Microsoft → Suddenly I get can't find server with IE,

I'll be surfin along, and pretty much all of a sudden, every website I go to I get the Can't find server error, and I can't access anything. Even tried Netscape, and same thing. I check in the advanced DSL and it says I'm connecting, but? Then later I will go and it will work. I have win95 with enternet DSL, westell modem, and a kingston Nic card. Was wondering if maybe my nic card was trippin'? I've probably had it for a couple of years now? maybe it gets overheated, and kind of crashes?? I don't know. Was hoping someone could enlighten me. It's really irritating when it happens.

You could try switching NICs, because they are cheap now. Also, it would not hurt having extra NIC in your house.

However, when you get these server errors have you tried ping from the C:\> prompt using an IP address?? Try to ping your DNS. or try this IP address 209.123.109.175

Good Luck

Yep, I don't have DSL, but when that happens to me, I always try pinging my DNS and also my gateway (I'm assuming you have one?)

IF you can ping those, then do a tracert to a few sites such as www.adventure.com or www.excite.com (start/run/ type "tracert www.excite.com", without the quotes.) See if you can ping the hops (each line) past your ISP. IF you can't, it's your ISP, and call them. If you can, it may be the lines or the sites you're trying to access.

IF you can't ping your DNS or gateway, it may either on your ISP's end, or your end (your modem or your computer.)

If you paste some of your results here, maybe we can be of further assistance?

When I am getting the "can't find server" errors, I go into
the Enternet program, in the advanced section, and it has a test utility. When I put in either the http's for say, DSLreports, or Zdnet, they come up OK.
Well, they say 21ms to about 23ms. It seems to me that I used to get, like, 1ms..
next time I will try to ping in a DOS window, and I will post the results here.
I do have a 3-com NIC. It's a 3C509B-combo. says Etherlink III ISA combo. Coax and 10BASE-T (BNC, AUI, RJ45). Will this nic card work with the DSL from Pac bell? or do I need a 10/100?
thanks

A 3C509B-combo card should work with the DSL from Pac bell. A 10/100 NIC is not required. Although the faster card would be useful on a network, residential DSL speeds fall under 10mps anyway so the slower card should work just fine. Do you happen to have a firewall installed (e.g., ZoneAlarm)? Software firewalls have been known to create conflicts (inconsistent and unpredictable) with Enternet and an uninstall/reboot/reinstall of both Enternet and the firewall will often fix the problem.

Could be the DSL router. Try shutting it off for a minute.
Or it could also be a bad RJ45 cable.
The best solution is to get a DSL router like the SMC Barricade or Linksys or Netgear. You can get rid of Enternet once you set up a router. I did, and now my connection is better than ever. Fixed a lot of DSL related annoyances and glitches.

Remember this is a monkey chiming in here
Win95 is the first thing that jumps out at me. Any chance of it being an update needed?

Also any chance of a full cache somewhere messing things up?

Chimp out

It's possible that you're in the "sync no surf" syndrome with the westell modem. Have you tried to just power reset the modem and reconnect with the enternet PPPOE? I had the same problem where all three lights remained green (sync) and the browser could not find the server. I was having to power reset the modem about once per day. I did get a replacement modem from pacbell and now have to power reset about once every two weeks. I do have a Linksys router with "keep alive" as well but once the modem get stuck in this "sync no surf" mode, you have to power reset. I hope this helps.

I had the same problem a few weeks back. No one at my ISP (Bell Sympatico) could figure out what was wrong.
A visit from one of their tech support people confirmed that it wasn't the modem.
4 phone calls to various Dell tech support people and they couldn't fix it either.
Then the 5th tech said he knew exactly why I couldn't connect.
My sound card was acting as a server. Unplugging it did the trick. I was back online.
Dell sent me a new one as well.

Well, My Win 95 has had all of the recent upgrades, and it is the B edition. Every time (when I go to bed for instance) I do a shut down, the modem gets turned off too. I did hear that will re-set it.
And I think I will try the 3-com...Did you say it's slower, or faster than the kingston??
It's definately a quirk on something, and we'll figure it out somehow...
thanks