Local DNS Errors

So heres basically what happened: Two days ago I installed service pack 3 on my Compaq Laptop. Immediately afterwards, I began having problems connecting to the internet. At first, it was small, I simply couldnt get a connection to my DHCP server. Simple enough to fix, then the DNS problems showed up. After I finally got a local IP address, I found that I could not get on the internet via domain name. Typing in the ip address for google, yahoo, microsoft, it brings the pages up. But if I type in the domain name, I cannot access the server.

I had a several hour long chat session with both a compaq technician and a microsoft representative, and exhausted all known causes of a problem like this. All required services seem to be running, my Tcp/ip settings match up to what they should be to make the computer gain an internet connection, my HOSTS file has been renamed, replaced, deleted. I have tried everything short of rebooting my system clean, and I would rather not do that.

Other computers on the network work fine, and are not suffering any problems at all. However, they are still running service pack two. I tried to uninstall 3 this morning, and have found that I cannot. The uninstall fails about halfway through. I have tried using an external DNS service such as OpenDNS, and it still does not help.

If anyone has any ideas as to what could be causing this problem, I would be more than happy to listen to suggestions. I am at a total loss.

What firewall are you using?

If i recall correctly, SP3 conflicts with zonealarm. Might have something to do with it.

Try Dial-a-fix. You can also run tools that flush DNS and other useful fixes.

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I installed IE7 from the windows update and immediately had DHCP server Errors as well. Just got off the phone with Motorola (checking modem- all lights are working) and they are having me contact my ISP. I lost internet this last weekend and have Charter for my ISP. Not trying to hijack post but did you update IE as well ?
?

You mentioned a network, and that all other devices on said network can connect to the Internet, yes? I'm assuming, at this point, that you're using a router, or have a router built into the modem, yes? Is the computer you're using set to have a static IP address, or is it dynamic (going through the router's DHCP server)? I don't know if you've tried this, but it could help.

I'd say try to get the required information from your ISP (mainly the DNS servers; you should have an IP address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway from your router (you can use whatever IP address you want as long as the first few numbers match the router's, for example my IP address for my network is 192.168.100.150 where my router's IP address is 192.168.100.1)).

Other than that, I'd say contact ISP (going through Micro$oft didn't help, and neither did going through your computer's manufacturer).






You have my sympathies that you had to contact Micro$oft, though...

Yeah, I use Zone Alarm for my firewall, but shutting it down didnt help the problem. I use Firefox, so no, I didn't update IE. NSlookup shows both my laptop and the main desktop connecting to the same DNS servers, yet my laptop cannot resolve domain names. This is what convinces me its a configuration error or software conflict. I'll try to update my network card drivers sometime tonight and see if that happens to help.

Try uninstalling ZoneAlarm, it's a very problematic firewall.

Yep i got to agree tarun Zonealarm can be a problem however their last patch fixed all the problems i had (since i do have a copy of zonealarm running for testing atm(checking which one runs the best here and then decide what i'll keep running))

The best firewalls are Outpost Pro (pay) and Comodo (free).

yep that's true tarun (got to try comodo myself but heard good stuff about it)

Router based firewall with packet control. GO GO

Thing is, you shouldn't use your router's firewall as routers are not designed to be used for that purpose. You'd actually need to buy a separate hardware firewall.

Tried it last night and re-installed my NIC, still nothing. Firewalls are all disabled Windows, ZA, and the one in my router. I don't think thats the issue.

Got to go to a wedding this afternoon, otherwise i'd be spending most of the day to try and fix this >.>

On the topic of uninstalling Zone Alarm, please note its uninstall feature is seriously lacking and it leaves a whole lot of crap in your system that can interfere with Windows and/or your new firewall.

Here's complete removal instructions:

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REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR ZONEALARM:
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1. Right click the ZoneAlarm systray icon and click Restore ZoneAlarm Control Center. Go to Overview > Preferences and uncheck Load ZoneAlarm at startup. Close Control Center, right click the icon again and then click Shutdown ZoneAlarm.
2. REBOOT
3. Find the uninstall option in the start menu, right click, properties, change the target from
[ "C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zauninst.exe" ]
to
[ "C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zauninst.exe" /clean ].
4. Run the uninstall from the start menu.
5. REBOOT
6. Do a windows search by filename for the following (you can copy/paste the whole thing):
[ Zonelabs; "zone labs"; "Internet logs"; vsconfig.xml; vsdata.dll; vsdata95.vxd; vsdatant.sys; vsmon.*; vsmonapi.dll; vsnetutils.dll;vspubapi.dll; zaplus.*; zapro.*; zllictbl.dat; zlparser.dll; zonealarm.exe; zoneband.dll; vsutil.dll; zlclient.* ]
Delete any files that show up. (Make sure to set windows explorer to show hidden files before you search.)
7. Start, Run, "regedit" and delete the following registry keys:
[ HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ZAMailSafe ]
[ HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Zone Labs ]
[ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Zone Labs ]
[ HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Zone Labs ]
8. REBOOT
9. Turn off the worthless windows firewall that turned itself back on at some point. Start, Run, "Firewall.cpl"
10. Install Comodo.

If websites work by IP address but not by name, then the DNS system is the problem. Your ISP should help with DNS problems, but one thing you can do is wipe out the temporary cache that Windows maintains for DNS. From a Command window (a.k.a. DOS prompt) enter this command: "ipconfig /flushdns". Then try accessing websites by name again.


Found the above in a debugging a wired Network connection article. Can't hurt to try

I know this is pretty obvious, but ya just never know...

In you network properties, is it set to "obtain DNS automatically"? Even if it is, I have found that sometimes it helps to set it to manual (you can even enter the DNS IP's from the router's status page.) and reboot. Then set it back to automatic and reboot.

Start > Run > services.msc

DNS Client service
Startup type: Automatic. If it's not set to automatic, set it and restart.

DNS Client service has been checked and is still running. And I tried what Quaker has said, both with the DNS the other computers connect to, and to other outside DNS services, and still no changes.

Edit: Ive also flushed the DNS Cache many times Painbringer, no improvement. I have no idea what could be causing this problem, but im really close to just rebooting clean.

Have you checked your hosts file?

Type this into Start > Run
Copy and paste the contents to us here, be sure to wrap it in the code BBCode.