internet not working

with both the IE and the sbc yahoo dsl are saying that there is no connection. But when i go to network connections it said that i am. I did a network diagnostics for xp states that their is a dns failure and cannot make an http,https, or ftp connections

One thing you can try.
Turn off your computer.
Power down your modem.
Wait 2 or 3 minutes, power up the modem, turn on your computer, see if you are connected.
A long shot worth a try until someone else comes along who may have other things for you to try.

with both the IE and the sbc yahoo dsl are saying that there is no connection.

By this, do you mean that the DSL modem is not lit up properly?

Do you have a router between the computer and your DSL connection? If so, the first step is to turn off/unplug the router, modem, and computer. Once all of the devices are powered off, power the modem back up. If the modem lights up properly (give it about two minutes) power up the router, wait two minutes and then turn the computer back on and see if the problem was resolved. If the modem does not light up after two minutes, contact your ISP and have them check your connection from their end.

could be a firewall issue blocking ip address?