Airport w/full bars, but no internet connection?... Solution and question about DNS

Hi there! I'm new here and I wanted to tell you a problem I'm having but I was told an apparent solution.

It's the eternal Airport trouble with full bars, full wi fi connection but no ability to connect to the Internet and browse the web, and Network Diagnostics with red dots on Internet and Server... Well... In the official Apple forums I saw MANY people with the same problem and no one gave a single solution, but the guy who sold me the MacBook i have, told me that he went thru the same issue and he realized it was all a matter of DNS Servers.

The fact that Airport shows full connection bars but doesn't allow you to browse is just a lack of DNS numbers in the network settings... While PCs track those numbers automatically, he told me Macs don't... So, what we should do is to get the ISP DNS Server numbers and write it/them. That should solve the problem.

Now, knowing that fact, a new problem arises: How the heck do we get those DNS numbers? Well... it would be good to call every Wi Fi ISP and ask them about them. but if you can't do that you could go to someone else with a PC logged to the same network and ask them for the DNS numbers in the connection Properties menu.

But, what if you're shy or just don't have time to do so... This is my question:

Is there some kind of software for Mac that allows you to track and find those DNS numbers based on, for example, the IP address the connection is giving you? Or something like that??

I don't really imagine myself wandering PC user by PC user asking for the DNS numbers in a public wi fi place like an airport or cafe.

Please help w/this one!! I know there should be a software like that!

Thank you in advance!

i had a problem like your's before where i would see full bars in airport yet when i tried to surf the web, i would get nothing... i fixed my problem by removing all access points in my list and re-adding them manually when i came in contact with each access point... the problem was there was a corrupt access point in my list, so doing trial and error of removing each one i managed to (i think) narrow down the access point that caused me all the problems... Now that i have re-added my access points and installed all updates, things are working fine and no problems so far

Thank you about your experience, but i don't really go frequently to all those places and before I've erased and re set the networks I catch at home, but yesterday it didn't work... For some reason.. It's like the second time it happens to me from home... Many other outside.

Well... We'll see what others say... thanx a lot again

Your macbook should be acquiring the DNS addresses automatically. The person who sold you it doesn't know what he is talking about. In most cases I have found the router is the cause of the problems.

Well, but how do you solve that when you're at a public space such an airport or cafe and you can't connect, while all other can... That's my main concern.

See, actually it happen these days again at home... I sort of "steal" wi fi connection to someone else from the many wi fi networks my Macbook detects in the neighborhood... Only one of them is open and free (no password required)... 98% of the times it works wonderfully... But some certain random days, it's detected, my airport is at 3 or 4 bars and it won't connect, just for this problem I was telling you about... So, how do I solve it!!

After 2 days of detecting at full capacity it and not working, yesterday night it started to work fine again... How could I understand and solve that?

I can't believe is just a matter of luck... I guess I'm gonna try going to a Starbucks or some other free wi fi place