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From an anonymous reader...
Authored by: robg on Nov 10, '04 07:53:51AM
This was sent in as a hint, but it's clear it's a comment on this issue, so here it is:
This problem is completely due to the fact OSX has a very short timeout when receiving an answer from the DNS server.

I have checked it through tcpdump. I've seen that, if the DNS answer is late by some seconds, OSX returns an error to the querying app (e.g. Safari), but the answer from the DNS server arrives some seconds later. It is not then an error of DNS (and all other PC running Linux/Windows don't get any error).

It happens only the first time because the DNS is querying the Internet DNS servers to resolve the query for a new address (normally through a DNS recursion), while from the second time on it will return immediately as it has the IP address in the cache.

If you have a primary and a secondary DNS you are likely not to notice this error too frequently as OSX tries the second DNS and gives it a slightly longer timeout (I guess).

As I am behind a router/firewall, I have a single DNS address, but I configured the same address twice, in both primary and secondary DNS, and it seems that now I get the error very unfrequently, as OSX tries twice the query giving the DNS server twice the time to answer.
-rob.

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From an anonymous reader...
Authored by: crarko on Nov 10, '04 09:17:19AM

I wonder if anyone knows if that timeout value is configurable, and if so, where; or is it just built in to the kernel?

It isn't in /var/run/resolv.conf, that's for sure.



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From an anonymous reader...
Authored by: pdr on Nov 10, '04 09:17:41AM

After reading various comments in Apple Discussions, this was the method I tried, and I have had no problems since. I do notice an occasional brief hesitation before a site loads, but I once again have 100% connection.



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