Comcast DNS Server Went Down Yesterday - What to Do...

[MineralMan]

Sunday night, around 7, the Comcast DNS server that handles much of upper midwestern traffic went down. My wife and I had just come home from her mothers house in the Twin Cities, and the Internet was dead as a doornail. I figured it was just one of the usual loss of service moments I've come to expect from Comcast. This time, though, as happened in the northeastern part of the country a short time ago, it was more serious. With the DNS server down, lots of people were frustrated, and jammed the Comcast support lines. They got the thing working again about 1 AM, so things were OK this morning, but not for several hours.

I switched over to the free Google DNS server and went on with my evening Internetting. It's an important thing to know how to do. Here's a brief article that will show you the way. Too much reliance on a mega service provider isn't a good thing. Everyone should have some backup ideas:

http://www.journalstandard.com/joe/x1996688811/Work-your-way-around-a-Comcast-DNS-outage

That article is about OpenDNS. If you want to use Google's DNS server, as I did, you can find instructions on setting it up here. Google's DNS server works just fine, by the way:

http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using.html

Don't be a slave to your internet provider's DNS server. Go to one of these places and print out the instructions so you can quickly switch over when your provider's DNS server takes a dump on your Internet Activities.

Note: Comcast still isn't saying exactly what happened. Phooey on them!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Didn't that just suck?

It must have been bad; when I tried to call Comcast (assuming at first that it was just my connection or a small local outage) all I got was a busy signal. Had to fall back on my iPhone. I didn't know about the DNS thing until today. I still don't quite understand how that works, but I will keep this information for future reference, in case Comcast pukes again.

[MineralMan]

2. Better go to that second link and print out the instructions.

When it happens again, you won't be able to get to that page. Google's DNS server won't give you as fast a connection to your favorite bookmarks, but it's great for an emergency.

[madrchsod]

3. second time this has happened in the last few months.,,,

the last time was almost two days. read about google this morning and i`m switching servers

[MineralMan]

4. Yeah, well, I think the server for Minnesota has been glitching

off and on for some time.

8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

Those are the two IP addresses for the Google servers. I suspect that Google is tracking your web destinations by IP address on their DNS server, but then, so is Comcast, probably. We're all being tracked as we move around the Internet, I'm sure. I don't care. I'm boring.

Once you learn how to switch DNS servers, you can stick with your provider for faster service, then switch if you need to in just a minute. That's what I do. Googles IP addresses are so easy to memorize. That's why I used them, when needed.

[xor]

5. I use 4.2.2.2 when having issues with DNS servers outside my control

I didn't know about the google ones. Those seem easy enough to remember too.

[MineralMan]

7. Who owns that DNS server?

[xor]

9. I think it's Level 3 Network's... I learned about it from CCNP training by CBT Nuggets..

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Open DNS works well too

That's what I have set up on my router/network.

[williesgirl]

8. thanks - rec'd

[Bozita]

10. Problem was identified and a fix posted before 9pm ET at DSLReports.com

www.DSLReports.com

Here's the thread ...
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r25163128-DNS-Comcast-DNS-having-issues-

[MinneapolisMatt]

11. Happened here in Minneapolis too.

Sucks.

[Bozita]

12. kicking up from page 4

[Bozita]

13. kick