Another AT&T Problem: Faulty DNS???

Since my internet came back, I have had problems loading some web sites.  There is no real pattern to this.  To paraphrase the browser message:  “Can’t load website, do you want to load a cached copy.”  If I click on the cached copy, it loads, but the page is not properly formatted.  If I click on a link of the displayed page, I get the “Can’t load Website…” message again. 

 

After looking at browser settings and trying Chrome, IE, and Firefox with the same result, I turned off my firewall.  That did not help.

I then thought about how technology obtains a web address:  there are layers of servers containing the names of websites and relating them to IP addresses.  These servers are called Domain Name Servers.  The first DNS that is queried for us is the AT&T DNS.  DNSs have IP addresses and we normally set both the router and the computer to obtain these DNS addresses automatically from AT&T.  It occurred to me that something might be wrong with AT&Ts DNS servers.  I know of other DNSs I can go to.  I changed my router setting so that I could enter the Primary and Secondary DNS server IP addresses manually.  I made the change and bingo!  I could reach all the address I wasn’t able to reach before. 

So you have to conclude something is wrong with the AT&T DNS servers.  I’ve filed a Ticket on this.  Let’s see what happens. 

Problems with AT&T DSL Revisited

The process for managing the issue of DSL performance should be:
Do NOT contact them before you have eliminated equipment outside AT&Ts responsibility: 

1.  When a problem is perceived, run a speed test.

I have a couple of blog entries on this: 

• http://leetlinktips.blogspot.com/search?q=speedtest#!/2009/06/why-might-your-dsl-service-be-so-bad.html
• http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4224036224359508359#editor/target=post;postID=5823549266310849265
• http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4224036224359508359#editor/target=post;postID=8257477957874380151

Of these, the third link is most valuable to the Cliffs resident, and the second one is most valuable to the engineer.  The first tip above talks about interpreting the results of the second link in the list of test sites.

It is best to record the results after 3 separate tests run fairly close together.  I might add, it also helps to have a baseline, when your network is working like you think it should.  Write the results down or take a desktop picture and keep them handy.  With this information, you will be part way toward providing ATT with the justification they need to send someone to fix the problem.  

2.  Make sure it is not your router!  Lately I seen a lot of router problems due to lightning strikes.  It is also due to the way the router and modem are configured, both electronically and positionally with respect to where the computers/iPads, etc sit.  ATT is going to want the customer to rule out inside problems.  With a few exceptions, depending on what services you are paying for, their responsibility stops at the modem or, if you were supplied with a netgear or 2wire, the modem router. 

By the way, most of the complaints I have had to deal with recently are actually at the router and computer level, or are due to OLD settings in your router or email account.  (ATT changed all these recently.  link). 

With respect to router settings, I see very noisy routers- too noisy to provide good connectivity.  The result are many drops per hour.  Sounds like the problem someone was talking about at the meeting.  

To eliminate this as an issue before contacting AT&T:  If you are communicating via wifi, download inSSIDer by googling "cnet inSSIDER".  Install and run this program.  Make sure you have selected the correct connection which is your wifi connection.  Walk around your house, watching the signal quality.  Take a snapshot of the results (Alt-PrntScrn on a Windows machine) and paste it into a word document for safe keeping.  If the real time line has a lot of ups and downs in it, but it is straight line right next to the router, then you have a problem in your house.  

How to Manage Multiple Accounts With Lastpass

When I want to log on to Gmail, if I just bring up the gmail page, Lastpass responds like this:

 

Now “jumble” was not the user I wanted to log on.  I wanted to log on as “sleepy”  What happened?  Look at the three button in the upper right of the picture:  Autologin(13), AutoFill(16), Never…. 

·        Autologin(13):  This means I have 13 different gmail accounts that are set to Autologin:  when I bring  up Gmail, Lastpass will automatically fill in the Username and Password and “click” the Sign In button. 

·        Autofill(16):  This means I have 16 different gmail accounts that are set to Autofill:  when I bring Gmail, Lastpass will automatically fin in the Username and Password but you will have to click the sign in button.  WHEN YOU HAVE MULTIPLE LOGIN ACCOUNTS TO THE SAME WEB PAGE, THIS IS HOW EACH ACCOUNT WILL BE SET UP.  If you “Autologin,” you won’t be able to stop Lastpass before it clicks the Sign In button in order to change the Username and Password to another account.  In the above example, jumble was set to “autofill” or, if sleepy was also set to autofill, then, since, sleepy is alphanumerically after jumble, jumble was entered.

·        Never:  won’t fill in anything.

If you are not Autologged in, then you can change the user id and password by clicking on the autofill OR autologin button and the 13 or 16 different usernames will be listed in a dropdown.  I can’t show this with my example, but here’s link to a page from the Lastpass User Guide that shows it.  Click on the link you want; the username and password will be filled in and, depending on wither it is from the AutoLogin list or the Autofill list, the Sign In button will be automatically clicked.

