>>>>>> should be configured with *only* your local DNS (as this one
>>>>>> appears to
>>>>>> be) and your DNS server (your router I assume) should be
>>>>>> configured with your ISP supplied DNS servers.
>>>>>> The scenario you describe is usually caused by one or more of the
>>>>>> clients being configured with BOTH internal and external (ISP)
>>>>>> DNS servers. The clients should have only the local DNS server
>>>>>> configured. -Frank
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>> I have a home wlan I set up long ago that has worked fine till
>>>>>>> recently. However, recently even though I never lose connection
>>>>>>> with the other 2 PCs on my wireless lan, and the "Wireless
>>>>>>> Network Connection" continues to show
>>>>>>> a good connection, my internet connection (Outlook Express or
>>>>>>> IE6) which connected fine just a second ago, suddenly can no
>>>>>>> longer find the internet and I get messages like "cannot find
>>>>>>> server"
>>>>>>> in the web browser or OE can no
>>>>>>> longer find the host. If I disconnect from the network and
>>>>>>> re-connect again, I regain my internet access till it goes off
>>>>>>> again - sometimes in a minute, sometimes in 5 minutes.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My home wireless lan consists of 3 PC linked to a router which
>>>>>>> connects to a
>>>>>>> cable modem. Problem may be isolated to this one troublesome XP
>>>>>>> laptop. I've been fighting this for 3 weeks and it is very
>>>>>>> annoying. I checked and have no viruses (Avast), no spyware
>>>>>>> (Spybot and Ad-aware). My ipconfig /all
>>>>>>> shows
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Windows IP Configuration
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : delllaptop
>>>>>>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>>>>>>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
>>>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI
>>>>>>> Ethernet Adapter
>>>>>>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-50-C2-23
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>>>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-B Notebook
>>>>>>> Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>> 00-0F-66-4B-0A-52 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>>>>>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>>>>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Can someone help me? Is there a utility that can show me what is
>>>>>>> wrong so I can fix it?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Jeff

Thank you. I appreciate your help.

