How-To Stabilise your DNS addresses

[bayvista]

To Mischal

Have a look at www.opendns.com. This solved some of my problems.

David

[StanMeis]

This is my first day using Linux and the first issue I ran into was my DNS changing back to system defaults. I followed your well written tutorial and managed to locate the file. When I attempted to change dhclient.conf it wouldn't allow me to as it's a "read only" file. I manged to find the file properties but it would not allow me to uncheck read only saying something to the effect that I didn't create the original file. Next I attempted to replace it doing a "save as" and was blocked in that attempt as well. Any suggestions? This PC is going to be for my wife and she isn't going to want to change the DNS everytime she goes online.

Changing the DNS in most OS's should be a two minute job, not two hours of research and frustration. Please tell me that it gets easier. Any fixes to revise the read only file would be greatly appreciated. The answer I need is posted here but I'm unable to make the changes.

[mssever]

This is my first day using Linux and the first issue I ran into was my DNS changing back to system defaults. I followed your well written tutorial and managed to locate the file. When I attempted to change dhclient.conf it wouldn't allow me to as it's a "read only" file. I manged to find the file properties but it would not allow me to uncheck read only saying something to the effect that I didn't create the original file. Next I attempted to replace it doing a "save as" and was blocked in that attempt as well. Any suggestions? This PC is going to be for my wife and she isn't going to want to change the DNS everytime she goes online.

Changing the DNS in most OS's should be a two minute job, not two hours of research and frustration. Please tell me that it gets easier. Any fixes to revise the read only file would be greatly appreciated. The answer I need is posted here but I'm unable to make the changes.

Sounds like you've run afoul of Linux permissions. You have have superuser (root) priviledges to edit system files. This can be frustrating at first, but it Linux's permissions system is a great security feeature. The simplest fix is to hit Alt+F2 and type

gksudo nautilus

and use that window to navigate and open files.

A better practice IMHO is to only use superuser privileges when you need them and to type

sudo nano filename

into a terminal window.

BTW: sudo is the program that gives you superuser priviledges for a particular program. Use gksudo for graphical apps and sudo for command line or terminal-based apps.

[StanMeis]

Thanks. This is the same thing my son-in-law and the tech guy at work told me today.

[Mishal]

To Mischal

Have a look at www.opendns.com. This solved some of my problems.

David

Thanks David but I already went through that site before posting here. That site does not provide instructions for my particular router - Siemens Speedstream 6520 and hence I can't seem to find WHERE I need to change my DNS settings.

Someone please help.

[bayvista]

You usually don't need to change anything in the Router. The DNS addresses are usually set to zero so that the operating system can set them.

To get my Ubuntu 6.06 working properly, I followed the Linux/Unix instructions on this website and added the DNS address of my ISP. If you don't know this, add the Open DNS addresses to dhclient.conf.

What happened to me was my D-Link ADSL router packed up and I replaced it with a router and separate ADSL modem. This did not bother Windows, but Ubuntu would not access the Internet. After much struggling, I eventually worked out the above solution which works for me.

David

[Andos]

handy - i just thought i'd say thank you very much.... your tip worked great for me. I can finally use Ubuntu properly now :d

[StanMeis]

A quick PS to let everyone know what happened when I tried the suggestions noted in this thread. It did not work for me and I got an answer to the problem that I wanted to share with everyone on this group from an unlikely place. One of the riders on my vanpool runs a home network with Ubuntu and had this same problem. His internet access is via a DSL modem and he's got a router with four ports that his home computers are connected to.

This is what he told me. Go into your router (via your browser with the user and password you assigned when you set it up) and change the DNS numbers. The next time Ubuntu boots up it will see the DNS numbers entered in your router at startup. I did this and when I booted up and went into System/Administration/Networking the DNS problem was corrected.

This fix should work for anybody who is running a DSL modem connected to a router. Hope this helps those of you who are using this type of configuration.

[ilcarlos]

It works,
I couldn't browse before but this really help me, and was so simple

If you can't access the web through Firefox, though you know you have an internet connection via your modem/router try the following:

Enter about:config in Firefox's address field.

Enter ipv6 in the new Filter: field.

Double click on the line left in the display window to change it's boolean value to true.

Restart Firefox.

& that should be that...

Thank you

[handy]

I haven't been very active on the forum's lately & have neglected this thread, sorry about that.

I'm glad that it has been of some help to some users. Thanks for any & all feedback...

I have made some minor changes re the DNS stuff in the how-to, due to your informative feedback.

The Siemens Speedstream 4200 modem/router that Telstra Bigpond in Australia supplies doesn't come supplied with access info', I don't know if Optus Aust' is more helpful when they distribute it or not?

Following is the current access data for Australian subscribers to Bigpond & Optus, who were supplied with the Speedstream 4200 when they opened their account. The standard access info' is listed too for those that may need it:

IP Address:

10.0.0.138 (Bigpond-supplied)

10.1.1.1 (OptusNet-supplied)

192.168.254.254 (Standard Firmware)

Username & Password:

Default username: = admin

Bigpond-supplied password: = admin

OptusNet-supplied password: = (no password is used)

So if you are not a bigpond user try without a password, if that fails then try admin, if that fails?

Also, those supplied with these modem/routers by Telstra's Bigpond ISP, you have had the VoIP Port 5060 blocked! You can remedy this by using non-customised firmware the details are comprehensively layed out here:

http://whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=570249