Internet not working in Win 8.1
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Internet not working in Win 8.1
When I boot my machine (Win 8.1) if I go into Chrome it connects successfully - but a couple of minutes later it just hangs and won't work. From a command line I can ping URLs (like Google) successfully, so I'm obviously actually connected and it's something to do with the browsers interaction. Even an IP address in a browser won't work. I've tried Chrome, IE and Firefox and they all have the same problem.
I've found descriptions of similar sounding problems and tried the solutions, such as refreshing Winsock and making sure the network adapters are using the manufacturers drivers rather than Microsoft's, but it still isn't working. I suspect this started after some updates, as I've been using 8.1 for some time without problems, but restore won't work if I try to go back - it comes up with some non-specific message saying it can't do it.
So, anyone got any ideas? It's very strange that it works immediately after startup but then stops working.
I've found descriptions of similar sounding problems and tried the solutions, such as refreshing Winsock and making sure the network adapters are using the manufacturers drivers rather than Microsoft's, but it still isn't working. I suspect this started after some updates, as I've been using 8.1 for some time without problems, but restore won't work if I try to go back - it comes up with some non-specific message saying it can't do it.
So, anyone got any ideas? It's very strange that it works immediately after startup but then stops working.
Are the pings working consistently and reliably and at a sensibly low m/s?
Some time ago I had a similar issue, but with erratic pings. I did all the usual stuff with cables out and in, re-sets, turning modem and router off and on, gentle thumping of pc where the cable goes in etc.
Turned out to be wiring where the phone line comes in to the house at the "main" socket. (Only 5 feet from pc). Only part-connecting, and only part of the time. BT man arrived, cut off the bit of cable that was s'posed to connect, moved the connection along a bit. Made sure connection was fine. Job done.
The curtain bumps in to the main socket.
Socket was obviously annoyed by the curtain, so went all erratic.
Some time ago I had a similar issue, but with erratic pings. I did all the usual stuff with cables out and in, re-sets, turning modem and router off and on, gentle thumping of pc where the cable goes in etc.
Turned out to be wiring where the phone line comes in to the house at the "main" socket. (Only 5 feet from pc). Only part-connecting, and only part of the time. BT man arrived, cut off the bit of cable that was s'posed to connect, moved the connection along a bit. Made sure connection was fine. Job done.
The curtain bumps in to the main socket.
Socket was obviously annoyed by the curtain, so went all erratic.
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It's not the router or phone line - I have other devices that are working OK, including a Win 7 laptop.
I suppose it could be something in the router that hates my 8.1 laptop, but it was all working fine until about a week ago.
I also forgot to mention that it won't work with WiFi or cable.
I suppose it could be something in the router that hates my 8.1 laptop, but it was all working fine until about a week ago.
I also forgot to mention that it won't work with WiFi or cable.
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It sounds very similar to an 8.1 DNS / WINS issue experienced here, so when you get a moment, try the following:
For belts and braces, do a system restart, give it a try and test, and hopefully your problem is fixed.
(Well, at least in the short-term, but of course you're now at the mercy of latency time to google's or OpenDNS' nameservers until MS fix the problem. Unless. Unless...
...unless you go to Gibson Research, download their DNS tool, and find something "closer" and faster. Find it at https://www.grc.com/dns/benchmark.htm, let it run initially, then if you're outside the USA, take the "Build Custom List" option and follow the instructions.)
HTH
Go into "Network And Sharing Centre" (rightclick on network icon bottom-right of screen)
Click on "Change adapter settings"
Rightclick on the icon of your active network adapter, and select "Properties" menu entry
Find "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) in the list displayed (usually at the bottom)
Once selected, click on Properties button.
Click on "use the followng DNS server addresses"
Enter two public DNS addresses below, eg Google DNS (8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4), OpenDNS (208.67.222.222 & 208.67.220.220)
Finally, hit OK on that window, and Close on the Properties window.
Click on "Change adapter settings"
Rightclick on the icon of your active network adapter, and select "Properties" menu entry
Find "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) in the list displayed (usually at the bottom)
Once selected, click on Properties button.
Click on "use the followng DNS server addresses"
Enter two public DNS addresses below, eg Google DNS (8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4), OpenDNS (208.67.222.222 & 208.67.220.220)
Finally, hit OK on that window, and Close on the Properties window.
For belts and braces, do a system restart, give it a try and test, and hopefully your problem is fixed.
