Topic: Help to pin-point DNS problem with GoDaddy

[wvdkuil]

A template user tries to end the discussion with GoDaddy.
The retrieval  of the "3 day space forecast" http://services.swpc.noaa.gov/text/3-day-forecast.txt fails more often then  it succeeds caused by a DNS error.
I also use GoDaddy, same script, same DNS error.
Other  txt files from swpc.noaa.gov show intermittent failures.
I upped the cache time to 12 hours so that after a successful load of the txt file, the page loads normally.

QUESTION for help from other GoDaddy users.
The GoDaddy support person asked for a working GoDaddy server where the script does not fail if tested a few times in succession. 
Then he can compare the DNS settings between the at least two servers who fail and other servers who never fail.

What you could help with:
1.Put the attached script on your website
2. Test it with  www.yourwebsite.com/testGoDaddy.php
=> if it fails it is the normal situation, still happy to hear from you
=> BUT if it runs OK multiple times, say every minute for 15 minutes, THEN WE NEED TO KNOW your website name
Godaddy support can  then compare and try to find the differences between your and our GoDaddy settings.

Example runs with GoDaddy:
Fails always: http://www.weerstation-leuven.be/testGodaddy.php [namelookup_time] => 0  Resolving timed out after 5000 milliseconds
Fails often: http://m82a1.us/testGodaddy.php  [namelookup_time] => 0 name lookup timed out

b]Example[/b] other provider, no fails ever: http://sluispark.be/testRobohost.php   =>  [namelookup_time] => 0.519348  => DNS resolved , output loaded

The script retrieves the data using CURL at the webserver and by using an iframe directly in the browser.
The iframe part should never fail as it uses your LAN/router to resolve the DNS.

I attach a zip of the test script to upload to your website.
Feel free to check the code, can be done also with the example links by adding ?sce=view to the URL

There is also a screenshot how the output of the script looks when it fails.
If the script works OK the output in the iframe and at the bottom should be identical.

Wim

P.S.   Or there is maybe another problem which we (user, support and myself) are unaware of.?

[PaulMy]

Hi Wim,
I am a GoDaddy user, and trying the links on your post:
http://services.swpc.noaa.gov/text/3-day-forecast.txt seems ok to me
http://www.weerstation-leuven.be/testGodaddy.php gives the same error as you posted , time out after 5001 mili sec
http://m82a1.us/testGodaddy.php gives the same error as you posted
http://sluispark.be/testRobohost.php gives no errors


Paul

[wvdkuil]

Hi Wim,
I am a GoDaddy user, and trying the links on your post:
http://services.swpc.noaa.gov/text/3-day-forecast.txt seems ok to me
http://www.weerstation-leuven.be/testGodaddy.php gives the same error as you posted , time out after 5001 mili sec
http://m82a1.us/testGodaddy.php gives the same error as you posted
http://sluispark.be/testRobohost.php gives no errors


Paul

Sorry, i meant something different, it is lost in translation.

I meant: As a  GoDaddy user
1. put the test script on your website folder
2.  and executes it => something like  www.yoursite.com/testGodaddy.php

If the script fails more then it runs OK => it is the " normal " situation.
If the script runs OK on your site, it is the server we are looking for.

Wim

P.S. i will try to adapt my first post.

[PaulMy]

I guessed that but am not at home to upload to my webserver.  If there has been no others with trying this I'll do that this evening when home.


Paul

[CNYWeather]

Return codes:

Array
(
    [url] => http://services.swpc.noaa.gov/text/3-day-forecast.txt
    [content_type] => text/plain
    [http_code] => 200
    [header_size] => 526
    [request_size] => 212
    [filetime] => 1498134604
    [ssl_verify_result] => 0
    [redirect_count] => 0
    [total_time] => 4.804061
    [namelookup_time] => 4.631548
    [connect_time] => 4.716639
    [pretransfer_time] => 4.71677
    [size_upload] => 0
    [size_download] => 1833
    [speed_download] => 381
    [speed_upload] => 0
    [download_content_length] => 1833
    [upload_content_length] => -1
    [starttransfer_time] => 4.803951
    [redirect_time] => 0
    [certinfo] => Array
        (
        )

    [primary_ip] => 129.15.96.21
    [redirect_url] =>
)
Error codes -><- if there are errors they appear here at the left between the ><

I'm on GoDaddy Wim. This the returned part of the script you're looking for?

[wvdkuil]

Return codes:

Array
(
    [url] => http://services.swpc.noaa.gov/text/3-day-forecast.txt

    [total_time] => 4.804061
    [namelookup_time] => 4.631548
    [connect_time] => 4.716639
    [pretransfer_time] => 4.71677

Error codes -><- if there are errors they appear here at the left between the ><

I'm on GoDaddy Wim. This the returned part of the script you're looking for?

Thank you very much, that is a GoDaddy server (50.63.100.x) with 1000 websites. Different IP range then the other two.
It was slow resolving the URL, just within 5 seconds.
I tested multiple times and the results are:
[namelookup_time] => 4.2E-5  => OK => data OK
[namelookup_time] => 0    => Resolving timed out after 5000 milliseconds 3 times same error after that.