Jeff


"Frankster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:k7SdnXjoQZiwxSDeRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Well, Jeff, all your ipconfig screens looked good so far. So... if it
> works with the cable and not the wireless card, I too would suspect the
> card. You're right. The numbers on the wireless config also appeared just
> fine. We have probably ruled out the DNS issue. Sorry this took so long.
> You really probably need to find a way to try another wireless adapter. I
> suppose the wireless router could still be an issue too.
>
> Please let us know what you find. Other than the above, I'm out of ideas
> :-).
>
> -Frank
>
> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>I connected the problem laptop (the one that was losing wireless internet
>>access) to the router with a cable and there seems to be no loss of
>>internet access this way.
>>
>> Does this mean that the problem might be with the Linksys PC Card adapter
>> itself or could it still be a problem with the configuration of the wlan?
>> I do not have a second adapter to try on this laptop.
>>
>> With the cable attachment to the router, ipconfig /all gives
>>
>> Windows IP Configuration
>>
>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xyz.........
>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>
>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>
>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI Ethernet
>> Adapte
>> r
>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : .....
>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
>> Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.178
>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>> DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>> Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, January 05, 2006
>> 1:19:55 AM
>> Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, January 12, 2006
>> 1:19:55 AM
>>
>> which I believe is similar to what I had with the wireless adapter in
>> place.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>> Frankster wrote:
>>> Okay, I am not familiar with the SMC router (routers sometimes use
>>> different terminology for the same thing), but from what I see, I
>>> believe you have all this configured correctly. I am interpreting
>>> "gateway" status to be the LAN side and "Internet" status to be the
>>> WAN side.
>>> Having said that, the next step I would pursue is to get this same
>>> info from your cable modem. If this is a DNS issue, that also could
>>> be the culprit.
>>> If the cable modem is configured properly, I would probably suspect
>>> some other cause of the trouble. In your scenario, it appears that
>>> the router "Internet" status gateway of 70.177.yyy.yyy must be your
>>> cable modem's IP. I don't know much about how cable modems operate.
>>>
>>> In case you are not sure what we are looking for...
>>>
>>> Many folks configure both external (WAN-ISP provided) and internal
>>> (LAN provided) DNS entries into the TCP/IP properties of their
>>> machine. They are thinking that if the LAN DNS cannot find a name, it
>>> will next try the WAN DNS. Not true! That description is more like
>>> the description of a "forwarder" function within a DNS server itself.
>>> TCP/IP properties in a DNS client do not act as a "forwarder" in a
>>> DNS server. What actually may happen is that when you query an
>>> external domain (like yahoo.com) and the query goes to your internal
>>> (LAN) DNS, you get an answer. The answer may be "could not find
>>> host". That is an answer. Therefore It stops right there! The only
>>> time a client will revert to the secondary TCP/IP DNS entry you have
>>> configured is if it cannot *reach* the name server at all. Effectively,
>>> this usually results in this working for a while, but
>>> one time, for whatever reason, the primary DNS cannot be reached, it
>>> reverts to the secondary and gets the answer "could not find host".
>>> After that, it's over, until it once again cannot *reach* the DNS. This
>>> usually results in seemingly intermittent loss of "connection"
>>> as it flips back and forth, over time. Often, rebooting will "fix" it
>>> because the client DNS entries start over at the beginning after a
>>> reboot.
>>> You want to make sure your client's (even DNS servers themselves are
>>> clients too) are "chained" together (my words). IOW, no loops. Just
>>> from one to the next ,to the next, to the next. No double entries or
>>> double IPs. The whole thing is supposed to operate in "series".
>>>
>>> Anyway, maybe you have a DNS issue, maybe you don't. Check out the
>>> cable modem and see what you can find. Also, if anyone else sees any
>>> issues with your setup, please jump in.
>>>
>>> -Frank
>>>
>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> Thank you so much for helping. I think you are right and it is a DNS
>>>> questikon but I did not know where or how to correct.
>>>>
>>>> As you suggested, I went to the desktop PC connected by cable to the
>>>> SMC router and opened its web based interface (http://192.168.2.1).
>>>> I am not sure which is the DNS that needs to be pointed to so I wil
>>>> give you what I found.
>>>>
>>>> Under its "gateway" status:
>>>> IP 192.168.2.1
>>>> Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
>>>> DHCP server enabled
>>>> UPnP off
>>>> DMZ not enabled
>>>> It is WPA protected but MAC filter is off for now.
>>>>
>>>> Under the "Internet" status:
>>>> WAN IP 70.177.xxx.xxx (in case I am not supposed to divulge this ?)
>>>> Subnet mask 255.255.240.0 (is 240 correct here?)
>>>> Gateway 70.177.yyy.yyy
>>>> Primary DNS 64.83.0.10
>>>> Secdondary DNS 64.83.1.10
>>>>
>>>> To remind you the laptop that has trouble remaining online has:
>>>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>
>>>> Do you notice an error I should change?
>>>>
>>>> Again, thank you so muich for lending a helping hand.
>>>>
>>>> Jeff
>>>>
>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>> Also, I should say, whether a client is connected via cable or wi-fi
>>>>> is really irrelevant to DNS issues. It's the settings that count.
>>>>> Don't forget, the machine connected to your router via cable is
>>>>> still only a DNS client itself. It should only list your internal
>>>>> DNS server too.
>>>>> -Frank
>>>>>
>>>>> "Frankster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>> news:T6GdnSjlo9TZsSHeRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>> What router are you using?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You'll probably want to look at the DNS entries in your router,
>>>>>> whatever interface it provides (usually web based).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Also, don't forget to make sure every client machine is pointing
>>>>>> only to your local DNS server.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Frank
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>> Thank you. That sounds logical. To check the router, do I also
>>>>>>> do ipconfig/all on the desktop that is actually attached to the
>>>>>>> router by cable, not wireless? Or do I go into the router's
>>>>>>> configuration
>>>>>>> software? Thanks.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Jeff
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>>>>> These intermittent issues you mention are the classic symptom of
>>>>>>>> a mis-configured DNS. In this case, from your ipconfig info, it
>>>>>>>> appears that this machine is *probably* configured correctly.
>>>>>>>> However, I would check your router. Basically, all DNS clients
>>>>>>>> should be configured with *only* your local DNS (as this one
>>>>>>>> appears to
>>>>>>>> be) and your DNS server (your router I assume) should be
>>>>>>>> configured with your ISP supplied DNS servers.
>>>>>>>> The scenario you describe is usually caused by one or more of the
>>>>>>>> clients being configured with BOTH internal and external (ISP)
>>>>>>>> DNS servers. The clients should have only the local DNS server
>>>>>>>> configured. -Frank
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>>> I have a home wlan I set up long ago that has worked fine till
>>>>>>>>> recently. However, recently even though I never lose connection
>>>>>>>>> with the other 2 PCs on my wireless lan, and the "Wireless
>>>>>>>>> Network Connection" continues to show
>>>>>>>>> a good connection, my internet connection (Outlook Express or
>>>>>>>>> IE6) which connected fine just a second ago, suddenly can no
>>>>>>>>> longer find the internet and I get messages like "cannot find
>>>>>>>>> server"
>>>>>>>>> in the web browser or OE can no
>>>>>>>>> longer find the host. If I disconnect from the network and
>>>>>>>>> re-connect again, I regain my internet access till it goes off
>>>>>>>>> again - sometimes in a minute, sometimes in 5 minutes.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> My home wireless lan consists of 3 PC linked to a router which
>>>>>>>>> connects to a
>>>>>>>>> cable modem. Problem may be isolated to this one troublesome XP
>>>>>>>>> laptop. I've been fighting this for 3 weeks and it is very
>>>>>>>>> annoying. I checked and have no viruses (Avast), no spyware
>>>>>>>>> (Spybot and Ad-aware). My ipconfig /all
>>>>>>>>> shows
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Windows IP Configuration
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : delllaptop
>>>>>>>>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>>>>>>>>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
>>>>>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI
>>>>>>>>> Ethernet Adapter
>>>>>>>>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-50-C2-23
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>>>>>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-B Notebook
>>>>>>>>> Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>> 00-0F-66-4B-0A-52 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>>>>>>>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>>>>>>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>>>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Can someone help me? Is there a utility that can show me what is
>>>>>>>>> wrong so I can fix it?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Jeff
>>
>>
>
>

Trying another wireless NIC may help but there isn't conclusive
evidence to prove this.

One interesting thing about your earlier ipconfig result is the IP
address, 192.168.2.186. The default range on the SMC AP I have for IP
address assignment via DHCP is 192.168.0.100 to 192.168.0.199. These
are typically assigned consequetively, such that if I had an address
192.168.0.186 that means there are 85 other addresses already assigned.
This would indicate there are a bunch of machines already connected to
the AP, or that a machine is taking up many of those addresses perhaps
after reconnecting. Typically a machine should reclaim its original
address after reconnecting however.

You may want to look around to see what the address range assigned
via DHCP is for your router. This is in the LAN section on the SMC I
have here. Another interesting thing to check is the DHCP client log.
On my AP, if I go to the STATUS section, the DHCP client log shows what
IP addresses are currently assigned and to who. That might reveal
something.


