For Two Days Internet Access Always Fails First Attempt...

[geordietx]

but will usually connect on the 2nd attempt, even if it is just a second or two later and certainly by the 3rd. It's like there is a lag and once I saw a message that clearly led me to believe it was a DNS problem (darn, I didn't write it down and it hasn't reappeared, but it made sense at the time). I THINK I can see the open internet window that I have requested flash by for just a millisecond before it turns to the usual:

Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage

Most likely causes:
You are not connected to the Internet.
The website is encountering problems.
There might be a typing error in the address.

What you can try:
Diagnose Connection Problems

I can't think what I did that might have caused this, although I do "tinker" quite a bit with my machine. I've learned to only do one thing at a time and then wait for a while to see the consequences, and I use the system restore function liberally and often :-)

Perhaps as a side note (not sure if they're related) - around the same time, my laser mouse started hesitating; that is, I'd go to highlight a line or something and it would freeze for just half a second or so, but enough to be annoying. And so it continues. I'm on a wireless home network; my machine is decent and new; my internet connection is a reliable RoadRunner connection whereby I pay extra to go from 3000 Kbps down to 8000 Kbps down because of gamers in the house.

I'm usually pretty good at figuring out my own issues, but it is stuff just like this that really gets me - no apparent cause, and nothing showing up anywhere to troubleshoot with (at least that I know where to look for). Any ideas?

[Cellus]

Let's try a little something. Find out the IP address for your browser's homepage and use that instead of the name. When you try to reproduce the problem, see if it fails the first attempt. If it works the first attempt, then we know it is an issue with the DNS over at the ISP. If it still fails on the first attempt, we can troubleshoot further.

By the way, while we're at it, it'd be nice to grab some information from you. Open a command prompt (Run window -> cmd) and type ipconfig /all and post the details.

[geordietx]

I did as you suggested and sent to the IP address of my local news station (my home page) and it didn't fail - but neither has any address all afternoon long. After two going on three days of this, it seemed more than a fleeting problem. Also, I called RoadRunner and they said they weren't having any DNS problems or any other issues for that matter (doncha love how it's almost never THEIR issue, but something you've done wrong). So I guess we can put it on hold for now and hopefully forever.

As far as the ipconfig file, here it is, and since I've got your attention could you give it a quick once-over and see if you see anything wrong with it? My partner is convinced that I've got it wired up all bass-ackwards and that I've exposed our bank accounts and passwords to the internet-at-large. I didn't do that during that WEEK I spent trying to get the wireless network to work, did I?? Thanks as always -
______________________________________________________________
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

D:\Documents and Settings>ipconfig -all

Windows IP Configuration

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

Ethernet adapter LAN Connected to Internet:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/1000 PM Network Connect
ion
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-D3-3B-A7-2E
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.101
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::213:d3ff:fe3b:a72e%4
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 24.93.41.125
24.93.41.126
fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 80-00-13-3A-E7-50-ED-67
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4136:e37a:8000:133a:e750:ed67

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::ffff:ffff:fffd%5
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : C0-A8-01-65
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.1.101%2
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

D:\Documents and Settings>http://www.houston.rr.com

[johnwill]

I think you need to enable DHCP on that computer so you'll get the proper configuration from the router. My guess is that will help.

[geordietx]

JW, you were correct, enabling the DHCP server (my router DHCP, not the internet DHCP) did seem to speed things up noticeably. HOWEVER, the instructions from Linksys and Portforwarding.com were contrary to yours - yours were more in line with Roadrunner (sorry, but it's true :-) Thanks for the advice, though. It works both ways so I'll play around and see which way I like since nobody can seem to make up their mind (and I've found that to be true for numerous networking issues). Here's my latest issue, I thought I'd just add it on here since there is perhaps some helpful history included in the thread.

My hybrid home network consists of three PC's: my new one I just built myself (please hold the applause), my old PowerSpec that I wiped and revamped into a fine little new old machine, and my partner's Sony Vaio desktop. There was no problem in establishing the wireless network with a Linksys WRT54GSv6 router and my new and my old PC; it was that darn Vaio that was such a pain in my side! At this point, all three PC's are within 10 unobstructed feet of each other, but of course, the plan is to move them out to other parts of the house once we can. The Sony has the same setup as the other PC's, and shows up on the summary pages of the network GUI, but will not connect wirelessly no matter what the heck I do. I have approached it every way possible, and the end result is always the same. The wireless network card's green light will flicker for just a few seconds, then the PC will search for our network for maybe five long minutes, then fail with "you need to enable the radio on this Vaio". When you look at the list of Vaio's that it could possibly be, they are all laptops and it says that we should be "flipping a front switch on the lower right". There is no switch since this is a desktop, not a laptop. I assume by "enabling the radio" they are talking about enabling the wireless card, of course, it is already enabled. Does anybody have any ideas what could be going on with this Viao? I feel like I've tried EVERYTHING at this point and I'm just at a loss on how to proceed. Below is the IPCONFIG /ALL file from MIKENEWPC. Thoughts anybody? I'll entertain any reasonable idea at this point! I know I probably should also speak to Linksys but there has been an earthquake in SE Asia where their support folks are, and they are closed for the forseeable future. Besides, while the people there are very nice, I have not been impressed with their knowledge base. Thanks as always.

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

D:\Documents and Settings>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

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

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 5:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/1000 PM Network Connect
ion
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-D3-3B-A7-2E
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.101
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::213:d3ff:fe3b:a72e%4
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 24.93.41.125
24.93.41.126
fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-FB-DF-E7-50-ED-67
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4136:e37e:0:fbdf:e750:ed67
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::ffff:ffff:fffd%5
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : C0-A8-01-65
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.1.101%2
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

D:\Documents and Settings>

[johnwill]

What can I say, I try to do things that work, I don't worry about who's instructions are similar.