----- Original Message ----- From: "Nivard Ovington" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 3:51 AM Subject: [COMPUTERS] Diagnosing intermittent connection problem > Symptoms are trying to open a Firefox browser window (google home page) > and get the report server not found That is often a DNS problem. Everything on the Net works by numbers (dotted quad, or the newer IPv6). A DNS server translates names (www.something) into the correct IP address (number). If the DNS server for your ISP is flaky, and many are, you'll see what you're getting. The best fix is to 'hard code' a better DNS service into Windows. That can be done in your computer, or better yet, in your router/modem. Do a web search for "public DNS servers", and you'll find many choices. Try a few til you get one you like that works well. Most sites will explain how to set the server in your router or computer.
Thanks for that Bud I will investigate further We have used the same ISP for a few years and not had this problem until a couple of weeks back Is it something that could start happening out of the blue or could something have triggered it? Just wondering why its been fine until two weeks ago? Who controls DNS , the ISP ? Reading a little it suggests the router is set normally to use the ISPs DNS by default , am I reading that correctly? Which suggests to me that Sky have changed it Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) >> Symptoms are trying to open a Firefox browser window (google home page) >> and get the report server not found > > That is often a DNS problem. > > Everything on the Net works by numbers (dotted quad, or the newer IPv6). > > A DNS server translates names (www.something) into the correct IP address > (number). > > If the DNS server for your ISP is flaky, and many are, you'll see what > you're getting. > > The best fix is to 'hard code' a better DNS service into Windows. > That can be done in your computer, or better yet, in your router/modem. > > Do a web search for "public DNS servers", and you'll find many choices. > Try a few til you get one you like that works well. > > Most sites will explain how to set the server in your router or computer.