--
Frank Schwieterman [MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.


"Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thank you. I appreciate your help.
>
> Jeff
>
>
> "Frankster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:k7SdnXjoQZiwxSDeRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Well, Jeff, all your ipconfig screens looked good so far. So... if it
>> works with the cable and not the wireless card, I too would suspect the
>> card. You're right. The numbers on the wireless config also appeared just
>> fine. We have probably ruled out the DNS issue. Sorry this took so long.
>> You really probably need to find a way to try another wireless adapter.
>> I suppose the wireless router could still be an issue too.
>>
>> Please let us know what you find. Other than the above, I'm out of ideas
>> :-).
>>
>> -Frank
>>
>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>I connected the problem laptop (the one that was losing wireless internet
>>>access) to the router with a cable and there seems to be no loss of
>>>internet access this way.
>>>
>>> Does this mean that the problem might be with the Linksys PC Card
>>> adapter itself or could it still be a problem with the configuration of
>>> the wlan? I do not have a second adapter to try on this laptop.
>>>
>>> With the cable attachment to the router, ipconfig /all gives
>>>
>>> Windows IP Configuration
>>>
>>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xyz.........
>>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>
>>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>>
>>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI Ethernet
>>> Adapte
>>> r
>>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : .....
>>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
>>> Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.178
>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>> DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>> Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, January 05, 2006
>>> 1:19:55 AM
>>> Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, January 12, 2006
>>> 1:19:55 AM
>>>
>>> which I believe is similar to what I had with the wireless adapter in
>>> place.
>>>
>>> Jeff
>>>
>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>> Okay, I am not familiar with the SMC router (routers sometimes use
>>>> different terminology for the same thing), but from what I see, I
>>>> believe you have all this configured correctly. I am interpreting
>>>> "gateway" status to be the LAN side and "Internet" status to be the
>>>> WAN side.
>>>> Having said that, the next step I would pursue is to get this same
>>>> info from your cable modem. If this is a DNS issue, that also could
>>>> be the culprit.
>>>> If the cable modem is configured properly, I would probably suspect
>>>> some other cause of the trouble. In your scenario, it appears that
>>>> the router "Internet" status gateway of 70.177.yyy.yyy must be your
>>>> cable modem's IP. I don't know much about how cable modems operate.
>>>>
>>>> In case you are not sure what we are looking for...
>>>>
>>>> Many folks configure both external (WAN-ISP provided) and internal
>>>> (LAN provided) DNS entries into the TCP/IP properties of their
>>>> machine. They are thinking that if the LAN DNS cannot find a name, it
>>>> will next try the WAN DNS. Not true! That description is more like
>>>> the description of a "forwarder" function within a DNS server itself.
>>>> TCP/IP properties in a DNS client do not act as a "forwarder" in a
>>>> DNS server. What actually may happen is that when you query an
>>>> external domain (like yahoo.com) and the query goes to your internal
>>>> (LAN) DNS, you get an answer. The answer may be "could not find
>>>> host". That is an answer. Therefore It stops right there! The only
>>>> time a client will revert to the secondary TCP/IP DNS entry you have
>>>> configured is if it cannot *reach* the name server at all. Effectively,
>>>> this usually results in this working for a while, but
>>>> one time, for whatever reason, the primary DNS cannot be reached, it
>>>> reverts to the secondary and gets the answer "could not find host".
>>>> After that, it's over, until it once again cannot *reach* the DNS. This
>>>> usually results in seemingly intermittent loss of "connection"
>>>> as it flips back and forth, over time. Often, rebooting will "fix" it
>>>> because the client DNS entries start over at the beginning after a
>>>> reboot.
>>>> You want to make sure your client's (even DNS servers themselves are
>>>> clients too) are "chained" together (my words). IOW, no loops. Just
>>>> from one to the next ,to the next, to the next. No double entries or
>>>> double IPs. The whole thing is supposed to operate in "series".
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, maybe you have a DNS issue, maybe you don't. Check out the
>>>> cable modem and see what you can find. Also, if anyone else sees any
>>>> issues with your setup, please jump in.
>>>>
>>>> -Frank
>>>>
>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> Thank you so much for helping. I think you are right and it is a DNS
>>>>> questikon but I did not know where or how to correct.
>>>>>
>>>>> As you suggested, I went to the desktop PC connected by cable to the
>>>>> SMC router and opened its web based interface (http://192.168.2.1).
>>>>> I am not sure which is the DNS that needs to be pointed to so I wil
>>>>> give you what I found.
>>>>>
>>>>> Under its "gateway" status:
>>>>> IP 192.168.2.1
>>>>> Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
>>>>> DHCP server enabled
>>>>> UPnP off
>>>>> DMZ not enabled
>>>>> It is WPA protected but MAC filter is off for now.
>>>>>
>>>>> Under the "Internet" status:
>>>>> WAN IP 70.177.xxx.xxx (in case I am not supposed to divulge this ?)
>>>>> Subnet mask 255.255.240.0 (is 240 correct here?)
>>>>> Gateway 70.177.yyy.yyy
>>>>> Primary DNS 64.83.0.10
>>>>> Secdondary DNS 64.83.1.10
>>>>>
>>>>> To remind you the laptop that has trouble remaining online has:
>>>>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>>>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>>>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>
>>>>> Do you notice an error I should change?
>>>>>
>>>>> Again, thank you so muich for lending a helping hand.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jeff
>>>>>
>>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>>> Also, I should say, whether a client is connected via cable or wi-fi
>>>>>> is really irrelevant to DNS issues. It's the settings that count.
>>>>>> Don't forget, the machine connected to your router via cable is
>>>>>> still only a DNS client itself. It should only list your internal
>>>>>> DNS server too.
>>>>>> -Frank
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Frankster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:T6GdnSjlo9TZsSHeRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>> What router are you using?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You'll probably want to look at the DNS entries in your router,
>>>>>>> whatever interface it provides (usually web based).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Also, don't forget to make sure every client machine is pointing
>>>>>>> only to your local DNS server.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -Frank
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>> Thank you. That sounds logical. To check the router, do I also
>>>>>>>> do ipconfig/all on the desktop that is actually attached to the
>>>>>>>> router by cable, not wireless? Or do I go into the router's
>>>>>>>> configuration
>>>>>>>> software? Thanks.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Jeff
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>>>>>> These intermittent issues you mention are the classic symptom of
>>>>>>>>> a mis-configured DNS. In this case, from your ipconfig info, it
>>>>>>>>> appears that this machine is *probably* configured correctly.
>>>>>>>>> However, I would check your router. Basically, all DNS clients
>>>>>>>>> should be configured with *only* your local DNS (as this one
>>>>>>>>> appears to
>>>>>>>>> be) and your DNS server (your router I assume) should be
>>>>>>>>> configured with your ISP supplied DNS servers.
>>>>>>>>> The scenario you describe is usually caused by one or more of the
>>>>>>>>> clients being configured with BOTH internal and external (ISP)
>>>>>>>>> DNS servers. The clients should have only the local DNS server
>>>>>>>>> configured. -Frank
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>>>> I have a home wlan I set up long ago that has worked fine till
>>>>>>>>>> recently. However, recently even though I never lose connection
>>>>>>>>>> with the other 2 PCs on my wireless lan, and the "Wireless
>>>>>>>>>> Network Connection" continues to show
>>>>>>>>>> a good connection, my internet connection (Outlook Express or
>>>>>>>>>> IE6) which connected fine just a second ago, suddenly can no
>>>>>>>>>> longer find the internet and I get messages like "cannot find
>>>>>>>>>> server"
>>>>>>>>>> in the web browser or OE can no
>>>>>>>>>> longer find the host. If I disconnect from the network and
>>>>>>>>>> re-connect again, I regain my internet access till it goes off
>>>>>>>>>> again - sometimes in a minute, sometimes in 5 minutes.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> My home wireless lan consists of 3 PC linked to a router which
>>>>>>>>>> connects to a
>>>>>>>>>> cable modem. Problem may be isolated to this one troublesome XP
>>>>>>>>>> laptop. I've been fighting this for 3 weeks and it is very
>>>>>>>>>> annoying. I checked and have no viruses (Avast), no spyware
>>>>>>>>>> (Spybot and Ad-aware). My ipconfig /all
>>>>>>>>>> shows
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Windows IP Configuration
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : delllaptop
>>>>>>>>>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>>>>>>>>>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>>>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
>>>>>>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI
>>>>>>>>>> Ethernet Adapter
>>>>>>>>>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-50-C2-23
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>>>>>>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-B Notebook
>>>>>>>>>> Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>> 00-0F-66-4B-0A-52 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>>>>>>>>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>>>>>>>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>>>>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Can someone help me? Is there a utility that can show me what is
>>>>>>>>>> wrong so I can fix it?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Jeff
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

