Issue with DNS on Windows XP Workstation

[LucaR]

Hi,

I run a Windows XP Workstation connected to my Whonix Gateway, with network settings configured as said in documentation. It works rather well. But I’ve an issue: very often (likely all 10/15 minutes) the workstation cannot get answer to a DNS request. It lasts a few minutes, then it works again. During these minutes of “DNS outage”:

• my browsers (tried on several browsers) cannot reach web pages through URLs, but still can when targeting directly a page through its IP adress (no DNS request)
• errors appears on the windows event logs for services that makes connexion using DNS (such as NTP)
• through my browsers I still can access hidden services (no DNS request for them)

=> that is why I know it is a DNS issue!

During outage:

• When I do disconnect the network adapter (deactivate) then reconnect it (reactivate), DNS responses are back to normal… until the next 10/15 minutes.
• When I changes identity using ARM on gateway, or restart tor, it does NOT fix anything

So it appears issue does not comes from gateway (or not only). I though until now it was some issue with my Windows XP (without figuring it out) BUT I recently created a similar configuration on another physical PC using a fresh gateway installation (lastest version) and fresh XP installation for worksation (NOT the same install files I used for my first workstation on the first PC)… and I got the same issue!

Anyone already experienced this issue with windows XP workstation? Any idea of what to do to fix it?

Thanks!

[Ego]

Good day,

First of all, using XP at this point is deemed so unsafe that you should make an upgrade immediately. There are free .iso’s for every Windows out there, provided by Microsoft for testing. These work great, so I recommend you’d use them as well. As you mention that you get the problem with a fresh installation of XP as well, I’d say that your source of installation seems to be the culprit here, as I can’t reproduce this behaviour on WS’s based on newer version of Windows.

Furthermore, could you please check whether your network settings are all correct?

Have a nice day,

Ego

[LucaR]

Hi!

Yes I’m aware about the general problem with XP, I use it for some very specific reason, but thanks anyway

Here are my settings, I think they are OK?

IP: 10.152.152.50
Mask: 255.255.192.0
Gateway: 10.152.152.10
DNS server: 10.152.152.10

On virtualbox VM: only one Network adapter activated, acess mode “internal network”, name “whonix”

Thanks!

[Ego]

Good day,

You seem to not have followed the guidelines correctly, otherwise you’d have seen that the network-name is case-sensitive. Furthermore, sorry to tell you, but there is no reason for using XP at this point, it undermines the advantages Whonix offers by a considerable degree and there is no reason to use an OS, whose software runs on newer, safer version of Windows just as well.

Have a nice day,

Ego

[LucaR]

Yes sorry, it is actually “Whonix” with a big W.

[Patrick]

Unless a pressing case is made for XP, I wouldn’t use a minute to investigate.