[SOLVED] DNS Issues since moving home with Optimum delivered service

Dec 29, 2021
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Hi all

Have this super annoying issue which I have tried to work out with Optimum a few times and still the issue persists. I'cw had the tech team over and they are coming again on Monday plus multiple advanced support calls.

Basically my internet goes down so many times per day but it doesn;t fully go down it seems. If I am on a zoom call say that can still work. The issue is a DNS error that comes up when trying to access websites loads of times per day. This can last anythign from a few seconds to me needing to turn off my wifi on my computer and then turn it back on again, then it works. Very weird and I have no idea whats causing it. I am hoping someone here can help. This happens on multiple devices, phones, mac and PC.

I get this error:

This site cannot be reached
DNS address cannot be found

DNS_PROBE_STARTED or DNS_PROB_BAD_CONFIG
Happens all the time. Any idea what this is being caused by and what I can do?

I did runa windows diagnostic but all it says is the following:

The DNS server is not responding

Strange right?

Modem and Router model: Altice UBC1326 Its a com bined router and modem

4 wireless devices:

2 x Iphone
1 x mac pro
1 x windows surface pro 5

ipconfig /all results below

C:\WINDOWS\system32>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : VCS-MS-01
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : voicecharterschool.org
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : explore.explorecharterschool.org

Unknown adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : TAP-Windows Adapter V9
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-FF-44-24-15-0E
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 1:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : BE-83-85-F2-BF-17
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 11:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : BE-83-85-F2-BA-17
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Marvell AVASTAR Wireless-AC Network Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : BC-83-85-F2-BE-16
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::1af:b6a3:af66:f521%4(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.19(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, January 1, 2022 12:53:14 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, January 1, 2022 5:34:58 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 62686085
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-26-61-E8-E5-BC-83-85-F2-BE-16
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : BC-83-85-F2-BE-17
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
 
Last edited:
Solution
What you can try when it is broken is to

PING 8.8.8.8.

This is a google dns server

Then use the command

NSLOOKUP www.tomshardware.com 8.8.8.8

This will force your machine to use google to look the DNS up.

If it does not ping then you have a strange issue if zoom stays up.

The default DNS method is to use your router as a proxy to your ISP DNS Server. Both these tend to not be the most optimum. If the NSLOOKUP command works I would change the DNS setting in your IPV4 setting to be 8.8.8.8 and maybe 1.1.1.1 as secondary. Or you can use 1.1.1.1 as primary since cloudflare is also extremely stable.

Now if you don't want to change this on your pc you might be able to change the DHCP setup on your router so the router...
Update your post:

Make and model modem

Make and model router

(Or Make and model modem-router if combined?)

How many network devices: wired and wireless?

On your computer run "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt.

Post the results.

The router's logs (if available and enabled) may provide some clue. Who has full admin rights to the router? You will need help from that person.
 
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What you can try when it is broken is to

PING 8.8.8.8.

This is a google dns server

Then use the command

NSLOOKUP www.tomshardware.com 8.8.8.8

This will force your machine to use google to look the DNS up.

If it does not ping then you have a strange issue if zoom stays up.

The default DNS method is to use your router as a proxy to your ISP DNS Server. Both these tend to not be the most optimum. If the NSLOOKUP command works I would change the DNS setting in your IPV4 setting to be 8.8.8.8 and maybe 1.1.1.1 as secondary. Or you can use 1.1.1.1 as primary since cloudflare is also extremely stable.

Now if you don't want to change this on your pc you might be able to change the DHCP setup on your router so the router gives your pc those DNS addresses rather than give it the address of the router itself.

......as a added note disable the IPv6 support while you are in changing your nic settings. Not likely your problem but it causes all kinds of strange issues for some people and there is almost no need for it.
 
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Solution
Hey, I just wanted to chime in here quickly and first ask if you resolved it?
Also, I have been dealing with the same thing with a client. Optimum Altice internet. Daily, they get "DNS PROBE FINISHED NXDOMAIN " and blank white browser pages. Internet is still working because I can remote in and stay connected, just like your Zoom calls.
The answer seems to be Optimum is hijacking or playing games with DNS. And even though you specify the DNS servers, Optimum redirects traffic through their systems. What I did which seems to fix it is turn on "Dns over HTTPS" or DoH. That encrypts the DNS traffic with the http traffic so Opt cant mess with it. In your manual DNS settings, use 1.1.1.1 and 9.9.9.9 (there are others, just search encrypted dns servers). Once you enter one of a small number of encrypted dns servers that Windows recognizes, the dropdown menu to choose encrypted dns is available. Select that for both primary and secondary. That oughta do it.