Computer help - how can I tell what ISP I'm connected to?

Rabrrrrrr

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Wed Nov-10-04 07:33 PM
Original message

Computer help - how can I tell what ISP I'm connected to?

As I move around with the new wireless card, I'm attaching to unknown networks. But if I want to send email, I need to know the ISP I'm on so I can use their smtp server. How can I figure this out?

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slackmaster

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Wed Nov-10-04 07:39 PM
Response to Original message

1. On a Windows box?

If so, open a command shell (cmd) and run this:

ipconfig /all

Look for a line something like this in the output:

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : sd.cox.net

That should work most of the time - I am connected to cox.net.

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Rabrrrrrr

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Wed Nov-10-04 07:54 PM
Response to Reply #1

5. I didn't get one of those

here's the output:

Windows IP Configuration

	Host Name . . . . . . . . . : LAPTOP
	DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 192.168.254.254
	Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
	NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . : 
	IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No
	WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No
	NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No

0 Ethernet adapter :

	Description . . . . . . . . : TNET1130
	Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-12-17-20-6B-1D
	DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
	IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.254.9
	Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
	Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.254.254
	DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.254.254
	Primary WINS Server . . . . : 
	Secondary WINS Server . . . : 
	Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 11 10 04 6:42:49 PM
	Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 11 17 04 6:42:49 PM

1 Ethernet adapter :

	Description . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO Adapter
	Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-10-A4-10-4B-A7
	DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
	Media Status. . . . . . . . : Disconnected
	IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
	Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
	Default Gateway . . . . . . : 

2 Ethernet adapter :

	Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.
	Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-00
	DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
	IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
	Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
	Default Gateway . . . . . . : 
	DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
	Primary WINS Server . . . . : 
	Secondary WINS Server . . . : 
	Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 
	Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 

And of course, all those IP addresses are just the IANA
servers.

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slackmaster

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:04 PM
Response to Reply #5

11. Judging by the non-routable IP of the DNS server

Edited on Wed Nov-10-04 08:08 PM by slackmaster

You're behind someone's local firewall, which is using either an internal DNS server or some kind of proxy.

Try doing a traceroute to something well-known, e.g.:

tracert www.yahoo.com

And see if you can gather any information about where your data hops. With luck you'll see some reverse DNS lookups along the way. Or not.

Here's the output of mine:

C:\winnt>tracert www.yahoo.com

Tracing route to www.yahoo.akadns.net <66.94.230.51>
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <10 ms <10 ms <10 ms 192.168.0.1
2 16 ms 16 ms <10 ms 10.8.20.1
3 16 ms 47 ms 15 ms fed1sysc02-gex0915.sd.sd.cox.net <68.6.10.114>
4 16 ms 16 ms <10 ms fed1dsrc01-gex0703.sd.sd.cox.net <68.6.8.146>
5 <10 ms 16 ms 15 ms fed1bbrc01-pos0101.rd.sd.cox.net <68.1.0.204>
6 * 15 ms 47 ms fed1bbrc01-pos0200.rd.sd.cox.net <68.1.0.193>
7 16 ms 31 ms 31 ms 68.105.31.34
8 15 ms 31 ms 16 ms vl10.bas1.scd.yahoo.com <66.218.64.134>
9 16 ms 31 ms 16 ms vl42.bas1-m.scd.yahoo.com <66.218.82.226>
10 32 ms 15 ms 32 ms p20.www.scd.yahoo.com <66.94.230.51>

Trace complete.

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Rabrrrrrr

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:12 PM
Response to Reply #11

15. AH! Dammit!! Thanks - I can't believe I didn't think of that

I should have known.

I feel so stupid.

Anyway, it worked - gave me an ISP to go with.

THANKS! YOU ROCK!!

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

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Misunderestimator

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:16 PM
Response to Reply #11

19. Cool... I'm saving that.

:thumbsup:

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City of Mills

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Wed Nov-10-04 07:39 PM
Response to Original message

2. Hmmm

Well, if you're connecting to wireless networks successfully, then your computer is obtaining an IP address when the connection completes...you shouldn't have to change your smtp settings, but is it not working? What email prog do you use?

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slackmaster

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Wed Nov-10-04 07:44 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. Depends on your ISP's firewall configuration

The one I normally use, smtp.west.cox.net, can't be connected to from outside of the Cox-owned network. I can get a name resolution but not even a ping on it from work. From home I can easily connect using any kind of email client.

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Rabrrrrrr

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Wed Nov-10-04 07:58 PM
Response to Reply #2

7. No, I have to change SMTP because most ISPs don't allow

you to use their SMTP servers unless you're connected to them.

My email is through another ISP than what I am connected to now; the SMTP servers I normally use I cannot connect to from here. Thus, I am on a different ISP, and need to figure out which one I am connected to.

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aquart

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Wed Nov-10-04 07:47 PM
Response to Original message

4. I'm confused.

If you have a wireless card, don't you still have to have your own ISP? Which you pay for?

Can you have a wireless card and pay nada,just .....I don't know. What is it you are doing?

I'm so not up to date.

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Rabrrrrrr

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:01 PM
Response to Reply #4

9. No, I'm wandering around

Using foreign networks.

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TroubleMan

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Wed Nov-10-04 07:57 PM
Response to Original message

6. go to a command prompt and type in "nslookup google.com"

without the quotation marks and see what your dns server is.

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Rabrrrrrr

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Wed Nov-10-04 07:59 PM
Response to Reply #6

8. Don't have an nslookup command

bloody windows me.

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TroubleMan

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:02 PM
Response to Reply #8

10. ME......yuk that's the worst OS ever....I've got a solution for you:

http://www.pcpitstop.com/internet/nslook.asp

try that program

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Rabrrrrrr

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:08 PM
Response to Reply #10

12. Thanks! Helpful utility.

But actually doesn't show me anything about myself.

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TroubleMan

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:09 PM
Response to Reply #12

13. What dns server does it show

or do a tracert to google or yahoo.

(I can't remember if me has tracert).

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Rabrrrrrr

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:15 PM
Response to Reply #13

18. tracert was what I needed to be reminded of

(got it above before I read your post, but thanks much to you, too!)

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Misunderestimator

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:10 PM
Response to Reply #6

14. But doesn't that give the target IP, not the one your issuing the cmd from

Edited on Wed Nov-10-04 08:11 PM by Misunderestimator

I'm on a wireless network, my own, and it gives as the DNS the ISP that I hook to by cable from the other room. And I remember seeing a specific DNS entry when I was hooking up to a hotel wireless a couple of times.

Also, just typing "ipconfig" gets you the DNS.

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TroubleMan

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:13 PM
Response to Reply #14

16. If you know the dns server (a public one) then you know what ISP....

you're on.

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Misunderestimator

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Wed Nov-10-04 08:14 PM
Response to Reply #16

17. Yes, you do.

Edited on Wed Nov-10-04 08:15 PM by Misunderestimator

But when I do nslookup I only get information on the target. I don't get my own DNS.

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