[rowdog]

Greetings all,

I am running Windows XP Pro on a Dell 370 Workstation, access the internet via a Westell 6100 modem, and Belkin's router, on Frontier DSL.

I have been having an odd issue recently, and cannot make heads or tails of it.

I have been receiving a LOT of DNS: Unknown Host logs in my diagnostic logs. While they are not directly causing issues with my connection in general, I am unsure what they may be doing, and why I may be getting them.

Here is an example from my log, I kept it brief, but it continues on much longer:



All Entries


CURRENT MODEM STATUS
DSL Modem Status....... Up
PPP Session Status...... Up
Connection Type......... PPPoE
Time set from............. Network
Time since last boot.... 0 days, 11 hrs: 54 mins: 12 secs

EVENTS
**********************************************************************
Events are listed starting from the most recent.
**********************************************************************

TUE NOV 30 23:59:09 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'obegomzixj.Belkin'



TUE NOV 30 23:59:07 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'shfsgabvru.Belkin'



TUE NOV 30 23:59:07 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'obegomzixj.Belkin'



TUE NOV 30 23:59:06 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'kctyvrtdzj.Belkin'



TUE NOV 30 23:59:06 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'obegomzixj.Belkin'



TUE NOV 30 23:59:06 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'shfsgabvru.Belkin'



TUE NOV 30 23:41:52 2010
Setting System clock to Network time TUE NOV 30 23:41:52 2010




TUE NOV 30 23:41:52 2010
Time set from Primary SNTP server: tock.usno.navy.mil



TUE NOV 30 23:41:47 2010
PPP CONNECTED on VPI 0 VCI 35



TUE NOV 30 23:41:46 2010
Connecting session(0): My Connection due to Manual Connect



TUE NOV 30 23:41:37 2010
Disconnecting session(-1): due to PADT received



TUE NOV 30 23:41:37 2010
Received PADT for session id 7670



TUE NOV 30 23:41:37 2010
PPP DISCONNECTED on VPI 0 VCI 35 : PPP commanded down



TUE NOV 30 23:41:37 2010
Disconnecting session(0): My Connection due to dsl Restart



TUE NOV 30 23:41:28 2010
US Atten: 30.0 DS Atten: 50.5



TUE NOV 30 23:41:28 2010
US Margin: 10.0 DS Margin: 11.0



TUE NOV 30 23:41:28 2010
US Tx Power: 11.8 DS Tx Power: 19.2



TUE NOV 30 23:41:28 2010
US DSL Rate: 384 kbits/sec DS DSL Rate: 3360 kbits/sec



TUE NOV 30 23:41:28 2010
WanMgr reports DSL is UP



TUE NOV 30 23:41:07 2010
WanMgr reports DSL is Down



TUE NOV 30 23:26:49 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'wpad.Belkin'




But I truncated it a bit to avoid a long post. If you would like to see more of it, just let me know and I'll post it. Just hoping to find out what is cause this, and maybe nip it in the butt before it becomes a problem. Not sure but the connection has been real unstable lately (frequent disconnects), and I am getting the feeling this may be causing it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance!

Thanks in advance.

[Advertisements]

Where did you get the error logs from? Is your modem set to bridged mode? is this your router? http://www.dslreports.com/faq/13600

[D-Berd]

Where did you get the error logs from? Is your modem set to bridged mode? is this your router? http://www.dslreports.com/faq/13600

[rowdog]

Where did you get the error logs from? Is your modem set to bridged mode? is this your router? http://www.dslreports.com/faq/13600

The error logs I posted were from the "Diagnostic Logs" section of the Westell 6100. The modem is not set to bridged mode, and until I read the page you linked to I was unaware that the 6100 is actually a modem/router combo...you wouldn't think it just to look at it, as it has no wireless functionality, or more than one LAN port. So I guess what you are getting at, is that the 2 routers being tied together like that is what is causing the DNS: Unknown Host issues? From that same article I was reading that putting the Belkin into Access Point Online mode could resolve the problem?