Dear Frank.

Thanks for writing.

Well, I went out and bought another adapter (Linksys wpc54g) which was on
sale and after installing it, it did exactly the same thing. I therefore
called Linksys tech support and some one in India helped me out. Could
hardly understand him but he knew what he was doing. Essentially he
uninstalled the drivers and reinstalled the latest drivers. Now the laptop
seems to stay connected. (Time will tell .......)

HOWEVER, I too was concerned about the IP addresses. Initially I had set
this problem laptop to acquire the ip address automatically from the router.
When I started having trouble, I did a ipconfig /all, saw that my assigned
ip was 192.168.2.186 and decided that maybe I might connect better or faster
by assigning a ip to it and I therefore assigned this ip permanently to it.
(Is that a good idea?)

On the router status screen, the ip addresses the router sees are only those
of my own 3 PCs. I was planning anyway (some day) to narrow the router range
of ip addresses (because I think I once read that this added security ?).
Thus I might give it only a range of 3-4 ip number range for the 3 PC I have
at home. I used to have the MAC filter on before all my troubles began and
now I will switch it on after I enter the new adapter's MAC. There was
probably nothing wrong with my old adapter and it was just having the same
driver conflict. However, as long as things keep working I will stick with
the new one. Worth every cent of the $39 I spent on it, especially since it
upgraded me from b to g.

Right now I am just happy to remain connected!! So I may leave things alone
for a while before reducing the range of router ip addresses.

How do you like your SMC router? I find it works fine for me.

Thanks for the advice.

