i'm using a wireless router to connect my laptop to a home network. it frequently drops the web (but not the network), anywhere between 1 and 10 times an evening. when running Basic Internet Connectivity Tests, as run by Windows Messenger Troubleshooter, i usually get the message “your DNS appears to be unable to resolve IP addresses”

what does this mean and how can i fix it?

Answer:
DNS is the Domain Name System.

Depending on how your router is set up and your internet provider, it will either be in your modem settings, router settings, or if your ISP is having troubles, it could be a problem with them.

The most common cause is that you just need to re-connect because you’ve low signal.

Answer:
DNS = Domain Name System which, in easy terms, converts www names to their world wide web IPs.

Your wireless router will be acting as the DNS (start -> run -> cmd -> ipconfig /all and you’ll see your gateway IP will be the same as your DNS IP i.e. the router)

If you set your ISPs DNS IPs in your router or superior still, in your wireless connection TCP/IP properties, that should fix the problem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_name…

Answer:
Domain Name Server. It is the actual server that is directing the link between your personal and the platform on which the website your are looking at is served by. The IP address is the web provider address which each computer has and is very special.
Answer:
Your DNS isn’t working correctly (DNS=Domain Name Server, these guys translate web addresses eg. www.yahoo.co.uk to IP addresses eg 217.146.186.51)

Speak to you ISP and if that doesn't work try opendns (google it)

Answer:
dns means don’t snoop

ip

means icup