can ping DNS but can't ping gateway

[jsmith200]

I can ping DNS (received = 4, lost = 0) but cannot ping gateway (request timed out, received =0, lost = 4).

If I do a traceroute to www.cnn.com, the first stop is my router, then another IP, followed by 7 request timed out, then the destination. It never goes through the gateway.

If I ping the second IP shown in the traceroute (the one after my router), I get received =0, lost = 4.

Two questions, answers appreciated:

1. why can't I ping gateway?
2. why can't ping an IP in a traceroute list? If the IP shows up in the traceroute list, doesn't it mean my computer can reach it?

 

[COLGeek]

Your router is typically your gateway. Please post a picture/screen capture of what you are seeing.

 

[COLGeek]

MERGED QUESTION
Question from jsmith200 : "can ping www.cnn.com but can't find the server"

This is another weird problem. I'm having problem with my internet connection. As a test, I tried to reach www.cnn.com. Several trials all resulted in "server not found". I then opened a cmd window. While the browser was looking for cnn, I ping www.cnn.com. The results ranged from 25% loss to 100% loss. The browser eventually gave "server not found" error. However, few minutes later, I was able to connect to cnn.

I suspect my ISP oversells the bandwidth. Could this be the culprit? As a side note, I have severe internet connection problem during 8 to 9 am.

it could be the DNS servers are overrun. try changing the DNS settings to googles or openDNS servers and see.
when you ping www.cnn.com it pings the actual IP address, if you manually input the IP address of CNN into the browser can you get through?

When you get packet loss the browser tells you all kinds of lies. A web server is actually made up of many URL and IP addresses so you can get messages like that when parts of the site fail.

The ping test is a much better test of the problem. It shows you are getting packet loss. The next step is where the loss happens. It is very different if it is only to one server or group of servers compared to loss to all location.

Your next step is to run a tracert to some ip. I commonly use 8.8.8.8 because it is a google DNS that is duplicated in many cities so it tends to be very close network wise. You can use CNN but check others also.

You would then ping the various hops in the trace. The most common failures are in the first 2 hops. The first hop is your router. The second is the connection between the ISP and your house...most times unless you have mulitple routers etc.

Your goal is to find the first hop that you get loss in. The farther into the trace you go the harder it is to solve because it can be in another ISP. The most common is you will get no loss at all to your router but you will get loss in hop 2 and all farther nodes. This means your ISP needs to fix the connection to your house.

 

[failboat]

ping is something that can be disabled. same with traceroute.

 

[jsmithepa]

You have more than 1 path to the Internet.

You have somehow turn off ICMP at the gateway box.

 

[jsmith200]

Your router is typically your gateway. Please post a picture/screen capture of what you are seeing.

I didn't do that in the first place because there are rules saying not to post IP. Not sure if that applies to this case. I just tried to play safe.

 

[jsmith200]

Thanks for all the help.

I found other problems with the router. So, I ended up buying a new router. The new router doesn't have the problems I described above.