(Well, at least in the short-term, but of course you're now at the mercy of latency time to google's or OpenDNS' nameservers until MS fix the problem. Unless. Unless...
...unless you go to Gibson Research, download their DNS tool, and find something "closer" and faster. Find it at https://www.grc.com/dns/benchmark.htm, let it run initially, then if you're outside the USA, take the "Build Custom List" option and follow the instructions.)
HTH
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WeeJeem, if OP can resolve URLs from the command line, then DNS is working... 
Vancouv, my guess is that you have some third party rubbish on your system that's causing the problem. Go on an uninstall spree.
Vancouv, my guess is that you have some third party rubbish on your system that's causing the problem. Go on an uninstall spree.
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Well, things seem to be working at the moment, and I think it was WeeJeem's suggestion......
Firstly I discovered that I couldn't ping all addresses from the command line - google and yahoo would work but others, like pprune, wouldn't. So I made the change WeeJeem suggested, rebooted - and it still didn't work. I could get google up immediately after the reboot, but then nothing. All the time other programs could connect fine - google drive, Norton, updating malware defs - they all worked fine. It was just the browsers.
Anyway, I disabled the firewall in Norton and it started working - cracked it, I thought. So I went back to the original DNS settings, switched the firewall off - still didn't work. Back to the WeeJeem settings, firewall off and it worked.
Mmmm, I thought, strange. So rebooted the machine, firewall was now on and WeeJeem settings in place, and it worked. And has continued to work.
So I think those settings are what's made the difference, but I couldn't get consistent results so I'm not 100% sure. They certainly didn't work the first time I tried them, and I'm not aware that I've set anything else differently. So let's see what happens......
Thanks to all who posted.
Firstly I discovered that I couldn't ping all addresses from the command line - google and yahoo would work but others, like pprune, wouldn't. So I made the change WeeJeem suggested, rebooted - and it still didn't work. I could get google up immediately after the reboot, but then nothing. All the time other programs could connect fine - google drive, Norton, updating malware defs - they all worked fine. It was just the browsers.
Anyway, I disabled the firewall in Norton and it started working - cracked it, I thought. So I went back to the original DNS settings, switched the firewall off - still didn't work. Back to the WeeJeem settings, firewall off and it worked.
Mmmm, I thought, strange. So rebooted the machine, firewall was now on and WeeJeem settings in place, and it worked. And has continued to work.
So I think those settings are what's made the difference, but I couldn't get consistent results so I'm not 100% sure. They certainly didn't work the first time I tried them, and I'm not aware that I've set anything else differently. So let's see what happens......
Thanks to all who posted.
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A bit more information. Following another Windows update I had exactly the same problem. This time the DNS addresses were still set so it wasn't related to them. I discovered it was the firewall - switch it off and it worked, on and it didn't, and I could get consistent results.
I'm using Norton 360 (which came with the laptop and I don't like much) and the only config I could find was to do a firewall reset. Other firewalls I've used have popped up a message saying 'program changed do you want to allow it' which is clear and simple. I don't fully understand what a reset is doing - is it now allowing everything through without my permission? I'm not keen on Norton, I'm going to bin it once my free subscription expires.
So I don't think the DNS changes were necessary, I think it was the firewall all along, although I'm not sure why it started working last time - I couldn't get reliable symptoms to properly diagnose.
I'm using Norton 360 (which came with the laptop and I don't like much) and the only config I could find was to do a firewall reset. Other firewalls I've used have popped up a message saying 'program changed do you want to allow it' which is clear and simple. I don't fully understand what a reset is doing - is it now allowing everything through without my permission? I'm not keen on Norton, I'm going to bin it once my free subscription expires.
So I don't think the DNS changes were necessary, I think it was the firewall all along, although I'm not sure why it started working last time - I couldn't get reliable symptoms to properly diagnose.
Latency to DNS ervers
the mercy of latency time to google's or OpenDNS' nameservers
From the UK.
Reply from 208.67.222.222: bytes=32 time=19ms
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=18ms
As a reference, a ping from the UK to new York has a round trip time of about 80ms so an instance of each of these these servers are quite close.
Last edited by jimjim1; 18th Oct 2014 at 19:37. Reason: minor clarification
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but of course you're now at the mercy of latency time to google's or OpenDNS' nameservers
Due to the magic of anycast, Google, OpenDNS and others can deploy multiple resolvers around the world with the same IP address and you will automatically be directed towards the nearest one.
