Whenever you're done with fixing up with new hardware or tinkering around some network settings, which is the first page you open when you launch your browser to test if you're internet connection is working fine?
I don't typically go to a specific page to test my connectivity. I go straight to whatever task I set out to do, then if that doesn't work, I do the following:<p>1. Fire up Terminal<p>2. Check loopback<p><pre><code> $ ping localhost
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3. Identify default gateway<p><pre><code> $ netstat -nr | grep '^default'
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4. Ping whatever gateway I find<p><pre><code> $ ping 172.20.1.254
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5. Try a known good IP address<p><pre><code> $ ping 4.2.2.2
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6. Check to see if the resolver is working (get root servers)<p><pre><code> $ dig
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7. Check to see if I can resolve specific hostnames (try a known good one first)<p><pre><code> $ dig google.com
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8. Check the specific hostname I'm trying to reach (but failed)<p><pre><code> $ dig bradlanders.com
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9. Try a name server other than the one I'm using<p><pre><code> $ dig @4.2.2.2 bradlanders.com
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10. Test IP routing to the destination IP<p><pre><code> $ mtr 69.163.164.23
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10. Assuming each of these passes, you can safely say the target service is down<p>Each successive step is taken only if the preceding fails.
I usually have a Terminal window open, so I ping one of our production servers, which is hardcoded with a short name in my /etc/hosts file. This ensures that basic networking is working. I then try to reload a random open browser tab. If that fails, I know a DNS issue is likely to blame.
I generally head here, to HN - the dynamic content means I know it's a new page not a cache on my machine, which concerns me with other pages. It also loads reasonably fast, so I have an answer either way without too much hassle.