Error:96 question

cpb · 2006-06-05 20:32

Problem:
Getting Error:96 for IP changes
Screenshot included:

System stats:
-Windows 2000 SP4 + current windows automatic updates
-NetSetMan Pro 2.2.3
-DNS client service is set to automatic and is started.
-There is no fetched.txt that I can find.
-logged on to the computer as an administrator
Edited to add:
-CA eTrust anti virus, error is the same with AV service stopped.
-spyware scan, AdAware, finds nothing.

Question:
Is there anything else I should be looking at?

Last edited by cpb (2006-06-05 20:43)

NetSetMan Support · 2006-06-06 19:01

Hello cpb,

Error 96 is listed in the Help File.
Here's the corresponding text:

Error: 95/96
"Unable to notify DNS service."
Please have a look at your Services dialog (type "services.msc" in the "run" window). Find "DNS-Client" and make sure it is set to "Automatically".

This error usually occurs if the DNS-Client service is not running.
Please check this.

cpb · 2006-06-06 19:52

Thank you for your response.

Yes, the Error 96 is listed in the Help file.
I have already checked it. Multiple times.

That is why I included the line "-DNS client service is set to automatic and is started" in my original post.

What I was asking, is what else can I check?

cpb · 2006-06-06 22:15

Something else I found, the System log shows the following for each Error 96:

Error: 7011
Timeout (30000 milliseconds) waiting for a transaction response from the Dnscache service.

NetSetMan Support · 2006-06-06 23:16

Your DNS cache seems to be way too big. Have you ever used a software like Spybot? Such programs often have the bad habit to blow the hosts file with many, many entries to "save" you from spyware. In fact a big hosts file slows down a system extremely.

Please have a look at your hosts file.
c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

It shouldn't be bigger than a few kb.
You can open it with a text editor to view its content.
Or you can type in "ipconfig /displaydns" in the DOS window.

If it is too big, clear it.
It usually contais only the following line:
127.0.0.1 localhost

You also can try to restart the DNS cache:
net stop dnscache
[enter]
net start dnscache
[enter]

cpb · 2006-06-06 23:51

By jove, I think you've got it!

After posting the 7011 error, I found this article : svchost.exe hogs resources that talks about the 7011 error and big hosts files.

I use the MVPS HOSTS file which has well over 11,000 entries in it.

I don't notice any slow downs during normal operations from running that big of a hosts file.

I started doing some profiling, however, and when my hosts file gets around 4,000 lines long I start seeing some slowdown in NetSetMan. At about the 9,500 mark I start seeing some Error:96 issues (and switching network settings with NetSetMan locks my machine up for about a minute and a half). By the time I get over 10,000 rows in my hosts file, NetSetMan always gives the errors.

NetSetMan Support · 2006-06-07 17:44

Good! I will include this issue to the help file.
Thank you for the precise information regarding to the System log.

But honestly: Who needs such a huge amount of entries in the hosts file? I would understand if there were 100 entries to cover most of the popular advertisement sites. But over 10,000??

NetSetMan Support

#1 2006-06-05 20:32

Error:96 question

#2 2006-06-06 19:01

Re: Error:96 question

#3 2006-06-06 19:52

Re: Error:96 question

#4 2006-06-06 22:15

Re: Error:96 question

#5 2006-06-06 23:16

Re: Error:96 question

#6 2006-06-06 23:51

Re: Error:96 question

#7 2006-06-07 17:44

Re: Error:96 question