Incorrect DNS nameserver

[aschepler]

Running Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS.

On the local ethernet is a DSL modem/router which acts as a DHCP server and DNS server. It recently worked just fine. I somewhat frequently update the Ubuntu packages, but I may have also switched some setting on the modem a while back. The modem IP is 192.168.1.1, on a 192.168.1.* network.

When I boot up the Ubuntu box, the ethernet interface appears to be properly configured:

$ ifconfig eth0
...
inet addr:192.168.1.47  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0

But the resolvconf DNS information is bad:

$ ls -l /etc/resolv.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 29 Sep  7 22:17 /etc/resolv.conf -> ../run/resolvconf/resolv.conf
$ cat /etc/resolv.conf 
# Dynamic resolv.conf(5) file for glibc resolver(3) generated by resolvconf(8)
#     DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN
nameserver 127.0.0.1
search homelinux.net

Using lo as a DNS server doesn't work at all. I ought to be using the modem 192.168.1.1 instead.

(I've been able to work around this one boot at a time by manually running "cat bettersettings > sudo resolvconf -a NetworkManager".)

I tried adding "supersede domain-name-servers 192.168.1.1;" in /etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf , but after reboot there was no apparent effect and I'm still getting only "nameserver 127.0.0.1".

Somebody on irc.freenode.net #ubuntu suggested putting a nameserver line in /etc/resolvconf/resolv.conf.d/base (which was previously empty). So I tried that, but again no apparent effect.

Any other ideas? If nothing else, I could try to add a local upstart step that fiddles resolvconf right after eth0 comes up, but I'm hoping for something simpler that makes more sense.

[dpurgert]

you can try editing your /etc/network/interfaces to include this:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp
dns-nameservers 208.67.222.222 208.67.220.220

then save, and restart the system (there's probably a better way, but I've not found a clean one).

Now, I'm using the openDNS nameservers because I can't stand my ISP's 404 redirect page, and they're not nice with "seriously, lemme shut it off!"

[aschepler]

That did the trick. Thanks.

[jdthood]

You can try editing your /etc/network/interfaces to include this:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp
dns-nameservers 208.67.222.222 208.67.220.220

then save, and restart the system (there's probably a better way, but I've not found a clean one).

A way to activate this change without rebooting is to do "ifdown eth0 ; ifup eth0".

[jdthood]

But the resolvconf DNS information is bad:

$ ls -l /etc/resolv.conf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 29 Sep  7 22:17 /etc/resolv.conf -> ../run/resolvconf/resolv.conf
$ cat /etc/resolv.conf 
# Dynamic resolv.conf(5) file for glibc resolver(3) generated by resolvconf(8)
#     DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN
nameserver 127.0.0.1
search homelinux.net

Using lo as a DNS server doesn't work at all. I ought to be using the modem 192.168.1.1 instead.

Your /etc/resolv.conf appears to be correct: it directs the glibc resolver to connect to a locally running, forwarding nameserver that listens on the loopback IP address 127.0.0.1.

(I've been able to work around this one boot at a time by manually running "cat bettersettings > sudo resolvconf -a NetworkManager".)

That should be "cat bettersettings | sudo resolvconf -a NetworkManager".

I tried adding "supersede domain-name-servers 192.168.1.1;" in /etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf , but after reboot there was no apparent effect and I'm still getting only "nameserver 127.0.0.1".

That was the wrong approach. Make sure you have reverted all your experimental changes.

Somebody on irc.freenode.net #ubuntu suggested putting a nameserver line in /etc/resolvconf/resolv.conf.d/base (which was previously empty). So I tried that, but again no apparent effect.

There is lots of bad advice out there on the 'net. It is almost never correct to put "nameserver" lines into files in /etc/resolvconf/resolv.conf.d/. Make sure you revert those changes too.

You say that adding a stanza to /etc/network/interfaces fixed the problem. Were you using NetworkManager to configure the interface previously? If so then you should know that there is also a way to tell NetworkManager about static nameserver addresses.