strange problem browsing

J

jeffmoss26

2[H]4U
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Aug 1, 2002
Messages
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Got a helpdesk ticket yesterday that has me baffled!
The user was complaining of internet issues. He can browse certain sites but not google or yahoo. I've run multiple scans of AVG and MalwareBytes and have come up clean.
Checked IP and DNS settings and all seems fine. I've got to be missing 'something' here.
Everyone else can browse just fine. When I log on to that PC I get the same issues, so it's not confined to that user account (that I know)

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
hosts file, proxy settings, winsock state.

If that doesn't work.... nuke it from orbit before the tribbles spread!
 
Can you do "pathping google.com" or "pathping yahoo.com" and post results? Also, try by IP address.

I'm curious to know what web browser you're using. I've seen IE8/9 have issues with their Manage Add-ons (Search Providers).

Also, flushing the DNS resolver might help (ipconfig /flushdns).
 
Computer is running IE8. Did a DNS flush with no result.
Pathping results:
C:\Documents and Settings\jmoss>pathping google.com

Tracing route to google.com [87.125.87.103]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
2 65.in-addr.hurricanelabs.com [69.17.9.65]
3 h-69-3-207-37.sfldmidn.static.covad.net [69.3.207.37]
4 192.168.7.93
5 ip65-46-184-41.z184-46-65.customer.algx.net [65.46.184.41] reports: Destin
ation host unreachable.

C:\Documents and Settings\jmoss>pathping 74.125.73.105

Tracing route to tul01m01-in-f105.1e100.net [74.125.73.105]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
2 65.in-addr.hurricanelabs.com [69.17.9.65]
3 h-69-3-207-37.sfldmidn.static.covad.net [69.3.207.37]
4 192.168.7.37
5 67.100.36.210-ge3.6-chcg-osr2-chicago.covad.com [67.100.36.210]
6 206.223.119.21
7 72.14.236.176
8 72.14.237.108
9 209.85.241.22
10 209.85.253.172
11 216.239.46.59
12 72.14.232.45
13 tul01m01-in-f105.1e100.net [74.125.73.105]

When I put the IP of Google into the IE address bar, it works...
 
You mean, the IPv4 address works for Google...

Can you verify that the TCP/IP properties have IPv6 and IPv4 are enabled?

Seems like a DNS issue though. Like, the DNS server doesn't have a AAAA record for Google or Yahoo, or something. Maybe they are having issues.

Can you just add a preferred DNS server like 4.2.2.1 or 4.2.2.2 for IPv4, flush DNS resolver again, and test google.com?
 
It's an XP box so nothing for IPv6.
Changed from our DNS servers internally to 4.2.2.2, flushed DNS, and could go to google.com

Now I am more confused! LOL
 
No, Windows XP supports IPv6, I believe. This is after SP1 or greater is applied. However, you can't turn it off like you can in Windows Vista or 7.

Since you pretty much specified where to get the responses for the user's DNS queries, you have determined that the issue is NOT with the client, but with the DNS servers. I'm surprised other end users aren't having the same issue.

Is this user part of a domain? Maybe you can do "gpupdate /force" on the machine, restart, and then do "nslookup" to see what DNS server it gets. If the problem comes back, then you should forward this helpdesk ticket to your system administrators group, or whoever handles DNS.
 
I did not think to do a gpupdate. I will give that a shot and reboot after putting our DNS addresses back in. The IT department is just my boss and I, so we can take a look at the DNS server as well.
 
How many DNS servers do you have? Check the DNS forwarders. The problem is probably with the ISP's DNS servers you have in there, so you should give them a call and give them that pathping sample (tracert + ping = pathping) for more info. Maybe they already know of the problem...

Hopefully, you don't have like an abandoned DNS server that this end user just happened to connect to...I've seen that happen in larger entities. Since you say it is just you and your boss, then you might not have this problem...
 
We have 2 DNS servers. All our workstations are static IP with the IP of the DNS servers put in.
I can also try changing the IP on this computer itself.
 
Go verify that the other end users are having the same issue or not. Not sure how many computers go through your DNS servers...

Have a word with your boss about what you found. This should be enough info to go forward with a fix.
 
We're checking the DNS servers now. Thanks for the help. I will post back with a (hopeful) resolution.
Nobody else has mentioned any issues, hopefully they are working and not surfing the web. HA!
 
Well now 4.2.2.2 does not work to get to google or yahoo search.
I'm convinced this is an isolated issue to this PC only. Is there a way to reload the windows networking components without reformatting?
 
netsh winsock catalog reset

netsh interface ip reset

Those two commands will reset the winsock catalog, and the IP stack.

Did you already verify that other users are not having the same problem? What's the "tracert" or "pathping" result now when you add 4.2.2.2 on that machine. Is this workstation on the same network as every other user, or is it logically separated by a VLAN or network segment?
 
Did not have a chance to look at it more yesterday. However, the guy who uses the computer is back today. With all the settings back as they were originally, he can get to google again.
Consider me baffled! LOL
 
I had a customer who got some wacky malware on their PC which caused similar problems. Everything worked but google and yahoo. ping was OK, just not actual web browsing. The user wasn't a local admin, so all it did was break something in their profile. Logging on to the same PC as a new user fixed it. We nuked their profile, created a new one, and they were working again.
 
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