Repeated DNS_PROBE_STARTED Errors
metany Posted messages 73 Status Membre -
Hello,
I have had an internet subscription with Free for many years, which has been the only ISP I have known since the beginning. This is to say that I have been able to follow the evolution of the offers (50 hours, ADSL, fiber...). I haven't had many problems, and with ADSL my connection worked very well.
Three years ago, my ISP installed fiber for me and changed my box. Since then, I have only experienced network interruptions. They occur daily, multiple times a day, and can last for very long minutes.
I am knowledgeable about computers but very little about networks, which is why it took me a long time to identify the fact that this was a DNS issue. I only use Firefox, which would tell me that my connection was lost but without specifying why, while Chrome shows that it is a DNS_PROBE_STARTED error.
Having called Free several times, they tell me that from their perspective there is no network problem and indeed the time is displayed normally on the box. However, the problem only appeared with the fiber connection because during the ADSL time, interruptions were very rare. So I don't expect much from them to resolve the issue.
I have looked at specialized sites to see what this error could correspond to. I understood well the association between a URL and its IP address. I tried some recommended manipulations, such as changing the DNS server. The hitch is that on my "home" version of Windows 10, the change is impossible in the settings (field grayed out), even while being an administrator.
Any advice would therefore be welcome. Is this a problem that should be solved through my ISP, or is it up to me to search? Again, before fiber, I never had this problem. Today, I'm fed up because this happens more and more often and disrupts my (tele)work as well.
Thank you in advance for your responses.
7 réponses
Hello,
I have no idea, and the fact that you mention this DNS error doesn't necessarily mean that the servers are to blame; there could be a number of causes, as mentioned here for example:
https://br.atsit.in/fr/?p=218920
I'm just here to point out that nothing prevents you from changing these DNS settings on Windows 10 Home, except perhaps a third-party security software you may have installed that controls them.
Hello,
This DNS_PROBE_STARTED message is typical of Chrome and its derivatives (Brave, Edge, Chromium) to name just a few.
If it involves the DNS request, it is the first to be made, but it does not indicate that the resolver (we shouldn't say server) specifically has a defect, just that it is not responding, and most often it's because there's no connectivity with that resolver (by default your router).
The first point of the investigation is to find out how we are connected to the router and if there are any breaks or disturbances in that connection before looking further.
So that’s the first thing to analyze.
So first, you get the resolver's address by running an ipconfig/all; it’s the first DNS server, plus you might have it in both IPv4 and IPv6, especially on a Freebox where IPv6 is 100% present.
From there, I would run a continuous ping (option -t) in Windows to see if there are any packet losses or not.
And there you go, there you have it ....
But misery, how annoying the line spacing is!!
Thank you both for your quick responses.
As a result, I feel like there might be two issues: yes, Chrome is systematically signaling DNS errors, and so I thought it was also affecting Firefox (but again, my knowledge of networks is relatively limited). I didn't want to focus on Chrome because it's Firefox that I use all the time, and when I have yet another disconnection, I switch to other browsers to see what they say.
My Freebox is a mini 4K and I am only using the Ethernet connection.
I ran the ping as advised and everything is fine; there seems to be no packet loss.
Regarding the DNS change, I can't remember where I looked the first time, but indeed I found the properties and I can change the DNS server which was set to automatic. That’s what I was missing. I just entered the same values as in the screenshot and we'll see. If it’s still the same, I’ll come back to say it here :) (So I’ll wait *just a little bit* before marking the topic as resolved).
Thank you again!
Do you think the powerline adapter could be the cause? The box and my computer are in two different rooms. It's true that when I had ADSL they were in the same room, but when installing the fiber, the technician couldn't run the cables.
Okay! Sorry, I hadn’t thought about the powerline adapter at all. I will do the operation, but it won’t be right away because I prefer to avoid moving my PC, which has two major hardware issues. So, to connect it to the box from the other room, I would need to buy a cable of 15 to 20m. The purchase of a new PC is planned but will happen in a few weeks. But at least the cause of these disconnects seems to be well identified.
Aside from the fact that I very rarely use Wi-Fi because I prefer the cable (with powerline adapter ^^), it seems that I also had this disconnection issue when I tried to use it when the wait for the connection return became too long. My memory is failing me, but it does seem that it happened with Wi-Fi too and that everything became unavailable at the same time. I was going to check the box, which always displayed the time. Just in case, I’ve also modified the DNS for Wi-Fi since it doesn’t cost anything.
There were also a few times when I saw that Firefox was displaying an error page, so I switched to Chrome and the page displayed normally there.
So, not much else to say at the moment, and since the test with a cable without a powerline adapter won't happen right away, maybe I should mark the discussion as resolved?