Cannot find server or DNS Error

[Canuck Jan]

Am trying to help a friend in Tennesee who is a much needed manager on several cancer lists. She has been unable to send or receive e mail from home for several days receiving this message on Internet Explorer:
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The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings.

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Please try the following:
Click the Refresh button, or try again later.

If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly.

To check your connection settings, click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options. On the Connections tab, click Settings. The settings should match those provided by your local area network (LAN) administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).
See if your Internet connection settings are being detected. You can set Microsoft Windows to examine your network and automatically discover network connection settings (if your network administrator has enabled this setting).
Click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options.
On the Connections tab, click LAN Settings.
Select Automatically detect settings, and then click OK.
Some sites require 128-bit connection security. Click the Help menu and then click About Internet Explorer to determine what strength security you have installed.
If you are trying to reach a secure site, make sure your Security settings can support it. Click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options. On the Advanced tab, scroll to the Security section and check settings for SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0, PCT 1.0.
Click the Back button to try another link.


Cannot find server or DNS Error
Internet Explorer

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If someone can give us some clear instructions on what might be the most likely cause, it would be much appreciated by many!

Canuck Jan

[bitman]

Has she tried a simple 'Ping' test to determine if the problem is just with IE or at a deeper level such as DNS? Open a DOS command window and type commands such as the following at the C:\ command prompt:

Ping Novell.com
Ping Google.com

These two should both reply with something looking similar to this, though the times will vary:

Pinging google.com [72.14.207.99] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 72.14.207.99: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=240
Reply from 72.14.207.99: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=240
Reply from 72.14.207.99: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=241
Reply from 72.14.207.99: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=240

Ping statistics for 72.14.207.99:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 34ms, Maximum = 35ms, Average = 34ms

If it hangs and eventually times out with no numeric address given and 'Unknown host', it's unable to get a DNS response. If it gets the address, but the pings fail with 'Request timed out', it can't reach the remote network.

If the above works, then the problem is at a higher level with IE itself and it's access to the networking below. Let us know results.

Does she already have Spybot S&D or HijackThis installed or a way to install it and move the Scan Results to another PC (floppy, CD, flash drive) to post?

Has she contacted her ISP as mentioned in the message she got to ask them for help? They know their networking configuration far better then we would, and we'd probably end up asking a dozen questions just to get to that point.

[Canuck Jan]

Hello Bitman:

Thank you so much for these suggestions; it will be a few days before I can reach her at work in order to pass on instructions; will get back to you when I have some more information and results of 'ping' test.

I have experienced similar problems when DSL lines not working, but being networked had only to reset the router. She is stand alone, and this has been ongoing for many days. Hope between us we can get her up and running again!

CJ

[bitman]

She really should be better off talking to her ISP first, though I won't say she will be, since some ISP's technical support isn't very good. This is especially true since there'll be delays and possible communications issues with us trying to troubleshoot back and forth. If she hasn't, have her try that first.

Otherwise, we need to know what she believes happened that might have caused this. Any change such as sudden pop-ups or an obvious update of her ISP or other software just before it falied would be suspect.

Her ISP would need the same info, so if they fail we can start from where they left off knowing whatever was already tried, so have her keep track.

[endlessthinker]

just download http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html

winsock fix. This will restore the original settings to ure dns, sometimes when you remove some bad spyware this happends because the spyware lached onto layers of your lsp.

p.s. when i saw this msg i signed up immediately for this forum, because i've experienced the same problem.

[Canuck Jan]

Well the time lag thwarted us - Didn't get to try the ping - she reset XP to a former system date and is back on the lists. Oh well the intentions were good, and whatever caused the problem may still be lurking. I will Keep all the suggestions. Thanks to All!

CJ

[bitman]

Actually, that was a totally appropriate thing to try. It's possible that whatever happened will occur again, but at least she's connected for now.

Since whatever caused the problem probably occured after the 'good' system date she just restored, she hopefully either cleaned out the original issue or won't repeat whatever caused it in the first place.

Good luck!
Bitman