Ubuntu

DNS Resolution Problem

Asked by qe_too

I am using Ubuntu 6.06 LTS. I have a USB wireless LAN adapter and a wireless router. When I boot the computer from CD-ROM, everything comes up working. I can send and receive e-mail and access the internet with Firefox. Then when I install Ubuntu to the hard drive and boot from the hard drive, I can no longer access the internet with Firefox, but I can send and receive e-mail. I have tested the wireless connection by pinging Google and I get the ping returned from Google. Firefox, however, cannot find a URL.

I have gone to System > Administration > Networking and it shows:
Hostname: qetoo-desktop
Domain name: (blank)
DNS tab:
  DNS Servers
    192.168.0.1
    205.171.3.65
Search Domains
  domain.actdsltmp

To get Firefox to work, I have to change this to:
Domain name: qwest.qwest.net (my DSL provider)
Remove the 192.168.0.1 from the DNS servers and add 205.171.2.65
Remove the domain.actdsltmp from the Search Domains and add 63.231.10.193 (my DSL gateway)
Then everything works again. However, upon shutdown and reboot, the Network Settings revert to the original values.

I have also tried manually editing the /etc/resolv.conf file. Here is what works:

search 63.231.10.193
nameserver 205.171.3.65
nameserver 205.171.2.65
domain qwest.qwest.net

That gets things working again, but after the next boot-up, it also reverts to the original (unworking) values.

Why does the installed version of Ubuntu have this problem when the CD-ROM version does not?
Is there a solution to this problem?

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ibob63
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Best ibob63 (james-tuthill) said : 		#1

Hi,

I would recommend using OpenDNS's DNS servers rather than your ISP's. These tend to be more reliable. There are: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

Also, are you actually saving the configuration that you have set in the network dialogue box?

James

Revision history for this message
qe_too (c10ing) said : 		#2

Hello James,

Thank you for the prompt reply. Yes, I saved the network configuration with the name "Workroom".
When I did a "Reset" of the computer, it came back with the new DNS Server settings. However, after shutting down, the saved settings for the DNS Server were gone and I had to re-enter the correct DNS Server settings. The DNS Server entry that seems to be causing the problem is "192.168.0.1". I am beginning to believe that this may be a problem unique to the Qwest Actiontec GT701-WG DSL modem/router. Wish I knew the solution, but for now I will just have to re-enter the correct DNS Server settings.

Thanks for the tip on the more reliable DNS Server settings. I have changed to them and will use them in the future.

Carl
"Q E Too"

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LCoe (coe3456) said : 		#3

I also have this problem. I also have the actiontec wireless g modem. Just thought I 'd let you know you are not alone!
Glad I found this post, it was just what I was looking for.
How do you tell it to save the network configuration? I tried setting the DNS servers but they don't stick.

Revision history for this message
qe_too (c10ing) said : 		#4

When I booted my Ubuntu machine this morning, it downloaded some update. I don't remember what it was, but after the update Firefox worked without my having to re-enter the DNS Server settings.

Prior to this, the strange thing is that without making any changes to the DNS Server settings, I could ping, receive updates, and send and receive e-mail. It was only Firefox that didn't work.

Yesterday, I tried using the DNS Servers recommended by James (above) :
208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

They worked at first, but after about a half hour they wouldn't work any more. I had to go back to my DSL providers recommended ones.

Revision history for this message
qe_too (c10ing) said : 		#5

I tried booting again today and whatever downloaded this morning seems to have fixed the problem. I no longer have to reset the DNS Server settings to get Firefox to work.

Revision history for this message
qe_too (c10ing) said : 		#6

To LCoe;

At the top of the Network Settings window is a box called "Locations".
Click on the down arrow and then click on "Create location". That's how I saved the setting.

Revision history for this message
Jimr (texcellence) said : 		#7

I've had this same issue with the ActionTec DSL modem. The built-in DHCP server in the ActionTec hands out the DNS addresses along with the rest of the IP config every time you start up. That's why the settings revert. The ActionTec defaults to using itself as the primary DNS server, using DNS pass-through from the real Qwest servers. This is the way DNS service works on a Windows 2000 Active Directory server as well. (The server hands out its own address as the primary DNS server.) I got the settings to stick by using a static IP address on the Ubuntu box that was outside the DHCP scope on the ActionTec. The default setting in the ActionTec for the DHCP scope is the first hundred addresses in the default class C subnet. (192.168.0.2 - 192.168.0.100, typically) I just picked an address above that, and did the static IP setup in the network control panel. So far, at least, the updates for Ubuntu have not seemed to fix this issue for me, but the workaround is functional.

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qe_too (c10ing) said : 		#8

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try setting the IP address to static.

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qe_too (c10ing) said : 		#9

Hi Jimr;

Many thanks. This really worked!!!!!
I set my static address to 192.168.0.101.
Now the network settings do not change with every boot-up.
I guess that proves it wasn't a problem with Ubuntu, but a problem unique to the ActionTec DSL modem.

Carl