So again the results are not what they should be.

Have to wait and see,

Wim

[mldenison]

Folks - If there's anyone on this board that has their Leuven based weather site on a GoDaddy server please test and report back their findings.

This also affects anyone using the Saratoga Space Weather scripts.

Both Wim and myself would appreciate it as we've had no luck with GoDaddy tech support.

Mort

[PaulMy]

Sorry I didn't follow up, I thought CNYweather had provided the result, here is mine:

Code: [Select]

Following  part tests the link for "noaa.gov dns timeout problem" but this time it is executed on your server using the DNS server of GoDaddy:
    http://services.swpc.noaa.gov/text/3-day-forecast.txt
We will be waiting for an answer 5 seconds maximum

Return codes:
Array (
 [url] => http://services.swpc.noaa.gov/text/3-day-forecast.txt
 [content_type] => text/plain
 [http_code] => 200
 [header_size] => 558
 [request_size] => 170
 [filetime] => 1498307404
 [ssl_verify_result] => 0
 [redirect_count] => 0
 [total_time] => 0.079784
 [namelookup_time] => 0.002052
 [connect_time] => 0.039906
 [pretransfer_time] => 0.040039
 [size_upload] => 0
 [size_download] => 1833
 [speed_download] => 22974
 [speed_upload] => 0
 [download_content_length] => 1833
 [upload_content_length] => -1
 [starttransfer_time] => 0.079687
 [redirect_time] => 0
 [certinfo] => Array
 (
 )
 [primary_ip] => 140.172.17.11
 [redirect_url] =>
 )
  Error codes -><- if there are errors they appear here at the left between the ><
Data returned (maximum first 500 characters displayed)
:Product: 3-Day Forecast :Issued: 2017 Jun 24 1230 UTC # Prepared by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center # A. NOAA Geomagnetic Activity Observation and Forecast The greatest observed 3 hr Kp over the past 24 hours was 3 (below NOAA Scale levels). The greatest expected 3 hr Kp for Jun 24-Jun 26 2017 is 4 (below NOAA Scale levels). NOAA Kp index breakdown Jun 24-Jun 26 2017 Jun 24     Jun 25     Jun 26 00-03UT        2          3          3     

[mldenison]

Thanks, PaulMy.

Do you still have Wim's test file on your server?  I'd like to hit it a couple of times to see if the response time remains quick here in York, PA.  I'd just need a link to access it.

Thanks,
Mort

[PaulMy]

This should do it: http://www.komokaweather.com/weather28/testGodaddy.php

Paul

[mldenison]

Thanks Paul, I'm envious.  I just wanted to confirm your site is hosted by GoDaddy?

If you don't mind, I'm again going to contact GoDaddy support and give them the link to show them some sites, at least, do not have a connect problem.

Thanks,
Mort

[mldenison]

Well, Paul, I take that back.  I had to refresh that link on your site 5 times before it showed data rather than a timeout.

The same on mine: http://m82a1.us/testGodaddy.php

[PaulMy]

I've tested both mine and yours about 10 times each.
Mine has no errors.
Yours can be a couple without errors then errors, then again no error.  About 50/50 with and without errors, and yours takes quite a while longer to load most of the time.


Yes I am with GoDaddy.


Paul

[mldenison]

Yours is loading quite quickly now.  I'll check with GoDaddy Monday.

Thanks,
Mort

[wvdkuil]

The problem seems to be in the "cloud services" where   services.swpc.noaa.gov is hosted ????

After an hour with the Belgium/European helpdesk the answer was:" Godaddy does not support contacting dynamic IP addresses such as services.swpc.noaa.gov "

It is true that the IP4-address of services.swpc.noaa.gov changes every few seconds, every time you want to communicate the resolved ip-address is different.

But at my question why one.com 2and2 robohost and others have no problems with accessing that site, they answered : "your type of hosting account at Godaddy does not support that".  I pay 18.14 euro every month for  "Ultimate Secure Linux" hosting of weerstation-wilsele.com, and I can not get the information from services.swpc.noaa.gov to my webserver.
I pay less then 10% (1.50/month) for my account at  Robohost.nl for http://weer.sluispark.be/ and the test scripts never fail at that site.

I think godaddy has a problem, they simply do not care about that and can not and will not solve it.
Another problem they have here in the local support site, they can not contact the US support personnel to let them do the test.

Conclusion:
Fails always:       http://www.weerstation-wilsele.com/
Fails mostly:       http://m82a1.us  uses  IP 198.71.227.4 when it does not fail
Fails (50/50)       http://www.komokaweather.com/  uses the same IP 140.90.200.11 when it works

I think we have to close this topic, sorry for other Godaddy <=> space weather script users. And as more and more sites are moved to the cloud, other scripts will fail then also.

