ipconfig is my friend

cbenoi1

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It started to happen a week ago. One day I get on AW okay, the next Chrome & IE act as if AW has been wiped out off the web. The only solution is the DOS command "ipconfig /flushdns". Only happens with AW, and every time I boot up the computer for the day.

What gives?

-cb
 

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What OS are you using?

Check your firewall settings maybe?

ETA: next time it happens, please try flushing the browser cache, then closing, then first see if you can get to absolutewrite.com, rather than directly going to the forums.
 
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cbenoi1

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> What OS are you using?

Windows 10.

ETA: I also have a machine running Kubuntu 17.04 and Firefox game me the same problem once weeks ago. At the time I thought it was some hiccup after installing development tools.


> Check your firewall settings maybe?

They haven't changed in months if not years. I haven't touched my routers either.


> ETA: next time it happens, please try flushing the browser cache, then closing,
> then first see if you can get to absolutewrite.com, rather than directly going to
> the forums.

Why is going to the root address any better than getting to one of its branches?


-cb
 
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Jason

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Without getting into an advanced networking discussion, to remedy the problem, I'd also try flushing the DNS cache on your router(s)...maybe run a release/renew on the IP from there?

Since you ultimately can get to AW, I'd say it's definitely a local routing issue, which means it's either the computer, the browser, or the router. If it's happening on multiple computers, I'd try the router next...just my 2¢ in a world of meaningless pennies :)
 

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cbenoi1 said:
> What OS are you using?

Windows 10.

ETA: I also have a machine running Kubuntu 17.04 and Firefox game me the same problem once weeks ago. At the time I thought it was some hiccup after installing development tools.


> Check your firewall settings maybe?

They haven't changed in months if not years. I haven't touched my routers either.


> ETA: next time it happens, please try flushing the browser cache, then closing,
> then first see if you can get to absolutewrite.com, rather than directly going to
> the forums.

Why is going to the root address any better than getting to one of its branches?


-cb
Click to expand...

Because I'm pretty sure the problem is at your end.
Because Firewalls often have issues with PHP
Because you may have a router firewall, controlled by your ISP via firmware, and it will log data from the root differently than data from vBulletin controlled space, given us a more verbose log about why it's failing.
Because if it does happen to be an issue related the server, I can get more data in the server logs if I have two specific points of entry with two different logging systems.
 

cbenoi1

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Happened again this morning. This time on my Samsung Galaxy Tab A running Android 6.0.1.

I tried all the links in my bookmarks. They all worked fine, except AW. The is the ONE that isn't working.


Cleared Browser History & Data.
Renew the router's DHCP
Unplugged / re-plugged the routers / cable modem.
Soft-reset the tablet
Typed in a.b.s.o.l.u.t.e.w.r.i.t.e..c.o.m each time in the browser bar.

Nothing. Web site non-existent.

Then it worked fifteen minutes later. Just like that.

-cb
 

cbenoi1

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Just a dumb question. I'm in the EST time zone and AW is in PST. 3 hours away. I'm logging in early in the morning. Are you guys by any chance taking AW offline for maintenance in the wee hours of the morning?

-cb
 

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cbenoi1 said:
Just a dumb question. I'm in the EST time zone and AW is in PST. 3 hours away. I'm logging in early in the morning. Are you guys by any chance taking AW offline for maintenance in the wee hours of the morning?

-cb
Click to expand...

No. What error message do you actually see from the Web Browser?

There's a period of c. 15 minutes where the site will be slow while we backup the database, but it's not unavailable.
 

cbenoi1

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AW Admin said:
No. What error message do you actually see from the Web Browser?
Click to expand...


This site can't be reached.

Absolutewrite.com's server DNS address could not be found.

Search Google for absolute write.

ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED



ETA: This is not the first site I visit in the morning, so a) the Internet is working, and b) the DNS server is also working.


-cb
 
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dpaterso

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AW Admin said:
There's a period of c. 15 minutes where the site will be slow while we backup the database, but it's not unavailable.
Click to expand...
I don't want to argue, but around 10:30am UK time, I can't get any response from the forums. When I realize it's that time, that the backup script is probably running, I go away and come back after 10-15 minutes and it's okay again.

cb, this would be around 5:30am your time, does that match your blip? Just asking. I've never seen that DNS error.

-Derek
 

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dpaterso said:
I don't want to argue, but around 10:30am UK time, I can't get any response from the forums. When I realize it's that time, that the backup script is probably running, I go away and come back after 10-15 minutes and it's okay again.
Click to expand...

Yes. The server is not offline then. It's busy. This is not the same thing, and should not result in a DNS error.
 

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CameronJohnston said:
I always get ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED at 10:30am UK time as well. 10-15 minutes later it's back up and accessible.
Click to expand...

We're running the backup then. It shouldn't last more than fifteen minutes; on Feb. 11 it took 20, but it's generally right around 15 minutes.

Name not resolved means that DNS functioned but the server did not respond; that's reasonable as an error message and one of the two I'd expect.
 
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cbenoi1

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Apparently this was caused by NOT using Videotron's recommended router from ZyXEL instead of my D-LINK DIR-825.

There is no specifications difference between the two. They both handle 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz clients, WAN and LAN as expected. There is one subtle feature the ZyXEL EMG2926 has over the durable DIR-825 --- it can be remotely managed by the ISP and I don't see where you can turn it off.

Scary? You bet.

-cb
 
Luciferical

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DNS is (VERY short form) a vast database that passes addresses around from one DNS server to another. Each server may retain entries for only so long, then dumps the entry. I suspect, cbenoi1, that your DNS servers (probably set by your ISP) are timing out entries, and then not immediately refreshing when you try to browse to AW.

I think, in this case, it isn't ipconfig that you want. It's nslookup.

Next time is happens, bring up a command prompt (terminal in KUbuntu). Type this (in caps for emphasis, not necessary):

NSLOOKUP WWW.ABSOLUTEWRITE.COM

If you get the error of not found, try this:

NSLOOKUP WWW.ABSOLUTEWRITE.COM 8.8.8.8

Using a made-up domain for error illustration:

C:\Windows\system32>NSLOOKUP WWW.ABSOLITEWRITE.COM
Server: <redacted>
Address: 172.16.7.10

*** <DNS Server redacted> can't find WWW.ABSOLITEWRITE.COM: Non-existent domain
Click to expand...
It used my default DNS server and couldn't find it. I don't know if you'd get the "Non-existent domain" message. But it will likely fail similar.

The latter forces NSLOOKUP to use Google's open DNS servers. I think the syntax is the same in Linux (my Linux-fu is way out of practice). For me, I got this:
C:\Windows\system32>NSLOOKUP WWW.ABSOLUTEWRITE.COM 8.8.8.8
Server: google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address: 8.8.8.8

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: WWW.ABSOLUTEWRITE.COM
Address: 184.168.82.237
Click to expand...

If the first one errors, but the second one works, it's your ISP's DNS servers (most likely, IMO). Or, whatever DNS servers you see when you type ipconfig /all (ifconfig in Linux).
 
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