DNS could not resolve host name

[Sindvya Pearl]

Hai!!

i am not able to get into SL from yesterday and i get a message "DNS could not resolve host name". I tried different viewers like Viewer2/Imprudence/Ascent/Firestorm/Singularity/Phoenix, but i still get the same problem, also i flushed my DNS and even re-installed my complete OS.

Plzz suggest

Thanking You

[Rolig Loon]

LL explains it this way: "If DNS can't be resolved, it's somewhat like dialing a forwarding phone number that recently existed but the phones were disconnected — perhaps at the other end, or something in between happened. " Basically, it means that your viewer and SL's servers have temporarily lost the ability to talk to each other because there are squirrels on the line. Unless there's a problem with the servers (Always check http://status.secondlifegrid.net/ first), it's probably something on your end. So....

(1) Try shutting off your computer, unplugging the router and modem for a couple of minutes, and then plugging them back in and restarting. That simple step may clear up everything

(2) If not, try clearing your cache manually. With Second Life closed, go to the appropriate pathway and delete all the files inside the "cache" folder.

Windows XP - C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\SecondLife\cache
Windows Vista - C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\SecondLife\cache
Windows Vista Home Premium - C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\SecondLife\browser_profile\cache
Windows 7 - C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\SecondLife\browser_profile\Cache AND
Windows 7 - C:\Users\\AppData\Local\SecondLife\ (Viewer version 1.23.5 (136262))
Mac - /Users//Library/Caches/SecondLife
Linux - ~/.secondlife/cache

If you are using a third party viewer like Firestorm , you will find the cache location in a different spot on your hard drive, but thjese directions still apply.

(3) If things are STILL messed up, contact your ISP. Maybe they are working on their Internet connections. Mine go down for about 20 minutes once a month or so while they are vacuuming dust out of their servers, or whatever they do.

Mac users sometimes have their own special DNS problem, too. See https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-25627 and consider adding your vote. Meanwhile see the solution here: http://neilrobinson.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/a-fix-for-dns-errors/.

Basically, it amounts to adding the following additional DNS servers to your DNS settings in Network settings under System Preferences:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

[valerie Inshan]

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Technical/second-life-cant-be-accessed-from-this-computer/qaq-p/1010725

[Adolfh Gustafson]

Do you try reiniciating your modem or router either? Shutt off, disconect from the power net few seconds, and reconect. Turn on your modem or / and router again. Keep a while for the network engagment and reconnection. Probably your trouble now, are solutionated and you can access to the grid again.

The issue is the protocol for differents internet services. Second Life, Skype, MSN, Email program, web mail, websites, etc, all of this service works with differents protocols and if one like Second Life can´t  see the other side of the conection when you recive the message about DNS is because the viewer and the server can´t connect between trought this protocol but you can use all the others internet services and you can get to be confused by thissituation.

Reiniciating your modem, you renove your IP connection and the server can read your access again

 

Regards, Adolfh

[stubart]

SOU UM GAROTO MAL

[Baloo Uriza]

This is most frequently caused by buying an El Cheapo® home router instead of quality hardware, and your router just doesn't have the memory to hold it's DNS cache.  Try using Google's Public DNS on your computer, overriding the DNS settings provided by your router.  Or get a real router, preferably one with 32MB or more of RAM and 16MB or more of flash, which should be able to handle pretty much any home network wonderfully (especially if you use dd-wrt on it).

[Paoulo Piaggio]

I'm really sorry to see this but it looks like SecondLife have just washed their hands of this whole "DNS could not resolve host name" fiasco.

I've seen accounts of this from Premium Members as well as Free Members like myself. Ok I don't pay a subscription but it doesn't mean I have any less brand loyalty.

I have read the same SL answers now for nearly a year. Flush Cache - Reset Modem- Blame your ISP....

The problem is clearly a Linden Labs software problem. Viewer 1.23 seems to be the only one that will still work for me and thankfully will still be supported by Linden for the time being.

From a business point of view would it not be prudent to discover what is causing this problem? Just think of the potential loss of revenue. I read somewhere that 25,000 people had been affected by this. Most people don't want to mess about with their pc's settings, they just want "download and play".

Please Linden Labs, sit up and take note, you have a virtual world thats a very special place! Do technical representives of LL actually read and of these posts?

[Baloo Uriza]

"The problem is clearly a Linden Labs software problem."

 

How do you figure? You have to resolve a LOT of hostnames to use SL or any other grid. Most people cheap out and buy crap hardware for their networks, and will use a bargain-basement ISP rather than one that prides itself on reliability if they can. Asking for 20-30 hostnames per second will make either of those weak links just go "NAK!" and die, even though it's an entirely reasonable rate.

[Ray Lonergan]

I have to agree with Paoula. I suffer from the same DNS error issue, and I experienced it when viewer 2 first came out. Then a newer version worked, then I used viewer 2 till version 2.5 came out, then once again the DNS error occurs.I could maybe buy the ISP thing if I could never use viewer 2 ever. But I could, and I believe it is an issue within the software itself that causes the issue. And I also have tried every single cure offered here, I flushed my DNS, I went to google DNS and nothing worked. Lindens even made a bug report and took my log in files. I haven't heard a thing since. They did say they haven't had amount of reports with Windows users. There was that whole mac issue a few months back. But I also think many do not use viewer 2 but use third party like Phoenix. Once everyone is pretty much forced into using the new viewer 2 software we might see a whole bunch of people with the same error pop up.

I have talked to so many people on this issue and everyone has scratched their heads. I heard a lot say if you have no problems anywhere but that game, then it's possible something within the game software is causing the issue with your system. I tend to believe that.

[Klaxon Morgwain]

It would definitely seem that 2ndLife has washed their hands of this issue.  Like many, I am unable to login with any viewer based on the SecondLife Viewer newer than version 2.4.   Let me be clear:  Version 2.4 lets me in always, any newer version does not.  

This is therefore NOT an issue with overiding DNS settings in favour of Googles or freeDNS, having a cheap router, cache needing flushing, or system needing resetting, or my ISP needing a talking to -- all of which I've done.  All I need to do to get back in is use viewer 2.4.    In short, something changed between version 2.4 and 2.5.

With the advent of mesh this problem is becoming critical for me and for many many others including premium members.  Despite this, my reporting of this in the JIRA 6 months ago (VWR-25387) has not received even so much as an acknowledgement.  In the not too distant future there will be absolutely no point in renewing our premium memberships.

[Baloo Uriza]

Have you tried a more reliable DNS server, or are you just saying that to pin blame and be lazy?

[Karen Pan]

I have been fighting this issue for a while on a new Windows 8 workstation.  Changing the DNS setting on my network corrected the issue.  Following is a link to change the DNS setting to use Google public DNS instead of using my Comcast settings.

https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using