That said, because of the way the internet works, you SHOULD really be using your own ISPs DNS resolvers. Especially if you regularly access content (streams, file downloads etc.) stored on the CDNs. Because the ONLY way you will be guaranteed to access the CDN cluster most appropriate for your connection is to use your own ISPs DNS resolvers.
The third-party services may, occasionally, direct you to the same cluster... but I can very much assure you that's by luck rather than good judgement ! It will never be as reliable and consistent as using your ISPs own DNS resolvers. That's a fact, please don't waste your time trying to argue otherwise.
If you use a third-party DNS service (e.g. Google, OpenDNS) whilst attempting to access content on a CDN you will most likely not be routed towards the most appropriate CDN cluster for your connection.
(Well, you could also run your own DNS resolver on your internet connection, but for most people its not worth the hassle and if you're only running a single-homed internet connection, like 100% of home internet users are, you're not gaining anything by doing so either).
Just to demonstrate my point.....
(a) Not using ISP DNS servers I get bounced over to the Netherlands and a total of 13 hops.....
$ traceroute client.akamai.com
traceroute to e1217.d.akamaiedge.net (23.74.104.24), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
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7 te0-2-1-0.gr10.saams.nl.easynet.net (87.86.77.163) 39.258 ms 42.035 ms 41.008 ms
8 eth15-2.r1.ams2.nl.atrato.net (80.249.208.229) 40.126 ms 36.600 ms 43.217 ms
9 eth1-1.core1.ams2.nl.as5580.net (78.152.44.77) 38.152 ms 40.056 ms 37.324 ms
10 eth7-1.core1.lon1.uk.as5580.net (78.152.44.238) 44.976 ms 43.875 ms 45.114 ms
11 eth1-3.r1.lon1.uk.as5580.net (78.152.44.101) 44.134 ms 55.931 ms 53.162 ms
12 akamai-20940-gw.lon01-1.uk.as5580.net (78.152.39.70) 43.099 ms 37.794 ms 36.219 ms
13 a23-74-104-24.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com (23.74.104.24) 37.190 ms 35.668 ms 37.188 ms
traceroute to e1217.d.akamaiedge.net (23.74.104.24), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
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7 te0-2-1-0.gr10.saams.nl.easynet.net (87.86.77.163) 39.258 ms 42.035 ms 41.008 ms
8 eth15-2.r1.ams2.nl.atrato.net (80.249.208.229) 40.126 ms 36.600 ms 43.217 ms
9 eth1-1.core1.ams2.nl.as5580.net (78.152.44.77) 38.152 ms 40.056 ms 37.324 ms
10 eth7-1.core1.lon1.uk.as5580.net (78.152.44.238) 44.976 ms 43.875 ms 45.114 ms
11 eth1-3.r1.lon1.uk.as5580.net (78.152.44.101) 44.134 ms 55.931 ms 53.162 ms
12 akamai-20940-gw.lon01-1.uk.as5580.net (78.152.39.70) 43.099 ms 37.794 ms 36.219 ms
13 a23-74-104-24.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com (23.74.104.24) 37.190 ms 35.668 ms 37.188 ms
(b) Using ISP DNS servers, total of 8 hops and remain in the UK ...
$ traceroute client.akamai.com
traceroute to e1217.d.akamaiedge.net (2.17.248.158), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
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6 pc5-111.gr10.telon.uk.easynet.net (87.86.69.128) 33.297 ms 32.790 ms 32.147 ms
7 ae2-98.lon10.ip4.gtt.net (77.67.74.109) 29.165 ms 30.029 ms 31.398 ms
8 * 2.17.248.158 (2.17.248.158) 31.109 ms 29.496 ms
traceroute to e1217.d.akamaiedge.net (2.17.248.158), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
.
.
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6 pc5-111.gr10.telon.uk.easynet.net (87.86.69.128) 33.297 ms 32.790 ms 32.147 ms
7 ae2-98.lon10.ip4.gtt.net (77.67.74.109) 29.165 ms 30.029 ms 31.398 ms
8 * 2.17.248.158 (2.17.248.158) 31.109 ms 29.496 ms
Extract from presentation from Akamai to ISPs if you don't believe me (by "local name server" they mean the ISPs DNS server, and by "mapping", they mean internet "mapping", not geographic although in some scenarios the two may be related) ....
Last edited by mixture; 19th Oct 2014 at 12:46.
