[TriLUG] Fwd: New Public DNS from Google

[Jeff Schornick]

> Now how does one get Firefox not to fail at resolving a domain if you
> don't have internet temporarily while putting an address in, then
> internet is restored seconds later.  It takes FF like several minutes
> to try to actually resolve the name again and not just pretend that
> resolving fails.

What version of Firefox are you using?  A very quick test using 3.5.5
didn't exhibit quite this behavior, as it displays a very obvious
"Server not found" error page:

    http://domainlookup.org/img/servernotfound2.png

...which provides a convenient "Try again" button.  This appears to
override any relevant DNS cache entries.  If you're not using the 3.5
branch, it might be worth your while to upgrade.  Not to mention it's
pretty darn zippy.

Though I don't know if it ignores the DNS cache, I'd also suggest
doing a forced reload (shift+reload button or C+shift+R).  This may
only ignore the document cache, though.

A third suggestion would be to investigate one of the DNS cache
plugins available.  One might give you enough control to deal with
your intermittent disconnects.

Regardless, I'm pretty sure what you're describing is a particular
class of DNS caching -- specifically negative caching.  Given that a
working DNS cache helps makes browsing go fast, I'd personally try to
find a solution that works without giving up caching entirely.

Good luck!

  - Jeff