Is it just me, or is there some sort of problem with the chat server(s)?

Sky, Th 2007 Mar 15 ~2239 CDT

On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 22:41:25 -0500, Skyhooks
> wrote:

>Is it just me, or is there some sort of problem with the chat server(s)?
>
>Sky, Th 2007 Mar 15 ~2239 CDT

No, it's not just you. I had trouble too..then I managed to get
online and Jill mentioned she had to use another server.

Use irc1.penguinpowered.ca...and it should get you right in. I did
that, and it worked fine.

If not, the java and browser links are working. Not sure what is
going on with the server, maybe Kal knows...

Christine

Yep


--
Helen
in
FERGUS/HARLINGEN
http://www.mompeagram.homestead.com/index.html
"Skyhooks" > wrote in message
...
> Is it just me, or is there some sort of problem with the chat server(s)?
>
> Sky, Th 2007 Mar 15 ~2239 CDT

On 2007-03-16, Skyhooks > wrote:
> Is it just me, or is there some sort of problem with the chat server(s)?

(sigh) One last time.

The problem is not the chat server, it's the DNS (Domain Name System)
servers. It's hard for people to remember the octal number IP
address, 64.233.187.99. But, it's easy to remember Google.com. Soooo,
DNS servers takes names like Google.com and translate them to the
harder to remember but technically correct IP address number, which is
then used to locate and connect to the target server internet address
(IP). There may also be more than one numbered IP address for one
name or more than one name for one numbered IP address.

For example:

Name: google.com
Address: 64.233.167.99
Name: google.com
Address: 72.14.207.99
Name: google.com
Address: 64.233.187.99

If you put one of the above numbers in the URL window of your web
browser, you will get Google.com. Simple, eh?

Such is the case for the rfc chat server, whatever dot penguinpowered
dot whatever. All those variations of the name resolve to an IP
address number:

IRC:
Server: irc.penguinpowered.ca
Port: 6667



Using the M$DOS command, nslookup, you get:

C:\> nslookup irc.penguinpowered.ca

Name: irc.penguinpowered.ca
Address: 209.160.36.31
Name: irc.penguinpowered.ca
Address: 66.38.196.98

Same goes with all those irc(somenumber).penguinpowered.ca variants:
Name: irc1.penguinpowered.ca
Address: 66.38.196.98

Name: irc2.penguinpowered.ca
Address: 209.160.36.31

OK, let's recap. yada.penguin.yada is just a name which must be
resolved (translated) to a number by overworked DNS servers. Quite
often, all those DNS servers talking to each other and sharing all
those domain names get all confused and drop a name or two here and
there (just like rfc). In fact, whenever you have problems reaching
any website, more often than not, it's not the target website/server
that is down, it's those pesky DNS servers that are down or confused
or just having a bad day.

So, yada.penguin.yada sometimes is hard to reach. But, if you put in
the IP address *NUMBER*!!, the whole DNS system is completely ignored
and bypassed and you can go directly to the penguin chat server. See?
So, once again I implore chatty kathy to put the IP address "numbers"
on the rfc website and for you folks trying to access the chat room to
use the IP address number (209.160.36.31) instead of the domain name
(irc.penguinpowered.ca).

My irc client, xchat, has 209.160.36.31/6667 in the server name (the
/6667 is the port number. See above). I *never* have a problem
reaching the chat room. It always brings up the chat server
instantly.

Whew! If you don't get it by now, may the fleas of a thousand camels
infest your butter bell.

