Windows can ping IP but not hostname: the DNS fix nobody mentions
When nslookup works but ping fails, the culprit is usually NetBIOS, the hosts file, or a DNS suffix priority issue. Here's the 4-minute fix.
Problem
Symptoms your readers will recognise immediately. Keep it short — they're already frustrated. Use the actual error messages, link colours, or behaviour they're seeing.
Symptoms
List every observable indicator: lights, error codes, command output, app messages. Each symptom should be a search term someone might Google verbatim.
Diagnosis
Step-by-step process to confirm the root cause. Include the exact commands (ping, tracert, mtr, nslookup, ip route, show ip interface brief) and what good vs bad output looks like.
Solution
The fix that worked, with every config line, every menu path, every screenshot. No hand-waving. Include rollback steps.
Alternative Fixes
If the primary fix didn't work, try these in order. Cover the most common SA-specific edge cases — CGNAT, peering, ISP throttling, load shedding side-effects.
Related Resources
Internal links to related guides, vendor documentation, and downloads. Strong internal linking helps SEO and helps the next person.
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