Getting around DNS issues.

[jimbo13]

I'm having a site loading issue when using the worksite housing WiFi. It has always been unreliable and plagued with errors but the 4G device I am use has a datacap and I find myself often wanting to use the WiFi when I need to download.

So it's a portal hotspot, you click the TOS and your in.

Once connected the one group of websites that will load is the various blogs associated with Gizmodo, gmail and torrent connections work. I get a ping response from all websites but other than that no sites will load.

I'm fairly sure it's DNS errors on the providers end, (which I can't address there's 3 middlemen between me and anyone who is responsible for the infrastructure) My 4G works fine.

The ping and some site loading tells me I have connectivity, any ideas on fix or work around. I've tried using GoogleDNS with the same level of failure.

 

[COLGeek]

Is this problem isolated to a single system? Or, more than one?

Also, what company provides ISP services to the hotspot you are connecting to?

 

[techgeek]

A quick easy way to check if it's a DNS error is to manually specify DNS addresses. Assuming Windows of some variety, go into the adapter in question and modify the Internet Protocol Version 4. Select the Use the following DNS Server addresses: button and use 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google DNS servers). Then see if you still have issues reaching the sites you're having problems with.