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[Zoe]

Hi Eric 


Know It's To Soon To Get Excited   
But if it does turn out that I'm OK now I'm using OpenDNS ...
Do you think there is a possibility that my problems were anything to do with what you posted here : http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,7180.0.html

Thanks!

Zoe

[roseway]

You're probably right not to get too excited just yet.   I don't think that your basic problem is to do with DNS, although it's quite possible that it contributed. There are critics of OpenDNS, but it should serve you OK, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's more reliable than AOL's DNS servers.

[Zoe]

Hi Eric  

There are critics of OpenDNS, but it should serve you OK, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's more reliable than AOL's DNS servers.

What do the critics say about OpenDNS?  

Think what made me decide to give the OpenDNS servers a try...
1) The amount of times I was seeing Page Not Found / Server Not Found messages. ( Even when Internet and web pages were loading fast )
2) The fact that since my new contract started with AOL - I knew they were connecting me to different DNS servers ( Old Started... 92 | New Started... 62 )
3) The way Talk Talk staff are giving out the OpenDNS server numbers as though they know something.

Oh Well!  
Lets see how things go today  


Thanks!

Zoe

[roseway]

What do the critics say about OpenDNS? 

Only that, if you enter a URL which doesn't exist, it directs you to its own advertising pages instead of returning a 404 error (page not found) which is what DNS servers are supposed to do. It's only a mild irritation.

[Zoe]

Hi Eric  


I'll just be careful when I'm typing URL's Then  

As long as I'm not at risk of Virus's, Spyware or any other type of Malware... I'm Happy!  

Just in case things don't work out with OpenDNS
You know I said that when I was on my old AOL contract - DNS Servers in my router always started 92
And once I'd started the new AOL contract - DNS Servers always started 62
Could I not just connect myself back up to the old ones starting 92  
You Know! .. Just like I have done with OpenDNS .. Putting the server numbers in my router?

Also!
Are there rules what DNS Servers we can use?
I know anyone can use OpenDNS
But say your ISP is AOL ... Could I use BE's DNS Servers?
I'm pretty sure you're going to say NO  
But just in case... Thought I'd ask!

One More Question!
Is using the OpenDNS servers likely to have an impact on my speed?
Have noticed a slight drop in Sync speed and Speedtest speed today.
Then Again...
That could just be coz my router has been on and off so often in the last few days.
What With...
Constant Disconnections - & - Often being forced to reboot my router to get the Internet going again... Could Have Slowed Things Down!  
Last Reboot of router was last night when I put OpenDNS in to it.


Thanks!

Zoe

[roseway]

Just in case things don't work out with OpenDNS
You know I said that when I was on my old AOL contract - DNS Servers in my router always started 92
And once I'd started the new AOL contract - DNS Servers always started 62
Could I not just connect myself back up to the old ones starting 92  Undecided
You Know! .. Just like I have done with OpenDNS .. Putting the server numbers in my router?

Very probably, although it's just possible that AOL tie it down so you can't.

Also!
Are there rules what DNS Servers we can use?
I know anyone can use OpenDNS
But say your ISP is AOL ... Could I use BE's DNS Servers?
I'm pretty sure you're going to say NO  noo
But just in case... Thought I'd ask!

There aren't any general rules, so in principle you can use any publicly available DNS servers (there are lots of them). But many ISPs set their servers up so that only their own customers can use them. I would guess that Be do that, but I don't know for sure.

One More Question!
Is using the OpenDNS servers likely to have an impact on my speed?
Have noticed a slight drop in Sync speed and Speedtest speed today.
Then Again...
That could just be coz my router has been on and off so often in the last few days.
What With...
Constant Disconnections - & - Often being forced to reboot my router to get the Internet going again... Could Have Slowed Things Down!  Sad
Last Reboot of router was last night when I put OpenDNS in to it.

DNS servers don't affect your connection speed or or your file download speed. What they can affect is the time to load web pages, particularly complicated web pages which involve many separate DNS lookups. But I would be surprised if OpenDNS were slow in this respect. It's generally reckoned to be pretty fast.

As you're on LLU I don't think that the disconnections and reboots will have slowed down your connection. It's probably just one of those things - interference levels change all the time, and if you happen to reconnect when interference is high then you'll get a somewhat slower connection. The next time you re-boot the router, have a look at the connection stats straight afterwards and check the downstream noise margin. If it's significantly greater than 6 dB, then AOL's system may have increased it to stabilise the connection.

