Comcast DNS issues?

gkainz

gkainz

Final Approach
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Feb 23, 2005
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Display name:
Greg Kainz
Any other comcast users out there impacted by what appears to be DNS problems with Comcast?
Lots of grumbling on the newsgroups and forums... I spent too long trying to resolve yet another no access problem at home this morning.

"Why is our internet access always down?" my wife asks.

"I dunno - ask the freakin' network admin! I'm just the damn database administrator!" I replied - ok, I wanted to reply...

I booted up the laptop and it connected via wireless just fine. I finally remembered I had it configured using Verizon's Name Servers 4.2.2.1, .2 or .3
 
Greg,

While working on security upgrades on my home network last night (actually about midnight) I did notice that connectivity to various sites was intermittent.

Len
 
If you can find an open DNS elsewhere, there is a way to configure your operating system to check it instead of Comcast.

A word of warning. A lot of sysadmins are closing or limiting DNS to users on their networks (and outside inquiries about hosts on their networks) due to criminals that launch worldwide denial of service attacks by using DNS inquiries (and amplifying the attacks by using multiple DNS hosts).

So if you choose this route, make sure it's an open DNS that you are allowed to use.
 
Some time ago Comcast started redirecting their users to their national DNS complexes through DHCP. There have been several occasions when those national DNS complexes either went down fell victim to DOS attacks. There have been times when all or almost all Comcast users could not get a response from those DNS complexes.

I am still using two of the Comcast regional DNS servers that are local to me in Michigan. I'll continue using those regional servers until they shut them down. When that happens I may just set up my own DNS.

The response times from the regional DNS servers are also much better than from the national DNS complexes.

Jeannie
 
I just got an email last night that said something along the lines of this:

While we officially changed to the national DNS system months ago, some customers have manually configuered their systems to use the local DNS servers. We are starting to pull down the local DNS servers. You may receive calls......(and so on, and so on, and so on).

That's my guess. If you manually configured it.
 
Found lots and lots of discussion ranging from disgusted to angry on some forums last night. I reconfigured to static DNS using some open name servers last night and name resolution is back... considerably faster than has been in the past weeks using Comcast's dynamic DNS.

Edit: Nick's right - deleted inappropriate comments re: tech support.
 
Last edited:
I know a couple of open DNS servers. They belong to high end ISP's so they are always up and can handle high traffic load. PM me if you're stuck and need DNS right away.

It wouldn't be best to use them as primary DNS tho as they are undoubtly farther away from you than your own ISP's servers - but in a pinch they help.
 
SkyHog said:
*attempts to bites tongue*

It was not an autoresponder, it was a person, using a template, and the advice located in the email probably gave you the steps to reconfigure the DNS to Comcast's new servers (relatively new, almost a year old in reality).

Perhaps a reread of the email would show that it does give info that would help solve the problem. Despite what people want to believe, support reps do want to help, in most cases. We don't take pleasure watching you squirm and then bash us to the public on a forum.
Click to expand...

Edited previous post and removed mean spirited comments regarding tech support
and had second cup of coffee...

Nick, I'm sorry - I didn't mean to make it sound personal. I've done help desk and
tech support in the past and I know it can be a thankless job.

I thought I was plain in saying I've been using dynamic DNS and it suddenly stopped
resolving...

Here's what I sent to tech support...
---------------------------------------
Beginning yesterday morning, we have experienced errors in DNS
resolution using "Obtain DNS server address automatically" from our
comcast account. Changing DNS to point to one of the open Name
Servers outside Comcast has resolved the problem.

This problem was experienced on Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows
NT, using ping to a number of different web addresses, including
www.comcast.net, which would not resolve. However, pinging IP
addresses within as well as outside of comcast domain answered
normally. Changing to static DNS allows pings by name to be resolved
normally.

I see on a number of discussion forums and newsgroups that this
appears to be a nationwide problem for comcast users. Can you advise
when this problem will be resolved and domain name resolution will be
stable again?
-------------------------------------------

The answer I got was an explanation of static name servers being decommissioned
and a detailed explanation of how to configure dynamic DNS. Further discussions
just caused more confusion.

Perhaps you know the status of comcast's dynamic name servers?
 
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So basically the conversation was:

"Hey dynamic DNS doesn't work, and I'm using static DNS to work around the problem. Can you tell me when dynamic DNS will be working again?"

And comcast replied, "Don't use static DNS because we're decommissioning it, here's the instructions for dynamic DNS".

But dynamic DNS isn't working...
 
Edited my post as well Greg, I haven't gone to sleep yet, so I'm touchy.

I misunderstood ya. I thought you were still using Comcast's Static DNS. The Dymanic DNS should be working (I'm using it now at home).

My suggestion would be to call Comcast's tech support line (I forgot the direct phone number now...its an 866 number tho). If you call 800-266-2278 you can request it through the irritating phone tree that Colorado's Comcast has set up. It could be something that the local office there is working on trying to solve. The switch from Static DNS to Dynamic DNS is probably causing problems everywhere (we had a fair share of them here too).

Unfortunately, I do not have access to the records in Colorado, otherwise I'd look to see if there's any known problems right now.
 
Yep! But, Nick's completely correct - there's no justification to being short, snippy or rude. I emailed an apology to the support tech and offer a public apology to Nick and other support techs here as well.

It's a fact of life that first level support techs are usually not very experienced in the technical aspects they're supporting, and use templates to respond to problems they receive. If first level support technicians were highly skilled techies, we could not afford to pay for the level of service they would provide.
 
