unable to access internet RHEL5

[sed_addictive]

Hello All. I am new to this forum and this is my first post/thread

Here is the issue that I am facing. I installed RHEL 5 on my home pc last week and since then am not able to access internet. I am trying to access internet over firefox(no proxy settings enabled) and it always the server could not be found. Elinks too have the same issue. Issue seems to be quite strange, atleast to me.
I use a broadband connection at home for internet(pppoe). i am able to ping to the gateway, ping to Yahoo!, # host Yahoo! resolves the ip and the reverse too.
The dns entries on /etc/resolv/conf are as per ISP’s advice
i checked the /etc/nsswitch.conf - it was "hosts files dns" and i changed this to look like "hosts dns files" but still unable to access
i have also checked /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 file and it has all the correct info.
i downloaded firefox and hoping thats the latest version, but was not successful to install due to an error message about an unavailable library file... didnt want to start a new issue, just not to complicate things, but i somehow want to resolve my internet access issue
When I try to access with the ip address of the website (http://208.240.250.2) , it works but not with the website(Yahoo!)
I tried to re-install from scratch but still the same issue. I did not choose DHCP and provide the ip address myself
Please help me

[sed_addictive]

i installed RHEL 5.1 today and its the same issue

any thoughts???

[jayd512]

So you were able to download Firefox and can't surf the net? Also, am I correct in reading that you can access a website by IP address but not by URL? If so, sounds like either a proxy/firewall issue, or incorrect information in DNS settings.
Have you tried looking into OpenDNS?

*EDIT*
If I'm wrong on how I interpreted your post, let me know!

[sed_addictive]

So you were able to download Firefox and can't surf the net? Also, am I correct in reading that you can access a website by IP address but not by URL? If so, sounds like either a proxy/firewall issue, or incorrect information in DNS settings.
Have you tried looking into OpenDNS?

*EDIT*
If I'm wrong on how I interpreted your post, let me know!

I did try download firefox and tried installing but that gives a different error message saying a lib file is missing. i didnt want to try figuring out a new issue
Yes am able to access a website by IP but not by URL
proxy is not set in the brower and i contacted the ISP and made the correct entries in /etc/resol.conf but there is this "search" directive in the file which was set to localdomain, i removed that from the file.
I have not looked into opendns yet but will do so.

[jayd512]

Have you tried surfing without proxy?

[sed_addictive]

proxy was never set. its always selected for - Direct connection to internet - option

[jayd512]

Well, if you can ping/connect by IP address, but not URL, then I think you might want to make sure your DNS is set correctly. Double-check your /etc/resolv.conf.

[sed_addictive]

I have done that number of times.
The dns entries on /etc/resolv/conf are as per ISP’s advice
i checked the /etc/nsswitch.conf - it was "hosts files dns" and i changed this to look like "hosts dns files" but still unable to access
i have also checked /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 file and it has all the correct info.

thanks so much for your help!

[hackson]

Can you let me know what is the output of #dig Google from ur machine and paste here

[sed_addictive]

sure i will do that. i login to the forum from office as my home internet is inaccesible
so it might a take a day for me to get the dig results and post it here.
thank you!