Wim

P.S. Other IP-adresses used for services.swpc.noaa.gov today:
140.90.33.21
129.15.96.21
140.90.200.11
129.15.96.11
140.90.33.11
140.172.17.11

Maybe there is a different "error' causing this, but Godaddy support is not "technical" enough, see attached screenshot of
http://dnscheck.pingdom.com/?domain=services.swpc.noaa.gov

[dupreezd]

wvdkuil, if you use Windows, you can force a DNS update from a different DNS server with the NSLookup command. Below, I asked for the IP address of services.swpc.noaa.gov from Google DNS server. This way you don't rely on Godaddy DNS. Might solve your problem.

C:\Users\Home>nslookup services.swpc.noaa.gov  8.8.8.8
Server:  google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address:  8.8.8.8

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    edge-p1.l.noaa.gov
Addresses:  2610:20:8000:8c01::24
          2610:20:8800:8c00::24
          216.38.80.71
          216.38.80.81
          129.15.96.11
          129.15.96.21
          140.90.33.11
          140.90.33.21
          140.90.200.11
          140.90.200.21
          140.172.17.11
          140.172.17.21
Aliases:  services.swpc.noaa.gov
          edge-nws.woc.noaa.gov

[wvdkuil]

wvdkuil, if you use Windows, you can force a DNS update from a different DNS server with the NSLookup command. Below, I asked for the IP address of services.swpc.noaa.gov from Google DNS server. This way you don't rely on Godaddy DNS. Might solve your problem.

C:\Users\Home>nslookup services.swpc.noaa.gov  8.8.8.8
Server:  google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address:  8.8.8.8

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    edge-p1.l.noaa.gov
Addresses:  2610:20:8000:8c01::24
          2610:20:8800:8c00::24
          216.38.80.71
          216.38.80.81
          129.15.96.11
          129.15.96.21
          140.90.33.11
          140.90.33.21
          140.90.200.11
          140.90.200.21
          140.172.17.11
          140.172.17.21
Aliases:  services.swpc.noaa.gov
          edge-nws.woc.noaa.gov

Thanks, but most Godaddy template users are on Linux.
Most important: the PHP-> CURL used to get the data, does not allow another DNS server as the default one  for the website it is running on. I searched for any solution to use an outside DNS server for CURL or file_get_contents used in the scripts, but did not find one.

Wim

[dupreezd]

Sorry, cant help there, no Linux experience. Had Google CURL 

[PaulMy]

My hosting at GoDaddy is the Linux Deluxe (I don't know the difference between Windows and Linux hosting but advice here on the forum was to use Linux) and I have some other non-weather domains websites included in this hosting.  If there is anything else I can test please let me know.

Paul

[mldenison]

I think godaddy has a problem, they simply do not care about that and can not and will not solve it.
Another problem they have here in the local support site, they can not contact the US support personnel to let them do the test.

I've been in contact with the US GoDaddy technical support people 5 times in as many days.  Each time, of course, I get a different person and have to go through the process of explaining the issue.  This includes emailing the links on a couple of different web sites where Wim has installed his test program.

Each and every time the support person can replicate the timeout with the dns lookup error but fails to understand the problem lies with their dns servers.  They simply would not escalate the issue to a higher tier of technical support.

Yet I can plug the same address into a web browser and the data is instantly returned.  I've used Chrome, Pale Moon and Explorer with nary a failure.

If I weren't paid up for three years of domain and hosting services I'd be looking for another company.

[mldenison]

My hosting at GoDaddy is the Linux Deluxe (I don't know the difference between Windows and Linux hosting but advice here on the forum was to use Linux) and I have some other non-weather domains websites included in this hosting.  If there is anything else I can test please let me know.

Paul

Hi Paul,

The last contact I had with GoDaddy - yesterday - I explained your website had less dns failures.  They looked at your settings.  On mine, they noticed that the server php package was not at the latest release and upgraded it.  Of course, it didn't help much, if at all.  They mentioned that your php was even older then the one I had installed.  After poking around in CPanel on my site, I found where I could have installed the latest version.

FYI

[PaulMy]

My PHP is the latest I can get, I have not yet upgraded to cPanel

Enjoy,
Paul

[mldenison]

Well, I had another hour of fruitless conversation with tech support.  He was full of blah, blah.

Apparently, with noaa.gov constantly switching ip addresses in their cloud environment, GoDaddy's dns servers cache 1 ip address for named lookups.  Of course, if we hit that cached ip address, chances are it's no longer there so we get a time out.

He had no explanation as to why other hosting companies are not affected.

We ended the conversation with him saying there's nothing to be done on their end.  I replied saying I would be looking for another hosting company.  He was not interested in taking this to a higher level of support.

He did say that we should increase the timeout to 20 seconds.  I told him that would be unacceptable to my website users.

[PaulMy]

He was not interested in taking this to a higher level of support.

 
Can you send an email to support or to the attention of anyone, hopefully higher up?
I've had a similar situation in the past when first level support wouldn't take it any higher, but things did get resolved without me having to go any further, but a bit less hair in the process!

Paul

[mldenison]

Unfortunately, they list no address on their page.  I'll Google and see what I can find.