Jeff

Frank Schwieterman [MSFT] wrote:
> Trying another wireless NIC may help but there isn't conclusive
> evidence to prove this.
>
> One interesting thing about your earlier ipconfig result is the IP
> address, 192.168.2.186. The default range on the SMC AP I have for IP
> address assignment via DHCP is 192.168.0.100 to 192.168.0.199. These
> are typically assigned consequetively, such that if I had an address
> 192.168.0.186 that means there are 85 other addresses already
> assigned. This would indicate there are a bunch of machines already
> connected to the AP, or that a machine is taking up many of those
> addresses perhaps
> after reconnecting. Typically a machine should reclaim its original
> address after reconnecting however.
>
> You may want to look around to see what the address range assigned
> via DHCP is for your router. This is in the LAN section on the SMC I
> have here. Another interesting thing to check is the DHCP client log.
> On my AP, if I go to the STATUS section, the DHCP client log shows
> what IP addresses are currently assigned and to who. That might reveal
> something.
>
>
>
> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Thank you. I appreciate your help.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>
>> "Frankster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:k7SdnXjoQZiwxSDeRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Well, Jeff, all your ipconfig screens looked good so far. So... if
>>> it works with the cable and not the wireless card, I too would
>>> suspect the card. You're right. The numbers on the wireless config
>>> also appeared just fine. We have probably ruled out the DNS issue. Sorry
>>> this took so long. You really probably need to find a way to
>>> try another wireless adapter. I suppose the wireless router could
>>> still be an issue too. Please let us know what you find. Other than the
>>> above, I'm out of
>>> ideas :-).
>>>
>>> -Frank
>>>
>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> I connected the problem laptop (the one that was losing wireless
>>>> internet access) to the router with a cable and there seems to be
>>>> no loss of internet access this way.
>>>>
>>>> Does this mean that the problem might be with the Linksys PC Card
>>>> adapter itself or could it still be a problem with the
>>>> configuration of the wlan? I do not have a second adapter to try
>>>> on this laptop. With the cable attachment to the router, ipconfig /all
>>>> gives
>>>>
>>>> Windows IP Configuration
>>>>
>>>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xyz.........
>>>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>>>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>>>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>
>>>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>>>
>>>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI
>>>> Ethernet Adapte
>>>> r
>>>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : .....
>>>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
>>>> Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
>>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.178
>>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>> DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>> Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, January 05,
>>>> 2006 1:19:55 AM
>>>> Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, January 12,
>>>> 2006 1:19:55 AM
>>>>
>>>> which I believe is similar to what I had with the wireless adapter
>>>> in place.
>>>>
>>>> Jeff
>>>>
>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>> Okay, I am not familiar with the SMC router (routers sometimes use
>>>>> different terminology for the same thing), but from what I see, I
>>>>> believe you have all this configured correctly. I am interpreting
>>>>> "gateway" status to be the LAN side and "Internet" status to be
>>>>> the WAN side.
>>>>> Having said that, the next step I would pursue is to get this same
>>>>> info from your cable modem. If this is a DNS issue, that also
>>>>> could be the culprit.
>>>>> If the cable modem is configured properly, I would probably
>>>>> suspect some other cause of the trouble. In your scenario, it
>>>>> appears that the router "Internet" status gateway of
>>>>> 70.177.yyy.yyy must be your cable modem's IP. I don't know much
>>>>> about how cable modems operate. In case you are not sure what we are
>>>>> looking for...
>>>>>
>>>>> Many folks configure both external (WAN-ISP provided) and internal
>>>>> (LAN provided) DNS entries into the TCP/IP properties of their
>>>>> machine. They are thinking that if the LAN DNS cannot find a
>>>>> name, it will next try the WAN DNS. Not true! That description
>>>>> is more like the description of a "forwarder" function within a
>>>>> DNS server itself. TCP/IP properties in a DNS client do not act
>>>>> as a "forwarder" in a DNS server. What actually may happen is that
>>>>> when you query an
>>>>> external domain (like yahoo.com) and the query goes to your
>>>>> internal (LAN) DNS, you get an answer. The answer may be "could
>>>>> not find host". That is an answer. Therefore It stops right there!
>>>>> The
>>>>> only time a client will revert to the secondary TCP/IP DNS entry
>>>>> you have configured is if it cannot *reach* the name server at
>>>>> all. Effectively, this usually results in this working for a
>>>>> while, but one time, for whatever reason, the primary DNS cannot be
>>>>> reached,
>>>>> it reverts to the secondary and gets the answer "could not find
>>>>> host". After that, it's over, until it once again cannot *reach*
>>>>> the DNS. This usually results in seemingly intermittent loss of
>>>>> "connection" as it flips back and forth, over time. Often, rebooting
>>>>> will
>>>>> "fix" it because the client DNS entries start over at the
>>>>> beginning after a reboot.
>>>>> You want to make sure your client's (even DNS servers themselves
>>>>> are clients too) are "chained" together (my words). IOW, no
>>>>> loops. Just from one to the next ,to the next, to the next. No
>>>>> double entries or double IPs. The whole thing is supposed to
>>>>> operate in "series". Anyway, maybe you have a DNS issue, maybe you
>>>>> don't. Check out
>>>>> the cable modem and see what you can find. Also, if anyone else
