# Oops - can't find bbc.co.uk!



## ivorra (Sep 24, 2008)

Has any one been getting an error message like this recently when trying to reach pages on the bbc.co.uk site (other sites continuing to work as before). I have used the Telefonica broadband service for many years and until now have always set up the router with their default DNS (Domain Name System) server addresses (80.58.61.250 and 80.58.61.254). Following a suggestion on a Google tech forum, I switched to the Google DNS servers (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.8.4). Hey presto - the problem has gone and all my web pages load much faster. 

Can anyone can explain what has been happening here - why only the BBC? Has Telefonica taken against it?


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

I would likeit if you could explain in laymans terms step by step detail how you change to google servers?
Please bear in mind I can switch my computer on, defrag, and clear the cache.. everything else is in my opinion technical talk.

<Thanks

Maiden


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## ivorra (Sep 24, 2008)

MaidenScotland said:


> I would likeit if you could explain in laymans terms step by step detail how you change to google servers?
> Please bear in mind I can switch my computer on, defrag, and clear the cache.. everything else is in my opinion technical talk.
> 
> <Thanks
> ...


If you have a router, the default DNS IP addresses can be stored there. You can reach the router set-up from the web browser on your computer. In the address bar of the browser type the local IP address of your router. This is most likely to be 192.168.1.1. Press enter and you get the log-in page. Usually the default log-in will be something like 1234 for the user id and 1234 or admin for the password. The details can be found in the back of the user guide for the router. Once you have logged on to your router, you can page through the various menus until you reach the DNS configuration. There you will find two sets of four boxes in which to type the two addresses. It will be necessary then to select 'save/reboot' on the router menu before the new addresses can be stored and take effect.

Alternatively or in addition to the above you can configure any computer, Mac or PC individually. This involves changing the 'network properties' from automatic configuration to a set-up where all the details including the DNS server addreses are entered manually (but only once!). I won't atttempt to go in to detail here as it differs slightly according to the operating system but there are many web sites giving step by step guides with screen shots.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

ivorra said:


> If you have a router, the default DNS IP addresses can be stored there. You can reach the router set-up from the web browser on your computer. In the address bar of the browser type the local IP address of your router. This is most likely to be 192.168.1.1. Press enter and you get the log-in page. Usually the default log-in will be something like 1234 for the user id and 1234 or admin for the password. The details can be found in the back of the user guide for the router. Once you have logged on to your router, you can page through the various menus until you reach the DNS configuration. There you will find two sets of four boxes in which to type the two addresses. It will be necessary then to select 'save/reboot' on the router menu before the new addresses can be stored and take effect.
> 
> Alternatively or in addition to the above you can configure any computer, Mac or PC individually. This involves changing the 'network properties' from automatic configuration to a set-up where all the details including the DNS server addreses are entered manually (but only once!). I won't atttempt to go in to detail here as it differs slightly according to the operating system but there are many web sites giving step by step guides with screen shots.




Thanks for that... mmm pity it is more than one line  I really am a dunderheed with technical stuff

Maiden x


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I have been visiting bbc.co.uk every day and it has been fine. Did your problem start after you changed to the Google DNS server? Are you accessing the BBC site via a shortcut, or by typing in the URL, or by putting BBC into the Search field? It may be that Google is redirecting you to its own paying customer news sites in preference to the BBC.


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## ivorra (Sep 24, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> I have been visiting bbc.co.uk every day and it has been fine. Did your problem start after you changed to the Google DNS server? Are you accessing the BBC site via a shortcut, or by typing in the URL, or by putting BBC into the Search field? It may be that Google is redirecting you to its own paying customer news sites in preference to the BBC.


I access the BBC via RSS and via bookmarks on two different web browsers and have used the same configuration for at least four years. I changed to the Google DNS servers in an attempt to rectify the problem which it has. No doubt other servers would work just as well and when I have the time I intend to use Steve Gibson's DNS benchmark (GRC's|DNS Nameserver Performance Benchmark) to attempt to find which is the best for this location.

From doing searches I can see that others have also had similar errors and until now I have not seen a clear explanation of why this is happening. There is no doubt that something changed on the Telefonica side over the last month or so.


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