dnserr in browser for win2k-pro workstation, but mapped dir is ok

[williez]

what (simple) thing am i missing?

when I open a web-browser on my Win2K-Pro workstation (that i havent used for months), it fails with the dnserr: 'check your connection settings'. Yet I can open shared files from drives mapped to my Win2K Server just fine.

from the bad workstation i can open a cmd window and telnet to a unix machine via IP and it works, but telnet via hostname fails.

if i manually change TCP/IP-dns on the good workstation to a hard-coded DNS it works fine, but changing this bad one still has dnserr.

I haven't powered on this Win2K Pro workstation for several months, and I can't think of anything that was done to it before its shutdown (the user was let go).

i'm missing something simple, eh?

thanks in advance,
WillieZ

 

[chipk]

Wow, what a doofis I am, I totally misread Lemon13's post. He had it right the first time.

 

[williez]

nice retraction chipk... probably due to your generous haste in answering these random questioners (like me).

congrats... (and you were in such a hurry, isnt it doofus? <<wink>> ;^) )

 

[chipk]

Ha ha ha. So, all that and I can't spell either.

 

[williez]

The only thing i can think that it would be is that i finally went beyond some _really_ long timeout setting because this is the first time we've gone weeks without any machine being booted and updated. this was the first, and its a machine from before my time.

How would I refresh DNS, dhcp, network type settings (route tables etc) on the client or server (and what are the risks)?

Thanks.

 

[chipk]

You can try reconciling your DHCP scope on the server and perform DNS scavenging, but I'm thinking the problem is on your client. You can try de-installing the NIC and installing another one, which may give your PC the needed kick in the pants. You can also remove various Windows Networking components and re-install them to see if that does the trick. Failing that, I say just rebuild, or better yet, upgrade to XP.

 

[williez]

The funny thing is that i was trying a short while ago to build an OpenSource Solaris x86 machine. Everything went smoothly, until I got to the same point: nic works (could telnet to other unix box), but browser failed with same message. Didn't have time to really dive into it.

I'm suspecting the main server Win2K (installed by others before me) was never set correctly, but in this static environment it wasnt noticed, until now that we NEED these machines.

arghh! what to do?

 

[chipk]

If other machines are working, but new ones are not, it's not likely to be a problem with your server. Please provide two more things:

ipconfig /all output from your server.
ipconfig /all output from your non-working machine.

There's something that you're missing...

 

[williez]

i found the solution and it takes care of both the OpenSolaris and the WinXP Pro:

the Firewall licenses were used up!

when i started to expand this nearly-static environment (and i hadnt done the periodic reboot of the firewall) i was being blocked.

rebooting the firewall dropped my number-of-hosts-usage and now my webpages do get to the internet.

sorry for the runaround. i hope others can learn from my tail-chasing!

-W