Thanks for the excellent info as well.

[D-Berd]

You're welcome, The two routers are both probably using NAT and both are probably set up to assign ip addresses DHCP. By initiating the bridged mode in the modem you will be disabling the router function of the modem, this a good thing because it allows one router to do it's job. You should also check for firmware or software updates for the modem and the router....Just to keep things up to date.

[rowdog]

Well to update, I now have the Belkin set to Access Point Only mode, and I just got a clean bill of health as far as viruses and malware goes. I did have a dropper, and was given assistance cleaning up and removing it thankfully. However, the DNS: Unknown Host issue remains, and is definitely puzzling.

I tried to navigate to the Host txt file, but was unable to locate it at all. I will give a go at reverse look-up's. Its just odd as sometimes the failed attempts are just plain jibberish. Something has to be trying to access it, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what.

EVENTS
**********************************************************************
Events are listed starting from the most recent.
**********************************************************************

FRI DEC 03 20:50:02 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'etvwvsdmha.myhome.westell.com'



FRI DEC 03 20:50:02 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'yesiiloaqw.myhome.westell.com'



FRI DEC 03 20:50:02 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'vvduwljdtv.myhome.westell.com'



FRI DEC 03 20:50:02 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'yesiiloaqw.myhome.westell.com'



FRI DEC 03 20:50:02 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'vvduwljdtv.myhome.westell.com'



FRI DEC 03 20:50:02 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'etvwvsdmha.myhome.westell.com'



FRI DEC 03 20:42:03 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'oqavtohyyj.myhome.westell.com'



FRI DEC 03 20:42:03 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'umqhlpalaj.myhome.westell.com'



FRI DEC 03 20:42:03 2010
DNS: Unknown host: 'kwryxahrln.myhome.westell.com'


Those are some recent ones, and really, just plain jibberish. Just tried a lookup on umqhlpalaj, and returned no results. I understand a bit the myhome.westell.com part, as for some reason in my modem, under the DNS settings, it is listed in the User Assigned DNS field (even though I never put it there myself).

I have wonder if changing that to OpenDNS, or Google Public DNS might help anything.

Edited by rowdog, 03 December 2010 - 09:03 PM.

[D-Berd]

How is the Internet now? Did you set the modem/router to bridged mode? I looked all over the net for the

DNS: Unknown host: 'oqavtohyyj.myhome.westell.com' log report but could not find a clear answer. The closest thing I could find said something about the DSL filters in your home or office. Could be an issue with the line outside. You should call your ISP and find out what it is for sure.

[rowdog]

The internet is much much more stable now. What I did was left the 6100 as is, but however I put the Belkin router into Access Point Only mode, so now it does none of its routing features, and simply serves as a path to the 6100, who is now responsible for all the DNS and NAT, Firewalling, etc. That seems to have done the trick there. However the odd DNS hits still pop up.

The only correlation I have been able to find, is that the dns errors seem to pop up mostly when my brother is on the network (he is connecting wirelessly via his Macbook Air). Half makes me wonder if its not something about the way it is setup and communicating, but I know that shouldn't be the case.

Best I can tell, the dns issue doesn't seem to be affecting the connection quality, but sure did spring up from nowhere, and is mildly worrisome.

As far as the possibility of filters, I only have 1 filter connected, but I can surely try taking it out of the loop to rule it in or out as the issue. As far as the line quality goes....I cannot attest to that....I hear minimal to no static on the phone line, and when presenting Frontier with this issue a week ago, the lady merely ran line tests, then blew me off with silly answers, and seemed uncaring, or unwilling to roll out a truck to look at the line. My oh my how I miss Verizon already.

[rowdog]

Well definitely not a virus issue. SweetTech has issued a clean bill of health, and recommended I try over here, and post a link to my other thread: http://www.geekstogo...ing-from-avast/

The weird thing I am noticing now is that the DNS issues seem to mainly appear when my brother's Macbook Air is connected to the network.....almost as thought it is trying to do something weird.