[RESOLVED] Open DNS, but LAN gone

Verizon DSL
Westell 6100F modem-router, wired
D-Link wired Switch DES-1105
2 Comps. both XP Pro SP3
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I was having problems getting the DNS for some website, with no pattern, so I switched to Open DNS, using NetSetManager. The internet is better and faster, but I don't have the local network connecting. Pinging one comp from the other produces timeouts.

The other problem I've been having for a few months is that the router won't accept any PW, not even after resetting or leaving off overnight. Not the default either. But the LAN had been up till a few days ago, so I don't think that was affected.

Networking is still Chinese to me.

Should i have added something in the allowed IP's on my firewall?

Changing only the DNS settings shouldn't affect the local network. I assume that all of the machines are on the same IP address range. Just for clarification, where did you change the DNS settings - on the PC's?

Yes, on the PC's. I used NetSetManager, because there's a problem accessing the TCP/IP window on the primary computer. This is how I set both of them, except that I didn't insert the IP, just set them both for automatic. The IP range is 192.168.1.45 through 47.

Networking is still like Chinese to me:

Quote:

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http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/4...setmanset2.jpg

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If it didn't change my LAN, then it might have been a coincidence. I don't use the older computer every day.

Both NIC's are working, switch is working, modem is working, no shares have changed. The combo modem-router always confuses issues for me.

Using NetSetManager could be part of the problem. There are other settings that would normally be present in Windows that may have been disabled. What happens when you try to use Windows built-in tools for accessing network settings?

It was suggested to me to as a workaround for this problem:

when I right-click on LAN in Network Settings, it could take 10-20 minutes for the protocols page to appear, then another long wait getting TCP/IP> Properties. When I changed the settings to OpenDNS, "Applying settings" sat there forever until I finally closed it down with EndItAll. Everything else in the comp works perfectly, and I'm totally clean of malware. In fact this comp was formatted not so long ago.

The old comp on the network doesn't have that problem.

I read something at their site about having to enable your dynamic IP's,

http://www.opendns.com/support/dynamic_ip_tech/#faq_109

I downloaded the Windows client that registered me at the site, found my Dashboard, which you probably can't see. The "network" I registered is not my local network, but my dynamic IP on the internet. so I'm lost as to what to do.

I've restored a C drive clone from 2/18, which fixed the Network Settings access problem, and I've given up on the OpenDNS.

Still can't connect on the local network.

Retry your ping test. Post ipconfig data from both computers.

This one, my main comp, can't ping NEWMAIN. This one has onboard LAN.


C:\Documents and Settings\Rochelle Bear>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : bear
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : myhome.westell.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : myhome.westell.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps Ether
net
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1D-92-EB-5D-9C
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.46
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
192.168.1.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, March 13, 2010 12:32:52 AM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, March 14, 2010 12:32:52 AM

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NEWMAIN is the old comp, and I have to keep uninstalling and reinstalling the NIC card, because i lose the MAC. It pings BEAR right now, but neither comp shows the other in the network.


C:\Documents and Settings\Rochelle_2>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : newmain
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 3:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet Adapt
er(LNE100TX v4) #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-5A-83-C3-03
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.45
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
192.168.1.1


The LAN in NEWMAIN keeps getting new numbers in Network Connections every time I reinstall the card . Now it's called "Local area etc #6." It also appears 3 times in Device Mger, but 2 of them won't uninstall. But that's an old issue.


BTW--I think Open DNS wasn't connected to this problem, but now that I dropped it, my original problem is back. I'm having trouble connecting to some sites again. Should I put it back?

If you can ping using the IP address but not the name, it is probably a DNS problem.
The following link provides a way to flush the DNS cache which may be useful.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...sked-questions

Those results that you are showing from ipconfig are saying that the router is your only DNS server, and so any external addresses are coming from whatever DNS server has ben set in the router (probably your ISP's ones). I would definitely put some DNS server addresses back in Windows.

If you've been having problems with Open DNS (and I think here have been some isues recently), try the new Google ones:

8.8.8.8

and :

8.8.4.4

Sparks--that's because I set it back to the defaults.Are you referring to the LAN problem or the irregular lookups on the web? I'm totally confused, wish I had some kind of step-by-step method or manual for this stuff. It's one of the areas of computing that's just too abstract for me.

Flushed the DNS on both comps, rebooted each. Set each to Google's DNS.
Just as I did that, the old comp NEWMAIN, popped up "Local Area Connection is now connected" But it's not

Neither can ping the other and NEWMAIN is showing FF-FF- as the MAC again. Time for a new NIC card? that one is ancient.

How do I know if there's something wrong with the modem-router? it's Verizon's junk, and this is my 3rd in about 7 years.

New ipconfig of Bear:


Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : bear
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : myhome.westell.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : myhome.westell.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps Ether
net
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1D-92-EB-5D-9C
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.46
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, March 13, 2010 4:43:42 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, March 14, 2010 4:43:42 PM