How is “Autofill” or “AutoLogin” assigned to a site.  It is easy to see from the standard “edit” interface for a site:

There are 4 checkboxes near the bottom of the form:

·        Favorite:  Check this and this site will appear in your list of Favorites

·        Never AutoFill:  Check this and the username and password will not be filled in.  Note that the default for Lastpass is that it will fill in the username and password but it will not “click” the sign in button

·        AutoLogin:  Check this and Lastpass will click the sign-in button.  If you only have one username and password for a site, checking this provides the convenience of automatically logging into a site.  But if you have more than one username and password for a site, it can be very inconvenient!

·        Require Password Reprompt:  says that your Lastpass password is required in addition to the userid and password in order to log in to the site.  You probably won’t use this option, so it will probably be left unchecked.

Oh, I heard that question:  How do I get to the form to edit a site?  Click the red Lastpass button in the menubar of your browser.  On the resulting list, click “My Lastpass vault.”  It should be the first entry after the Logoff entry.

The result will be a list of all your sites.  I can’t show you much of a what I have, but here’s a snippet:

It goes on with all the categories you have chosen.  Clock on the little white arrowhead in front of the folder and the folder expands to its contents.  A single site has a line that looks like this:

To edit the site, which shows the form I discussed above, click the pencil icon.

Important: Changes to client email settings for att and bellsouth

If you don't go to the att or bellsouth web site for email, you are using a "client" to access their email servers. You have to go through an account setup on your client.  The settings have recently changed.  If you have old settings your email might suddenly not work any more.  Here are the new settings:

att.net	POP:  inbound.att.net Port:  995	SMTP:  outbound.att.net Port:  465	SSL:  Yes	CustomerID@att.net	Type:  POP3
bellsouth.net	POP:  inbound.att.net Port:  995	SMTP:  outbound.att.net Port:   465	SSL: Yes	CustomerID@bellsouth.net	Type:  POP3

As an example, for Windows Live Mail:

ATT optout "ad service"- You should do it

I got a postcard in the mail yesterday from ATT.  The bottom line:  ATT collects info on what equipment you have and "how you use it."  This includes info on VOIP services (If you use this, you know what this means, otherwise, think SKYPE as a kind of VOIP.)   Then they sell this info to others so they can target ads to you, by mail, phone, email, etc.  They postcard says they don't include your telephone number, your name, or address, but the wording is a little confusing because elsewhere in the postcard it talks about using your information to offer you additional products and services.

So, I recommend going to http://www.att.com/ecpnioptout and fill out the form to opt out.  Otherwise, no response and you've "opted in."

Windows 8 Cost Info + Buy New Windows Computer now or wait until Windows 8?

Windows 8 availability:  in time for the Christmas season.  You can get an advance beta copy here.  This link shows the new features of Windows 8 as well as giving a link to the download.

Windows 8 cost to buy separately:  Don’t know

If you purchase a Windows 7 computer and want to switch to Windows 8:  Between now and Jan 31, 2013 the cost is $15 and the information suggests you can get Windows 8 Pro for that price if you have any version of Windows 7 other than the Starter edition.  (More information)

Should you wait and buy a new computer with Windows 8 after Windows 8 is released?  (Article)  Net:  Only if you want to take advantage of new features, which are primarily oriented toward touch screen device.  So, to take advantage of new features you would buy a touch screen device.  There will be a new category:  laptops with detachable keyboards and a touch screen.  There will also be major changes in the new processor chips to make the machines faster.  However, if you just do email, browsing, music, general document editing, and pictures, the advantages of the new hardware is questionable.

New cost program to earlier Windows versions (eg XP) with Windows 8:  There will be a promotion to upgrade from XP through 7 to Windows 8:  $40 to download, $70 for disks.  This will last from release until Jan. 31, 2013. (Article)

For all upgrades on your old or new computer, factor in:

1. For your existing computer:  check hardware requirements; you have to move all your current programs and data over.  If XP or Vista, expect some pain.
2. For your new computer:  you have to get all the advertising crap and unwanted apps off; you need to add antivirus/malware (Windows 8 comes with the equivalent of Windows Security Essentials, so, for most home use behind a modem/router firewall, that should be sufficient.); you have to move all your current programs and data over.

If you need help, schedule some time. The best thing to do is to let me have your computer(s) to make the necessary changes. That way, I won't spend a lot of time just waiting for things to happen; I can be doing other things while I wait.

You need to run this test on your computer by July 9- FBI

I alway cringe at notes that fly around our communities that warn of this or that virus, scamware, etc.  Is it true or is the note itself a scam?  Today something crossed my email- "Will the FBI Shut Down Your Internet on Monday?"  I've provided a link to this discussion because it is a valid warning.  Basically, your computer internet link has been changed so your internet goes through a malicious computer before your message or request is routed on.  Look at the linked video for more information.  Note that I've seen this malware on several computers in our neighborhoods, and I've seen at least one instance of a "stealth" bug that hadn't changed the route YET, but was still on their computer, presumably waiting for some day when it will be activated.

There is a web site you visit to check if you have a problem and, if you do, to fix it:  click here.