True. One of the few things I like about the way Comcast runs things (outside of the email templates) is that they still give leeway to the first level techs that do know what they're doing. If they can fix a problem, they let them.

Other places, like AOL for example, require a script, and no deviation, regardless of whether or not the tech KNOWS that a solution will not fix the problem, they still gotta make the customer do it.

Funny story: AOL implemented "Auto-fixes" where we'd email a fix to the customer so that they could click a link and the fix would automatically do its thing.

One of the problems that had the autofix was the "step 5" fix, where, when connecting, AOL would hang at step 5, and they'd never get connected.

First step: Had to send the email and end the call, telling the customer to try it and call back if it didn't work.

Anyone see the problem there? They CAN'T CONNECT! How are they supposed to get the email? If the customer brought that up, it didn't matter. AOL functioned on "One call, one resolution" not "First call resolution," which meant that many times, customers would have to call many times to solve a simple problem.

I gotta get out of call centers.
 
No ding on legit tech support operations, but script-monkeys (like SBC/AT&T first-tier) are less than useless for all but the most basic problems, and those are the kinds of things for which I will never be calling techops (as we called it at TRW).

"My name is John, may I help you?"

>" John, where are you?"

"I am in Asia-Pacific." (Translated: India).
 
SCCutler said:
No ding on legit tech support operations, but script-monkeys (like SBC/AT&T first-tier) are less than useless for all but the most basic problems, and those are the kinds of things for which I will never be calling techops (as we called it at TRW).

"My name is John, may I help you?"

>" John, where are you?"

"I am in Asia-Pacific." (Translated: India).
Click to expand...

"Are using Windows or a Mac?"
"Yes."
"Sir, are you using Windows or Mac?"
"Which would you like? Neither works." (Being that the network link is down for both. Get it? )
"Are you using Windows or a Mac?"
"ARRRRGHHH! .....Windows! YES!! I HAVE REBOOTED!" :mad:
 
mikea said:
"Are using Windows or a Mac?"
"Yes."
"Sir, are you using Windows or Mac?"
"Which would you like? Neither works." (Being that the network link is down for both. Get it? )
"Are you using Windows or a Mac?"
"ARRRRGHHH! .....Windows! YES!! I HAVE REBOOTED!" :mad:
Click to expand...

Oh, Mike, it was even worse when I had to call to get SBC Internet to resolve a problem with the RBACK3 hub.

"Are you using Windows or Mac?"
"No, I'm running a Unix Server"
"I'm sorry we can only help you with a Windows or Mac"
"I have a pool of static addresses, and none of them work"
"I'm sorry we can only help you if you install our software on windows or mac"
"Let me talk to a supervisor"
<supervisor"
"Are you running windows or mac"
"I am running Unix, and I do have a window machine. Nothing works, cannot PING out"
"well, I need you to turn on the windows machine, install our software (ed note: this butchers the windows network settings)"
"the problem is not in my computer, it's in the network. I have a static pool for my business servers"
"I'm sorry we can't help you".
"you're selling me the service, but it's not provided. Do you have network tech help you can refer me to"
"No"
"OK, do I need to go to the corporate rep for the Fortune 500 company I work for, or will you give me the number for network tech engineers?"
"Well, sir, you might try SBIS at this number: xxx-xxx-xxxx".
"Thank you".

I understand that the option to go to the network techs doesn't exist since the partnership with Yahoo.

grrrr....
 
wsuffa said:
Oh, Mike, it was even worse when I had to call to get SBC Internet to resolve a problem with the RBACK3 hub....

I understand that the option to go to the network techs doesn't exist since the partnership with Yahoo.

grrrr....
Click to expand...

I'm amazed that they didn't give you a separate first number with a commercial account.

Bill, next time PM me. You can get to the real, actual Americans. I have the secret decoder ring. You can call direct to AIS (the Internet guys) but they can't talk to you until you get a ticket number... soooo... you stay with "Julia" in Bangalore just long enough to get a ticket number then call St. Louis...

Just tell "Julia" whatever to get the ticket number.

There's a Dilbert where he's laying on the couch with the phone to his ear going "OK, I rebooted. That didn't work either...."

On the other hand, imagine how many calls they get from mere mortals with spyware infested Windows PCs.
 
mikea said:
I'm amazed that they didn't give you a separate first number with a commercial account.

Bill, next time PM me. You can get to the real, actual Americans. I have the secret decoder ring. You can call direct to AIS (the Internet guys) but they can't talk to you until you get a ticket number... soooo... you stay with "Julia" in Bangalore just long enough to get a ticket number then call St. Louis...

Just tell "Julia" whatever to get the ticket number.

There's a Dilbert where he's laying on the couch with the phone to his ear going "OK, I rebooted. That didn't work either...."

On the other hand, imagine how many calls they get from mere mortals with spyware infested Windows PCs.
Click to expand...

OK, Mike, thanks!

The thing that baffled the heck out of me is that RBACK3 serves my neighborhood. And guess who lives two blocks away from me? Ed Whitacre.

Of course, Banglore doesn't have a clue. I suspect many of the techs didn't get that either.
 
My favorite from Direcway (now HughesNet) is "check the part number of your satellite modem power supply".

Like I went out and found a substandard power supply with their proprietary plug connection, threw the OEM power supply away and slapped in the substitute....

[shuffles away mumbling to himself...]
 
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