Cortana cannot connect while on WiFi?

[drderbydog]

Okay so changing the DNS server in my router did NOT fix this problem. Apparently Time Warner has gotten very good at hijacking the DNS servers even if you override them in your router. Here is how you can tell if you are having this problem if you have Time Warner. Go to your browser and put in a non-existent web address in the URL bar, such as: http://www.thiswebsitedoesntreallyexist.com/ and see what happens. On my system, Time Warner takes me to a custom web search called "www.dnsrsearch.com". Doing a little more research on this shows that my cable modem is automatically appending ".cinci.rr.com" onto every host name that I request. So even if you override the DNS settings, since the domain is ".cinci.rr.com" the DNS server will defer to Time Warner's DNS to resolve it.

This will only work if you hare having this problem on Time Warner and your browser redirects to "www.dnsrsearch.com" as indicated above. If so, just go to Time Warner Cable and you will see the Time Warner Cable search box. Next to that search box on the right, click "preferences" which is right underneath "why am I here?" and under that screen, disable the "Web Address Error Redirect Service" and save your preferences. Voila, Cortana works!

 

[azcruz]

And for those it is working for what make/models do you have? May be corrected in firmware update for certain models.

No Wi-Fi issues for me. Office, public, tethered. HTC 8S.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Eric Roberge]

This will only work if you hare having this problem on Time Warner and your browser redirects to "www.dnsrsearch.com" as indicated above. If so, just go to Time Warner Cable and you will see the Time Warner Cable search box. Next to that search box on the right, click "preferences" which is right underneath "why am I here?" and under that screen, disable the "Web Address Error Redirect Service" and save your preferences. Voila, Cortana works!

This worked for me on TWC. Thanks!!!

Here's a pic for those wondering what it looks like:

 

[TuxedoST]

Nice find Eric!

Even with the DNS hijacking, its pretty surprising that it is causing Cortana to fail for others. I've also noticed that I am now able to send picture messages while connected to wifi, whereas before, they would always fail. I assumed it was a Tmobile issue, but it looks as though it was simply DNS problems. I love it when communities figure stuff like this out

 

[kwparker80]

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Thanks Eric, I was pulling out what is left of my hair. This worked like a charm, now I have NO issues on my 928 with the 8.1 preview installed!

North Carolina TWC users, DO THIS! :evil:

 

[Mashnoon Ibtesum]

haha...I actually did a tutorial like 3 days ago on this....lol...check it out here : www.mashnoon33.tumblr.com/post/82903675286/cortana-wifi-fix

 

[Teresa Holloway]

not working In Georgia .confused:

 

[mlbrowninsc]

This method also works with Charter. When you get to the Charter search page there is a link at the top of the page that says "why am I here". Click that and disable the Charter option. Cortana works fine now. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Chriskey2015]

same problem... any update there?

 

[RonnieJP]

Thanks, it worked with my Charter Internet service as well. But I had to type in a bogus URL to get to the Charter search page and then find the "Why am I here" link to disable that service. Great job!