[Zoe]

Hi Eric 


Re: Speed of web pages Loading
Things seem to be speeding up this afternoon.
Call Me Crazy!    But it's as thought the OpenDNS servers are settling in.
Or Maybe...
It's just that things are speeding up coz I havn't had any disconnections. ( Fingers Crossed! .. It Stays That Way! )

Re: Router Stats
I've noticed that when I've had many disconnections and I end up forced to reboot the router... Down Noise Margin 12
The noise margin then slowly drops down over a period of 24 hours to something like... 9 - or - 8
By which time the Internet is usually completely unusable again 

Know I'm with AOL not Talk Talk.
But the two do have quite a strong connection with each other.
And I'm not joking when I say that the Talk Talk forum seems to be completely flooded with people having the same problems as me 
And something else I noticed...
One man posted a picture with his Talk Talk DNS Server numbers on it.
They Started... 62.24
The same as the new AOL DNS Servers start 


Thanks!

Zoe

[roseway]

TT and AOL are part of the same company, so it's quite likely that they will share resources such as DNS servers, and that their customers will have the same problems.

If your router initially syncs with a downstream noise margin of 12 dB, that means that the AOL system has increased it in response to the instability you've been having. That's a normal result, and there would be no point in getting it reduced again until the problem of disconnections is resolved. Could you take a snapshot of the Routerstats noise margin graph covering the period up when the connection becomes unusable and you have to reboot?

I see that you have a DGND3300, and I understand why you want to keep it. There was a new firmware release for it recently, so it would probably be worth upgrading the firmware to the latest version if you haven't already. You can do this from its web interface I believe.

[Zoe]

Hi Eric  

Well everything has been going great today... Until a few minutes ago


Internet Went Again!  
Didn't see the router light go red. But it's possible that I just missed it.

I've took a couple of snaps from my router - See Below!
Note!
This is the first day since my new contract with AOL started that my Routers Log hasn't been completely full of what you see below.
So this was the first cut off of the day.
Just hope it's the last  

Thanks!

Zoe

Edit: Can see from the log that there was one a 14:26 ( Didn't notice it on computers though )



[attachment deleted by admin]

[Zoe]

Hi Eric 


Just Done a Speed Test...



Not as fast as it should be.
But seems to have picked up anyway 

Thanks!

Zoe

[Zoe]

Hi Eric 


Re: Router Firmware
The thought of upgrading my Routers Firmware scares the hell out of me.
If something was to go wrong... Just couldn't afford to replace my router right now 
Plus!
Up until the day I got my new contract with AOL ... My Netgear DGND3300 had always been a little Gem.

I'm going to see if things settle down.
And If Not... I'm going to try the AOL supplied D-Link   
Guess I should explain!
I'm in a wheelchair. So I find getting all wired up to a router, to set it up etc.. quite hard work.
It is much easier for me now that I have a laptop. ( Used to be my worst nightmare when we only had the desktop )
But with the router living in the hall right next to the front door... It's still a bit tricky!

Thanks!

Zoe

[Zoe]

Hi  


Went down again about 30 minutes ago 


My laptop was first turned on at about 11am this morning.
Everything was going great.
And Then...
First cut off of the day came at 2:26pm ( Not Noticed! )
Another at 4:54pm
And another about 30 minutes ago - approx 7:15pm


Seems to be quite a few people from Liverpool with my problem : http://www.talktalkmembers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41457
Liverpool isn't that far from me 

Thanks!

Zoe

[stevie]

Hi Zoe (I promise I won`t tell them your real name "Edna"    )

Great bunch on here.

I cannot help with your problems, but would suggest trying the ISP supplied router,  it really wouldn`t hurt & might improve things or disprove things.

Diagnosis of any fault whether its adsl or electrical faults can be very frustrating at times & unless its an obvious fault it requires a step by step & very boring strategy, try, wait, wait, wait, try something else, wait, wait etc, etc

Edna, I`ll go hide now sweetie....

Very kind regards.

Steve

[Zoe]

Hi stevie  

I know I'll have to give the D-Link a try.
Think it's reading the Talk Talk forum that is putting me off  
Some of the things those poor people have been put through. ( Jumping through Hoops ) ( Hoops of fire more like )  
In some cases they've tried 3 different routers - & - Still got the same problem as me.
And one of the routers they keep trying : http://tinyurl.com/dy4v4m
Yep! .. The D-Link that AOL sent me.
Looks like AOL and Talk Talk have an awful lot in common.
Including what Routers they send out.  


Night Night!    Stevie  

Love... Edna  

[stevie]

Zoe

It might or could be better to go all the way back & start from the begining & set up everything from scratch...

Not ideal, but at least if you do things step by step from scratch it`ll allow the good guys & Gals to assist you at each step.

I doubt AOL/TT will be able to dispute those on here?   

Night "_"

Steve