>>>>> sees any issues with your setup, please jump in.
>>>>>
>>>>> -Frank
>>>>>
>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>> Thank you so much for helping. I think you are right and it is a
>>>>>> DNS questikon but I did not know where or how to correct.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> As you suggested, I went to the desktop PC connected by cable to
>>>>>> the SMC router and opened its web based interface
>>>>>> (http://192.168.2.1). I am not sure which is the DNS that needs to be
>>>>>> pointed to so I
>>>>>> wil give you what I found.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Under its "gateway" status:
>>>>>> IP 192.168.2.1
>>>>>> Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
>>>>>> DHCP server enabled
>>>>>> UPnP off
>>>>>> DMZ not enabled
>>>>>> It is WPA protected but MAC filter is off for now.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Under the "Internet" status:
>>>>>> WAN IP 70.177.xxx.xxx (in case I am not supposed to divulge this
>>>>>> ?) Subnet mask 255.255.240.0 (is 240 correct here?)
>>>>>> Gateway 70.177.yyy.yyy
>>>>>> Primary DNS 64.83.0.10
>>>>>> Secdondary DNS 64.83.1.10
>>>>>>
>>>>>> To remind you the laptop that has trouble remaining online has:
>>>>>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>>>>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>>>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Do you notice an error I should change?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Again, thank you so muich for lending a helping hand.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Jeff
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>>>> Also, I should say, whether a client is connected via cable or
>>>>>>> wi-fi is really irrelevant to DNS issues. It's the settings
>>>>>>> that count. Don't forget, the machine connected to your router
>>>>>>> via cable is still only a DNS client itself. It should only
>>>>>>> list your internal DNS server too.
>>>>>>> -Frank
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Frankster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:T6GdnSjlo9TZsSHeRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>> What router are you using?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> You'll probably want to look at the DNS entries in your router,
>>>>>>>> whatever interface it provides (usually web based).
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Also, don't forget to make sure every client machine is
>>>>>>>> pointing only to your local DNS server.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -Frank
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>>> Thank you. That sounds logical. To check the router, do I
>>>>>>>>> also do ipconfig/all on the desktop that is actually attached
>>>>>>>>> to the router by cable, not wireless? Or do I go into the
>>>>>>>>> router's configuration
>>>>>>>>> software? Thanks.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Jeff
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> These intermittent issues you mention are the classic
>>>>>>>>>> symptom of a mis-configured DNS. In this case, from your
>>>>>>>>>> ipconfig info, it appears that this machine is *probably*
>>>>>>>>>> configured correctly. However, I would check your router.
>>>>>>>>>> Basically, all DNS clients should be configured with *only*
>>>>>>>>>> your local DNS (as this one appears to
>>>>>>>>>> be) and your DNS server (your router I assume) should be
>>>>>>>>>> configured with your ISP supplied DNS servers.
>>>>>>>>>> The scenario you describe is usually caused by one or more
>>>>>>>>>> of the clients being configured with BOTH internal and
>>>>>>>>>> external (ISP) DNS servers. The clients should have only the
>>>>>>>>>> local DNS server configured. -Frank
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>>>>> I have a home wlan I set up long ago that has worked fine
>>>>>>>>>>> till recently. However, recently even though I never lose
>>>>>>>>>>> connection with the other 2 PCs on my wireless lan, and the
>>>>>>>>>>> "Wireless Network Connection" continues to show
>>>>>>>>>>> a good connection, my internet connection (Outlook Express
>>>>>>>>>>> or IE6) which connected fine just a second ago, suddenly
>>>>>>>>>>> can no longer find the internet and I get messages like
>>>>>>>>>>> "cannot find server"
>>>>>>>>>>> in the web browser or OE can no
>>>>>>>>>>> longer find the host. If I disconnect from the network and
>>>>>>>>>>> re-connect again, I regain my internet access till it goes
>>>>>>>>>>> off again - sometimes in a minute, sometimes in 5 minutes.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> My home wireless lan consists of 3 PC linked to a router
>>>>>>>>>>> which connects to a
>>>>>>>>>>> cable modem. Problem may be isolated to this one
>>>>>>>>>>> troublesome XP laptop. I've been fighting this for 3 weeks
>>>>>>>>>>> and it is very annoying. I checked and have no viruses
>>>>>>>>>>> (Avast), no spyware (Spybot and Ad-aware). My ipconfig /all
>>>>>>>>>>> shows
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Windows IP Configuration
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : delllaptop
>>>>>>>>>>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>>>>>>>>>>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>>>>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media
>>>>>>>>>>> disconnected Description . . . . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>> 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI Ethernet Adapter
>>>>>>>>>>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-50-C2-23
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>>>>>>>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-B
>>>>>>>>>>> Notebook Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>> 00-0F-66-4B-0A-52 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . .
>>>>>>>>>>> : No IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>> 192.168.2.186 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>> 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>> 192.168.2.1 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>> 192.168.2.1 Can someone help me? Is there a utility that can
>>>>>>>>>>> show me
>>>>>>>>>>> what is wrong so I can fix it?
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Jeff

