This is odd. About once a day, my computer will spontaneously lose its internet connection. All of the programs lose access to the net (IE, AIM, Firefox, etc), with the exception of itunes. I know it’s not a problem with the modem or router, because my other devices work just fine.
The only way to fix the problem that I’ve discovered it to restart the computer. Has anyone else experienced anything similar, or know how to fix it?
Are you on a dial-up service via POTS, DSL, broadband, wireless, cable? Standalone computer or part of a network?
I have cable internet connected to a wireless router, though my computer is connected to the router with a cable. However, this problem occured before I installed the router as well (yesterday).
What OS? Has this problem always happened, or only since what change or update?
Rebooting always solves it?
Because it just sounds like shitty service to me.
Yup. Not to mention other devices connected to the router continue to function fine.
As for the OS, it’s windows XP.
Next time it happens, Disable then Re-enable your internet connection in your My Network Places properties. See what that does. If that doesn’t work, refresh it in the same property set. See what that does. Might be your ethernet connection on your computer.
I once had this problem and it had to do with the power settings to my NIC in “Device Mangager”. I had to set it so that the power management settings were such that Windows did NOT turn off that device. After that I had no problems.
Red,
I had this, too. It happened with Windows XP. I hated restarting all the time and found out that it was the DNS Client service causing this problem. Disable it and your problem will probably go away.
The Process
Close all programs as you’ll reboot your machine at the end.
From the Windows Desktop: Click on Start–>Settings–>Control Panel
On the Control Panel: Double-click the Administrative Tools icon
In the Administrative Tools: Double-click the Services icon
On the Services control panel: Scroll down until you see “DNS Client” or “DNSCache” and double-click on it. For some reason, it could be either name.
In the DNS Client Properties: Near the middle of the box is a dropdown labeled “Startup Type.” Click on it and scroll down to “Disabled.” Click “OK” that box.
Restart the machine: Click on Start–>Turn Off Computer–>Restart
When the machine restarts, surf on!
The Problem
Technical explanation: the DNS Client caches the results of your DNS requests. It caches the unsuccessful requests.
Less technical explanation: Some background first. DNS is like the “phone directory” your computer uses to figure how to call another computer over the Internet. Just like calling a person on his phone requires you to know his phone number, your computer must have a number to call another computer. It has to convert the name you can read (like http://boards.straighdope.com) into a number it can call (207.97.195.229) by looking it up in a directory.
DNS servers hold these “phone directories.” Your computer can contact them directly. On machines with older operating systems, such as Windows ME, 98, 95, and 3.1, the computer did just that. With so many computers asking these DNS servers for addresses (called IP addresses), your web browsing could slow down while your computer waits for the IP address from the DNS server.
So Windows XP has the DNS Client. It keeps a list of your requests to the DNS server in memory, sort of like scribbling the phone number on a scratch pad. When you browse back to the same website, your computer won’t have to wait in line at the DNS server for the site’s IP address. It’ll use the address from its scratchpad. The bad thing about this is that it remembers bad numbers. What? If the DNS server doesn’t respond in quickly enough to your computer, your computer won’t have an IP address for that web site. There are other ways to get a bad number, too, but they’re pretty technical and quite boring so I’ll just leave it at that. The bottom line is that the only way to erase the DNS Client’s scratch pad is to restart the DNS Client. As you’ve found out, the easiest way to do that is reboot your machine.
Other Related Questions
Why has this started happening all of the sudden? The DNS servers your cable company uses may have suddenly started having problems.
Will I see my web surfing slow down by not using DNS Client? I’ve not noticed any slowdown; if anything, it seems a bit snappier.
Do I need the DNS Client running? If you have to ask this question, you don’t need it. Only computers on networks with a domain controller need it. You’d be asking your network admin this question instead of the SDMB if you were on one of those networks.
It might not hurt to take a look at the book Windows XP Hacks as well, though Pott has already addressed a number of relevant issues.