FR DNS problems...

today | self

[general_re]

DNS lookups failing for FR here - no such host. Apparently I'm not the only one, judging from a glance at the Yahoo FR board. Dunno if it's my ISP (Verizon) or what, but I had to manually edit the hosts file to get here. Presumably, if you can post, you're not having this problem, but there are more than a few people who can't post right now because of it...

[MineralMan]

If you're working in Windows 98, the path given does not work. Create the host file, as described above, but just put it in the main Windows directory. That worked perfectly for me, after frustration using the other windows/system32/drivers/etc path.

Once I create the file in the main Windows directory, I had normal access, and was logged in, so I could post.

[lonevoice]

Bless your heart, gmbeahan! I found your localhosts fix on Yahoo and it works for me. I would've never known how to do that!

[general_re]

It shouldn't make much difference, to tell you the truth. All versions of Windows from at least 98 onwards cache successful DNS requests for one day. That is, once your computer successfully performs a DNS request, it saves that result and doesn't bother looking it up again for another 24 hours, no matter how many times you use that DNS information in the interim - and having it in the local cache is effectively identical to having it in the hosts file. So sticking it in the hosts file may speed up the first attempt at loading, particularly if your ISP's DNS server is overloaded and/or underpowered, but subsequent to that, it shouldn't make any difference at all.

[dep]

there has been some kind of truly dreadful storm in the cybersphere this morning -- knocked everything out here for several hours. i think today must have bene some kind of zombie trigger day. it's a wonder we can get through at all.

[Lady Jag]

Increased FR speed at this time may not be the Hosts File edit, but the fact that a lot of FReepers still haven't gotten back on yet.

[Junior]

I had a Free Republic main page from 9-14-2001 come up on my laptop yesterday while I was on the site. I couldn't figure out why so many people were responding to ancient posts, then it dawned on me what had happened.

[mhking]

OK, who forgot to feed the hamster?

[general_re]

Come to think of it, it does seem a bit snappier at the moment - that may very well be why ;)

[LibWhacker]

Oh, okay, cool. That settles it, thanks. I'll delete the entry as soon as this problem blows over. It is a neat trick, though.

Wonder if operating systems will ever mature to the point that we don't see constant revisions all the time? A person could become half-way proficient at one if he didn't have to slog his way through a couple of thousand pages of tech manuals every year to keep up, lol!

[Psycho_Bunny]

I'm in Seattle and the DNS is borked....I had to connect via FR's IP.

[steveegg]

Possible workarounds for Mac users (I won't guarantee anything as I'm a Windoze user)

Mac OS9 - http://www.modwest.com/help/kb8-52.html

Mac OSX (and possibly Linux/Unix) - http://peter.nyc.ny.us/docs/macosx.html

[steveegg]

Further update from JohnRob and the Yahoo liferaft -

Apparently at fault is a single incorrect phone number on the "Registrant" record. Of three methods of contact for each of four contact positions on the domain, GKG.net choose to disable the domain because of a single piece of incorrect information, just one of five distinct units of contact information. GKG.net made no apparent attempt to use any of the other (all valid) contacts to alert us before taking the drastic action they did. I'm very disappointed in GKG.net and this policy.

Furthermore, once a domain is locked for invalid information, it (or any other domains owned) may not be modified by the owner. An absurd practice.

[kingu]

That's an innane policy.. I'm desperately happy I didn't go with gkg.net for my domains if this is the sole reason.

[general_re]

That is perhaps the most intensely retarded policy I've seen in quite some time. Kudos, GKG!

[Psycho_Bunny]

Looks like DU is having orgasms.

Aren't the children over there a little young to be having orgasms?

[visualops]

I think that's pretty funny, considering many of us are here posting regardless.
Meanwhile, a mention on Rush and they go down like cement shoes lol

[Psycho_Bunny]

50 bucks says the people who didn't make the call are liberals.

[lonevoice]

Furthermore, once a domain is locked for invalid information, it (or any other domains owned) may not be modified by the owner. An absurd practice.

Yikes! That sounds like it could take some time to straighten out. Thanks for the update.

[CarolAnn]

"If you're working in Windows 98, the path given does not work. Create the host file, as described above, but just put it in the main Windows directory. That worked perfectly for me, after frustration using the other windows/system32/drivers/etc path. Once I create the file in the main Windows directory, I had normal access, and was logged in, so I could post."

This is what FINALLY worked for me. Thank you. Now I can have my FR fix.

[CarolAnn]

Hells bells! I just realized I'm going to have to repeat this on my laptop too. Ugh!