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DNS cache issue updated domain

Bunglenick
Tuning in
I have recently moved my website to a new host and updated the name servers of my domain to point to the new servers my site is on.
I have done a DNS check and the propagation process is completed WORLDWIDE.

That is, apart from with VM's DNS servers.
They still point to the old site on the old host.
Which I need to delete ASAP.

How can I fix this issue?
Doing a quick Google search shows this is a copy issue with no real solution.
Am I just stuck like this forever? Will half the country looking at an old site that can't be updated and my new site going to waste?

If so, how do I take VM to court for loss of earnings due to unfair censorship of my site?
73 REPLIES 73

Thanks Tim,

It's reasuring that its not all of Virgin Media Land thats seeing the old site. Its just frustraiting not knowing who is and isnt seeing the updated site.

I had to move from hosting my site with GoDaddy because their server resources were so pitiful that just trying to update the site caused it to go down. I have a new service I want to launch for my business but before I start sending out an email blast to potential clients, I need to know they are going to see the relivant information when they visit my site.

I guess I will just have to delay the launch for a few days while VM get around to updating their local DNS cache across the country.

I might give them a call in a bit, but Im pretty sure you're right that the faults team on the phone won't be able to help. After all, unplugging the router for 30 seconds isnt going to solve this..... (I tried! haha).

If anyone knows of a way to get the Forum Team to check out this thread quicker (without being rude and offencive just to get them to look), that would be great.

Did this ever get resolved as I’m having EXACTLY the same issue? Everything works fine except Virgin Media. I’ve tried accessing my new site from several different providers and mobile networks and they all work fine EXCEPT Virgin Media. It’s so incredibly frustrating and annoying. 

ravenstar68
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

@thespirituk wrote:

Did this ever get resolved as I’m having EXACTLY the same issue? Everything works fine except Virgin Media. I’ve tried accessing my new site from several different providers and mobile networks and they all work fine EXCEPT Virgin Media. It’s so incredibly frustrating and annoying. 


It's not a fault.  It's down to peoples poor understanding of how DNS works.  When did you change your DNS and what was the old TTL value?

Tim

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Same issue with me, again.

I moved my site last year to a new server and it took ages for VM to find the new site, but all my customers and people using a different ISP could see it within minutes.
MINUTES..

Yesterday my site was moved and as of now, many hours later, 12+. VM are still pointing to the old site and I can not see it or get any of my business e-mails.

Why is VM the slowest at this?
Why do VM think they can year on year under perform in this area and not care?

Anonymous
Not applicable
vm are not the slowest its because you visited the site when it was on the old IP address so the VM dns server cached the old IP address for 72 hours.

If someone using one of the other VM servers (more then just one. Each area has its own) they will get the new IP and cache that for 72 hours.

this is just how DNS works.

I use googel DNS and have the same problem when i change ip of a domain name i've visited.

ravenstar68
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

I'm going to be a little picky.

That should be - up to 72 hours.

I have my own DNS set up and the current cache time on that is set very low.  So Virgin only caches it for 30 minutes.  Of course, if I increase the TTL in my DNS entry Virgin will cache it for longer.

Tim

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I only ever have problems with VM.
That is just how VM works, they are slow.
I mean 72 hours?
Why only update every 3 days?

The internet is full of people complaining about this aspect of VM.
A quick search will reveal VM are renown for being poor in this regard.

ravenstar68
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

@AngelBarracks

You need to understand how DNS works properly to realise what is happening.  BTW Virgin Media users are not the only ones to complain.

https://community.bt.com/t5/Connected-Devices-Other/BT-DNS-Refresh/td-p/770726

Most web designers know about designing websites but don't do their homework when it comes to DNS.

If you want to find out how long before the cache entry updates use the following method - I'm going to assume you have Windows here:

  1. Press Windows Key + R to bring up a command prompt.
  2. Type powershell and press Enter
  3. Type Resolve-DNSName and press enter.

I've done it twice here, a few minutes apart.

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\Users\timdu> Resolve-DnsName www.timothydutton.co.uk

Name                                           Type   TTL   Section    IPAddress
----                                           ----   ---   -------    ---------
www.timothydutton.co.uk                        A      1800  Answer     77.68.89.100


PS C:\Users\timdu> Resolve-DnsName www.timothydutton.co.uk

Name                                           Type   TTL   Section    IPAddress
----                                           ----   ---   -------    ---------
www.timothydutton.co.uk                        A      1473  Answer     77.68.89.100

Note the TTL section.  This is how long the entry is cached for in seconds.  In the first one, because the lookup's not been done in a while we get a fresh entry queried from my DNS server.

1800 seconds = 5 minutes.

The second entry taken a few minutes later shows this

1473 seconds.

So until this value counts down Virgin's (or any other public server for that matter) won't check my DNS server but will use the stored value.

Who sets the time a DNS entry will be cached for?

Whoever controls your DNS entry.  I could easily change mine to the standard 86400 seconds or 24 hours.  And Virgin would cache it for that amount of time instead.

Tim

Edit - Note that if you are moving a website you should reduce the cache time of your old DNS entry a few days beforehand, so that when you do change the downtime is minimised.

 

 

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All I know is that:

My site was moved about 22 hours ago, and on VM I can not see it or get e-mails. After about 22 hours!
Other people could see it within minutes of the move...

I have just switched to open dns, and can see the site and get my e-mails.

VM are still pointing me to the old site.

I have a solution, a free solution as the ISP I pay are not good enough and that should be all VM need to know.

ravenstar68
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

I'm sorry but Virgin are not underperforming  They only cache my entry for 5 minutes because that is how I set it up.  If you don't know how DNS works, that's not Virgin's fault.  My own registrar advises me that it can take up to 72 hours for DNS changes to propagate.

The reason you can get your site through OpenDNS is because, it hadn't cached your site recently.  In fact when I've tried them they seem to use 3 DNS servers in rotation.  So I can, and have actually ended up with two different results from them after just changing a DNS entry, as one server had the old entry and the others got the new entry.  I've seen similar with Googles public DNS, although in that case it was rotated across a larger number of servers.

Tim

P.S.  I'm also willing to bet that unless you are in Birmingham, that I get the correct resolution for your site using Virgin's DNS.  Want to take me up on that?

 

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