nb

notbob wrote:
>
> On 2007-03-16, Skyhooks > wrote:
> > Is it just me, or is there some sort of problem with the chat server(s)?
>
> (sigh) One last time.
>
> The problem is not the chat server, it's the DNS (Domain Name System)
> servers. It's hard for people to remember the octal number IP
> address, 64.233.187.99. But, it's easy to remember Google.com. Soooo,
> DNS servers takes names like Google.com and translate them to the
> harder to remember but technically correct IP address number, which is
> then used to locate and connect to the target server internet address
> (IP). There may also be more than one numbered IP address for one
> name or more than one name for one numbered IP address.
>
> For example:
>
> Name: google.com
> Address: 64.233.167.99
> Name: google.com
> Address: 72.14.207.99
> Name: google.com
> Address: 64.233.187.99
>
> If you put one of the above numbers in the URL window of your web
> browser, you will get Google.com. Simple, eh?
>
> Such is the case for the rfc chat server, whatever dot penguinpowered
> dot whatever. All those variations of the name resolve to an IP
> address number:
>
> IRC:
> Server: irc.penguinpowered.ca
> Port: 6667
>
> Using the M$DOS command, nslookup, you get:
>
> C:\> nslookup irc.penguinpowered.ca
>
> Name: irc.penguinpowered.ca
> Address: 209.160.36.31
> Name: irc.penguinpowered.ca
> Address: 66.38.196.98
>
> Same goes with all those irc(somenumber).penguinpowered.ca variants:
> Name: irc1.penguinpowered.ca
> Address: 66.38.196.98
>
> Name: irc2.penguinpowered.ca
> Address: 209.160.36.31
>
> OK, let's recap. yada.penguin.yada is just a name which must be
> resolved (translated) to a number by overworked DNS servers. Quite
> often, all those DNS servers talking to each other and sharing all
> those domain names get all confused and drop a name or two here and
> there (just like rfc). In fact, whenever you have problems reaching
> any website, more often than not, it's not the target website/server
> that is down, it's those pesky DNS servers that are down or confused
> or just having a bad day.
>
> So, yada.penguin.yada sometimes is hard to reach. But, if you put in
> the IP address *NUMBER*!!, the whole DNS system is completely ignored
> and bypassed and you can go directly to the penguin chat server. See?
> So, once again I implore chatty kathy to put the IP address "numbers"
> on the rfc website and for you folks trying to access the chat room to
> use the IP address number (209.160.36.31) instead of the domain name
> (irc.penguinpowered.ca).
>
> My irc client, xchat, has 209.160.36.31/6667 in the server name (the
> /6667 is the port number. See above). I *never* have a problem
> reaching the chat room. It always brings up the chat server
> instantly.
>
> Whew! If you don't get it by now, may the fleas of a thousand camels
> infest your butter bell.
>
> nb

NB,

I had problems accessing chat with both the irc2 server and the
direct-IP (209.160.36.31)! I finally got into chat with the irc1
server. Seems there might be some gremlins playing around someplace
(?). I still can't access the irc2 or the direct-IP this morning. No
problem with the irc1 server (knock on wood).

Sky

On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 09:20:29 -0500, notbob > wrote:

>My irc client, xchat, has 209.160.36.31/6667 in the server name (the
>/6667 is the port number. See above). I *never* have a problem
>reaching the chat room. It always brings up the chat server
>instantly.
>
>Whew! If you don't get it by now, may the fleas of a thousand camels
>infest your butter bell.
>
>nb

Even that wasn't working last night. I tried that. So did Sky.

We had to change to irc1.penguinpowered.ca to get in.

Christine

On 2007-03-16, Christine Dabney > wrote:
> On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 09:20:29 -0500, notbob > wrote:
>
>>My irc client, xchat, has 209.160.36.31/6667 in the server name (the
>>/6667 is the port number. See above). I *never* have a problem

> Even that wasn't working last night. I tried that. So did Sky.
>
> We had to change to irc1.penguinpowered.ca to get in.

Nonsense. As I stated before....

Name: irc1.penguinpowered.ca
Address: 66.38.196.98

.....so, it's entirely possible 209.160.36.31 did not work while
66.38.196.98 did. Just because DNS servers screw up more often than
destination servers (website, irc, email, etc) is not to say
destination servers don't sometimes go down or have problems, also.
But, I've noticed the DNS servers seem to have an usually hard time
with the yada.penguinpowered.yada domain names. It may be, in my
case, only Comcast DNS servers have probs with *.penguin*.* domain
names. Before I started using numbered IP address numbers for chat, I
would always have to try irc1.* and irc2.* several time before I could
get on. Now that I use numbered IP addresses, I never have problems
anymore. DNS servers are like human interpreters. What you say may
not always get interpreted correctly by your internet service
provider's DNS server while someone else's DNS servers may be
interpret just fine. If you want, you can run your own DNS server.
Almost all versions of Linux come with DNS server software. But, it's
just easier to find out the number and use it directly. Like
eliminating an interpreter, you're eliminating one layer of possible
confusion.

nb

nb

nb

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 09:20:29 -0500, notbob > wrote:
>
>> My irc client, xchat, has 209.160.36.31/6667 in the server name (the
>> /6667 is the port number. See above). I *never* have a problem
>> reaching the chat room. It always brings up the chat server
>> instantly.
>>
>> Whew! If you don't get it by now, may the fleas of a thousand camels
>> infest your butter bell.
>>
>> nb
>
> Even that wasn't working last night. I tried that. So did Sky.
>
> We had to change to irc1.penguinpowered.ca to get in.
>
> Christine

Speaking of which, I'm in the chatroom right now.

Jill