Hah you were so thorough with everything else I assumed you already had
updated the drivers. I'm glad that worked out.

I don't think reducing the range of addresses assigned by DHCP will make
things more secure in any meaningful way. It might just be hassle down the
road, so I wouldn't recommend doing that. I also would not recommend
assigning an IP address- let DHCP do its magic. As for the SMC AP I was
using, it seems reliable but I don't use it for extended periods so I'm not
a good judge.
--
Frank Schwieterman [MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Dear Frank.
>
> Thanks for writing.
>
> Well, I went out and bought another adapter (Linksys wpc54g) which was on
> sale and after installing it, it did exactly the same thing. I therefore
> called Linksys tech support and some one in India helped me out. Could
> hardly understand him but he knew what he was doing. Essentially he
> uninstalled the drivers and reinstalled the latest drivers. Now the
> laptop seems to stay connected. (Time will tell .......)
>
> HOWEVER, I too was concerned about the IP addresses. Initially I had set
> this problem laptop to acquire the ip address automatically from the
> router. When I started having trouble, I did a ipconfig /all, saw that my
> assigned ip was 192.168.2.186 and decided that maybe I might connect
> better or faster by assigning a ip to it and I therefore assigned this ip
> permanently to it. (Is that a good idea?)
>
> On the router status screen, the ip addresses the router sees are only
> those of my own 3 PCs. I was planning anyway (some day) to narrow the
> router range of ip addresses (because I think I once read that this added
> security ?). Thus I might give it only a range of 3-4 ip number range for
> the 3 PC I have at home. I used to have the MAC filter on before all my
> troubles began and now I will switch it on after I enter the new adapter's
> MAC. There was probably nothing wrong with my old adapter and it was just
> having the same driver conflict. However, as long as things keep working
> I will stick with the new one. Worth every cent of the $39 I spent on it,
> especially since it upgraded me from b to g.
>
> Right now I am just happy to remain connected!! So I may leave things
> alone for a while before reducing the range of router ip addresses.
>
> How do you like your SMC router? I find it works fine for me.
>
> Thanks for the advice.
>
> Jeff
>
> Frank Schwieterman [MSFT] wrote:
>> Trying another wireless NIC may help but there isn't conclusive
>> evidence to prove this.
>>
>> One interesting thing about your earlier ipconfig result is the IP
>> address, 192.168.2.186. The default range on the SMC AP I have for IP
>> address assignment via DHCP is 192.168.0.100 to 192.168.0.199. These
>> are typically assigned consequetively, such that if I had an address
>> 192.168.0.186 that means there are 85 other addresses already
>> assigned. This would indicate there are a bunch of machines already
>> connected to the AP, or that a machine is taking up many of those
>> addresses perhaps
>> after reconnecting. Typically a machine should reclaim its original
>> address after reconnecting however.
>>
>> You may want to look around to see what the address range assigned
>> via DHCP is for your router. This is in the LAN section on the SMC I
>> have here. Another interesting thing to check is the DHCP client log.
>> On my AP, if I go to the STATUS section, the DHCP client log shows
>> what IP addresses are currently assigned and to who. That might reveal
>> something.
>>
>>
>>
>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Thank you. I appreciate your help.
>>>
>>> Jeff
>>>
>>>
>>> "Frankster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:k7SdnXjoQZiwxSDeRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> Well, Jeff, all your ipconfig screens looked good so far. So... if
>>>> it works with the cable and not the wireless card, I too would
>>>> suspect the card. You're right. The numbers on the wireless config
>>>> also appeared just fine. We have probably ruled out the DNS issue.
>>>> Sorry this took so long. You really probably need to find a way to
>>>> try another wireless adapter. I suppose the wireless router could
>>>> still be an issue too. Please let us know what you find. Other than the
>>>> above, I'm out of
>>>> ideas :-).
>>>>
>>>> -Frank
>>>>
>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> I connected the problem laptop (the one that was losing wireless
>>>>> internet access) to the router with a cable and there seems to be
>>>>> no loss of internet access this way.
>>>>>
>>>>> Does this mean that the problem might be with the Linksys PC Card
>>>>> adapter itself or could it still be a problem with the
>>>>> configuration of the wlan? I do not have a second adapter to try
>>>>> on this laptop. With the cable attachment to the router, ipconfig /all
>>>>> gives
>>>>>
>>>>> Windows IP Configuration
>>>>>
>>>>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xyz.........
>>>>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>>>>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>>>>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>
>>>>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>>>>
>>>>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI
>>>>> Ethernet Adapte
>>>>> r
>>>>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : .....
>>>>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
>>>>> Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
>>>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.178
>>>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>> DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>> Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, January 05,
>>>>> 2006 1:19:55 AM
>>>>> Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, January 12,
>>>>> 2006 1:19:55 AM
>>>>>
>>>>> which I believe is similar to what I had with the wireless adapter
>>>>> in place.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jeff
>>>>>
>>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>>> Okay, I am not familiar with the SMC router (routers sometimes use
>>>>>> different terminology for the same thing), but from what I see, I
>>>>>> believe you have all this configured correctly. I am interpreting
>>>>>> "gateway" status to be the LAN side and "Internet" status to be
>>>>>> the WAN side.
>>>>>> Having said that, the next step I would pursue is to get this same
>>>>>> info from your cable modem. If this is a DNS issue, that also
>>>>>> could be the culprit.
>>>>>> If the cable modem is configured properly, I would probably
>>>>>> suspect some other cause of the trouble. In your scenario, it
>>>>>> appears that the router "Internet" status gateway of
>>>>>> 70.177.yyy.yyy must be your cable modem's IP. I don't know much
>>>>>> about how cable modems operate. In case you are not sure what we are
>>>>>> looking for...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Many folks configure both external (WAN-ISP provided) and internal
>>>>>> (LAN provided) DNS entries into the TCP/IP properties of their
>>>>>> machine. They are thinking that if the LAN DNS cannot find a
>>>>>> name, it will next try the WAN DNS. Not true! That description
>>>>>> is more like the description of a "forwarder" function within a
>>>>>> DNS server itself. TCP/IP properties in a DNS client do not act
>>>>>> as a "forwarder" in a DNS server. What actually may happen is that
>>>>>> when you query an
>>>>>> external domain (like yahoo.com) and the query goes to your
>>>>>> internal (LAN) DNS, you get an answer. The answer may be "could
>>>>>> not find host". That is an answer. Therefore It stops right there!
>>>>>> The
>>>>>> only time a client will revert to the secondary TCP/IP DNS entry
>>>>>> you have configured is if it cannot *reach* the name server at
