Insight DNS issues #insight

Half of my DNS requests are timing out, and DHCP release/renew works about 50% of the time...

thomas.powell

Initial Question/Comment: Half my DNS requests are failing, DHCP renew fails half the time.

8:29:33 PM System

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8:29:33 PM System

Connected with Ashley H

8:29:33 PM System

Thank you for contacting Insight Communications Customer Netchat Support, please allow me a moment to read your question and I will be more than happy to assist you.

8:29:53 PM Ashley H

We are currently experiencing dns issues in your area that may cause slow browsing speeds or intermittent issues loading pages.

...Hey Insight, Power Down and Power Up. It's easy!

Added @ 8:50 PM:
Thanks to @DanielLight I'm using OpenDNS now.

Of course, now I can't connect to the server addresses half the time. Thanks, Insight!

In a time when I'm aggravated at Insight, Verizon cheers me so...

...of course, only in a schadenfreude kind of way.

Part of my reluctance to change carriers for phone and internet service is the whole "devil you know" dilemma. I've never really considered Verizon a viable option for my needs, and I know very few people in the area that are on Verizon.

Verizon plays fast and loose with the wrong 1,200 e-mail addresses is an almost juvenile example of Verizon's customer service failings... just a mere mass e-mail with a cc: version bcc: used for the mailing list, plus some exchange server glitches. There's also the equally juvenile Run-amok Verizon robo-caller torments 1,400 customers incident.

When I think Verizon, I think of: Verizon CEO thinks it's unreasonable to expect your cellphone to work at home or Verizon doesn't know dollars from cents... Oh yeah, and 792 Octillion Dollars.

See? I'm not insane...

Less than an hour later, no changes to my setup or running programs.

Firefox 3


Then things fall apart again:
IE 7


40 minutes later:

My current Insight cable speed tests.

(No, I'm not just trying to squeeze maximum throughput here--I just want basic pages to load properly--the slow speeds are yet another indicator that there is a problem.)

Under IE 7:


Under Firefox 3:


These are actually excellent results for me right now... I've been dropping to 88 Kps down/22 Kps up. Aggravating thing is, at certain times of the day, I get over 3000 Kbs up and over 300 Kbs down (sometimes 7000 up, 700 down). Supposedly, since my line is "good" (according to the tech at the call center) and behavior just as bad without router plugged in, it hasto be the modem. I don't really have time to drive to Insight office to get replacement and then hook up. Besides, I told the tech that connection has been inconsistent since the storm. I guess it's cheaper for me to come have the modem replaced than to have someone check the line these days.

At least when I used to have bad internet service before, I'd at least get decent/on-site service. I guess I need to "power down/power up" 30 times, try turning the cable modem upside down, and letting the water run before getting a tech out here.

Added:
Dear Insight Broadband, Please Treat Your Customers with Respect
Insight want to save? you money



Update:
So far so good with the new modem:

This should tide me over until my cell phone contract runs out, at least.