Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

(Cable) DNS Lookup Failures Result in ''Connect'' Boxes

Jun 2, 2005 10:13AM PDT

Since we switched from ADSL to cable, whenever there is a DNS failure (whenever we type a URL that doesn't exist, in IE or Firefox), the ''Connect to <ISP-name>'' dialog box appears. This even though cable is of course an always-on connection and there actually is a connection at the time the dialog box appears.

It is as if one of the several 'elements' involved in the connection reports that there is no active connection, instead of reporting that the domain name is unreachable.

Previously (in ADSL or dial-up), we would have seen the usual ''DNS failure'' page in IE. This doesn't happen with our cable connection.

The connection to existing URLs works without problems. The problem is that these ''Connect'' dialog boxes become a nuisance if we have to close them every time we type an 'incorrect' URL.

Is there a solution to this problem?

In advance, thank you for your help.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Here's something you need to consider.
Jun 2, 2005 10:33AM PDT

The solution may be Operating System dependent. I read your post twice and didn't see it. You could be using a Macintosh for all I know. Try this:

Note: If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem.

- Collapse -
(Cable) DNS Lookup Failures.. (Additional Information)
Jun 2, 2005 1:16PM PDT

We are using Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 2 installed). Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox are the most current openly available versions.

Since we switched from ADSL to cable, whenever there is a DNS failure (whenever we type a URL that doesn't exist, in IE or Firefox), the ''Connect to <ISP-name>'' dialog box appears. This even though cable is of course an always-on connection and there actually is a connection at the time the dialog box appears.

It is as if one of the several 'elements' involved in the connection reports that there is no active connection, instead of reporting that the domain name is unreachable.

Previously (in ADSL or dial-up), we would have seen the usual ''DNS failure'' page in IE. This doesn't happen with our cable connection.

The connection to existing URLs works without problems. The problem is that these ''Connect'' dialog boxes become a nuisance if we have to close them every time we type an 'incorrect' URL.

Is there a solution to this problem?

In advance, thank you for your help.

- Collapse -
Req. additional info...
Jun 3, 2005 1:53AM PDT

Did your previous ADSL connection require PPPOE authentication for the connection? In less technical jargon, did your ISP give you a userID and a password that was necessary to connect? In WindowsXP, you would have enabled the PPPoE connection type in the neworking properties and then embedded this userID and password in there to automatically connect from then on. If so, you need to turn off the PPPoE stuff as it is not used for a cable modem connection.

dw

- Collapse -
Re: Req. additional info...
Jun 3, 2005 6:48AM PDT

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, our ADSL connection does use PPPoE tunneling, authentication is required. Our cable connection doesn't use PPPoE, and is kept as an always-on network connection.

The problem is we still keep the ADSL connection as a back-up (as well as the dial-up alternative), and for this reason, we can't turn it off.

Is there anything we could do, other than deactivating RAS? Can't these two (three, with dial-up) systems coexist?

- Collapse -
Nope, one or the other...
Jun 3, 2005 1:40PM PDT

You can't have both PPPoE and straight ethernet connectivity simultaneously at the operating system level. Dialup, because it operates through a different adapter (the serial modem), can coexist with an ethernet connection. Your choices regarding the ADSL and cable connection:

1. If you are using WinXP's internal PPPoE client, learn how to turn it on and off. Turn it off when using the cable modem and turn it back on when using the ADSL connection. If you are using an earlier Windows operating system and a software client (such as WinPoet or Rassppoe), learn how to manage it during the startup using MSCONFIG so you can quickly reactivate it and reboot when you want it.

2. Solve the problem with external hardware. A standard broadband router can do either PPPoE or standard ethernet. The computer remains set to plain ol' ethernet regardless of what the router is programmed to do. You use your browser (Internet Explorer or your favorite substitute) to browse to the router's main configuration page and change the connection type. Then the router reboots itself.

My recommendation would be option 2, the hardware solution. It is easier to reconfigure, reboots faster, and as an added benefit, provides a layer of internet security through address translation.

dw

- Collapse -
Thank you.
Jun 4, 2005 6:56AM PDT

I have tried your first option, and I have disabled the previous ADSL connection. As a short-term solution, I suppose it is acceptable.

In the future, we could change to a more adequate router, maybe one that also has NAT and the feature you mention.