>>>>>> all. Effectively, this usually results in this working for a
>>>>>> while, but one time, for whatever reason, the primary DNS cannot be
>>>>>> reached,
>>>>>> it reverts to the secondary and gets the answer "could not find
>>>>>> host". After that, it's over, until it once again cannot *reach*
>>>>>> the DNS. This usually results in seemingly intermittent loss of
>>>>>> "connection" as it flips back and forth, over time. Often, rebooting
>>>>>> will
>>>>>> "fix" it because the client DNS entries start over at the
>>>>>> beginning after a reboot.
>>>>>> You want to make sure your client's (even DNS servers themselves
>>>>>> are clients too) are "chained" together (my words). IOW, no
>>>>>> loops. Just from one to the next ,to the next, to the next. No
>>>>>> double entries or double IPs. The whole thing is supposed to
>>>>>> operate in "series". Anyway, maybe you have a DNS issue, maybe you
>>>>>> don't. Check out
>>>>>> the cable modem and see what you can find. Also, if anyone else
>>>>>> sees any issues with your setup, please jump in.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Frank
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>> Thank you so much for helping. I think you are right and it is a
>>>>>>> DNS questikon but I did not know where or how to correct.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> As you suggested, I went to the desktop PC connected by cable to
>>>>>>> the SMC router and opened its web based interface
>>>>>>> (http://192.168.2.1). I am not sure which is the DNS that needs to
>>>>>>> be pointed to so I
>>>>>>> wil give you what I found.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Under its "gateway" status:
>>>>>>> IP 192.168.2.1
>>>>>>> Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
>>>>>>> DHCP server enabled
>>>>>>> UPnP off
>>>>>>> DMZ not enabled
>>>>>>> It is WPA protected but MAC filter is off for now.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Under the "Internet" status:
>>>>>>> WAN IP 70.177.xxx.xxx (in case I am not supposed to divulge this
>>>>>>> ?) Subnet mask 255.255.240.0 (is 240 correct here?)
>>>>>>> Gateway 70.177.yyy.yyy
>>>>>>> Primary DNS 64.83.0.10
>>>>>>> Secdondary DNS 64.83.1.10
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> To remind you the laptop that has trouble remaining online has:
>>>>>>> Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>> IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.186
>>>>>>> Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
>>>>>>> Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>>> DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Do you notice an error I should change?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Again, thank you so muich for lending a helping hand.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Jeff
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>>>>> Also, I should say, whether a client is connected via cable or
>>>>>>>> wi-fi is really irrelevant to DNS issues. It's the settings
>>>>>>>> that count. Don't forget, the machine connected to your router
>>>>>>>> via cable is still only a DNS client itself. It should only
>>>>>>>> list your internal DNS server too.
>>>>>>>> -Frank
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "Frankster" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>>> news:T6GdnSjlo9TZsSHeRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>>> What router are you using?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> You'll probably want to look at the DNS entries in your router,
>>>>>>>>> whatever interface it provides (usually web based).
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Also, don't forget to make sure every client machine is
>>>>>>>>> pointing only to your local DNS server.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> -Frank
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>>>> Thank you. That sounds logical. To check the router, do I
>>>>>>>>>> also do ipconfig/all on the desktop that is actually attached
>>>>>>>>>> to the router by cable, not wireless? Or do I go into the
>>>>>>>>>> router's configuration
>>>>>>>>>> software? Thanks.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Jeff
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Frankster wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> These intermittent issues you mention are the classic
>>>>>>>>>>> symptom of a mis-configured DNS. In this case, from your
>>>>>>>>>>> ipconfig info, it appears that this machine is *probably*
>>>>>>>>>>> configured correctly. However, I would check your router.
>>>>>>>>>>> Basically, all DNS clients should be configured with *only*
>>>>>>>>>>> your local DNS (as this one appears to
>>>>>>>>>>> be) and your DNS server (your router I assume) should be
>>>>>>>>>>> configured with your ISP supplied DNS servers.
>>>>>>>>>>> The scenario you describe is usually caused by one or more
>>>>>>>>>>> of the clients being configured with BOTH internal and
>>>>>>>>>>> external (ISP) DNS servers. The clients should have only the
>>>>>>>>>>> local DNS server configured. -Frank
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> "Jeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>>>> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>>>>>> I have a home wlan I set up long ago that has worked fine
>>>>>>>>>>>> till recently. However, recently even though I never lose
>>>>>>>>>>>> connection with the other 2 PCs on my wireless lan, and the
>>>>>>>>>>>> "Wireless Network Connection" continues to show
>>>>>>>>>>>> a good connection, my internet connection (Outlook Express
>>>>>>>>>>>> or IE6) which connected fine just a second ago, suddenly
>>>>>>>>>>>> can no longer find the internet and I get messages like
>>>>>>>>>>>> "cannot find server"
>>>>>>>>>>>> in the web browser or OE can no
>>>>>>>>>>>> longer find the host. If I disconnect from the network and
>>>>>>>>>>>> re-connect again, I regain my internet access till it goes
>>>>>>>>>>>> off again - sometimes in a minute, sometimes in 5 minutes.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> My home wireless lan consists of 3 PC linked to a router
>>>>>>>>>>>> which connects to a
>>>>>>>>>>>> cable modem. Problem may be isolated to this one
>>>>>>>>>>>> troublesome XP laptop. I've been fighting this for 3 weeks
>>>>>>>>>>>> and it is very annoying. I checked and have no viruses
>>>>>>>>>>>> (Avast), no spyware (Spybot and Ad-aware). My ipconfig /all
>>>>>>>>>>>> shows
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Windows IP Configuration
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : delllaptop
>>>>>>>>>>>> Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>>> Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
>>>>>>>>>>>> IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>>>>>> WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media
>>>>>>>>>>>> disconnected Description . . . . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>>> 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI Ethernet Adapter
>>>>>>>>>>>> Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-76-50-C2-23
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
>>>>>>>>>>>> Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-B
>>>>>>>>>>>> Notebook Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>>> 00-0F-66-4B-0A-52 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . .
>>>>>>>>>>>> : No IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>>> 192.168.2.186 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>>> 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>>> 192.168.2.1 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . :
>>>>>>>>>>>> 192.168.2.1 Can someone help me? Is there a utility that can
>>>>>>>>>>>> show me
>>>>>>>>>>>> what is wrong so I can fix it?
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Jeff
>
>