Mobile Internet

[saturnabob]

Hey Chris and all you others, thanks for the detailed stuff, I'm glad I joined.

I'm going to try the suggested fixes one at a time instead of applying both at the same time.

I am changing computers DNS to  suggested Google server. I'll do the same change on both Rogers and NetComm hub users so I can post if there is any difference.

Too bad there is no provision on the DHCP in the hub to assign a DNS. Maybe that is what the authentication method is aiming at, but it is a round about way to get there.

I have no problem changing to fixed DNS on all my hubs and user friends, but we loose power out here regularly in the winter and DHCP is a real saving in terms of the phone calls I get for help in reconfiguring desktops.

If anyone knows a way to set the DNS on the Hub I'd love to hear it.

[Chris]

@saturnabob

Yes ideally the change would be made in the hub and would be pushed to the clients via dhcp.. I don't really know how you have your network setup but maybe you could add your own dhcp server into the mix and have it push the dns information but still point the clients to the netcom as a gateway.. I'd really need some more info on your network setup to come up with a proper answer though..

[RogersErin]

Thanks Chris, and the community for all of your helpful suggestions!

@saturnabob

Please let us know how it goes.

[saturnabob]

Hi All,

Here's a  quick follow up to the fix.

Changing local DNS on Ericsson hub does seem so far to have made the problem of failed pages go away. They still stall frequently but I dont get the "Can't find server" message since I switched.

Today I visited the person with the NetComm hub and did the same update.

***NOTE*** the NetComm hub has a feature for locking the DNS server address at the Router itself

Advanced menu >DNS > uncheck box Use Automatic... > new lines appear for Primary and Secondary DNS.

Enter the Google address suggested 8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4 and Save

I will keep posting on the success of these workarounds. I honestly think Rogers should have DNS servers that don't get lost,

I wonder if they have to go thru the phone que to get their info lke we do???

[Chris]

Nice find! I knew there had to be a better way to set it on the router itself.. That should make it much easier to implement for people.

Plus using googles dns servers is usually faster and when you try to go to an address that is wrong you don't end up at a rogers ad filled page.

[JohnMc64]

Cure could as bad as the problem. 

Google keeps IP address, ISP and location info...some temporarily, some on permanent basis.  Google stores the sites you go to, how fast it took to get there, where you are located (down to the block you live on) and they freely claim this in their privacy notice. 

Keep this in mind:  Google made $23B in 2009.  They know the business very well.  They do have subscribed versions of DNS for corporations and 'family' safe versions (should be named  Teen proof ...) that you can buy for a small fee.

I too, have a Netcomm router...I suspect the problem is within signal reception, traffic problems and timing out .  I use inSSIDer and Namebench to help in in my quest.  I took the Netcomm into Montreal and had no trouble after using it for 3 full days.  Take it out to the Laurentians (on the fringe of the 3G network) and I think its timing out as it tries to find the tower/server.  I have a Yagi, so I'll have to fine tune the direction and height. 

[Chris]

You can always use other DNS servers. I've just found google's to be fast and reliable. Sure they may collect information, I'm not the type to worry about that. I realize that since I'm on the net all my information is out there anyways.

It's the companies you don't know that are collecting all your information that you should be worried about.

[RogersErin]

Thanks for clarifiying Chris.

[Reh]

Did changing the DNS on the netcomm hub solve your problem?
Thanks

[thebryguy]

I am having the "lost DNS" issue as well and just read thru this thread.  Chris' "manual DNS setting" so far has corrected my issue.  and to answer the above question, NO, manually setting the DNS info in the netcomm hub did NOT fix the issue, only setting it on my computer/client did.  So it appears that the hub will "forget" it's DNS settings, no matter how it gets them.

A bit more info, noone else mentioned this, but it seems that if I use the router purely thru wireless, the issue was seen almost immediately.  If i plugged my computer into the netcomm with an ethernet cable, it might last the night without issue, but I did sometimes see the issue creep up.  I travel and use this gadget simply to get "reliable" internet in the many hotels I frequent (hotels SUCK!).  Short of this DNS issue, i think the unit works great.

So in and end summary, if you understand the blatant FLAW in the unit and can configure your clients with a static DNS, the units do work well.