Problem accessing internet

[RFCC]

Help please.

I have a problem accessing the internet on one of my two ISPs, for these purposes called ISP-1 and ISP-2.

The history...

Both ISPs worked fine until recently. I was using ISP-1 with Firefox to add a live bookmark (RSS feed) from a BBC site. Shortly I realised that every web page I went to was unobtainable, as if I was of line. I tried to use IE6 but that also gave the same 'unable to access' reply. But I can still access my mail sever (I'm on a standalone laptop) using ISP-1.
When I dial up using my ISP-2, I can access the www without any problem.

I assume that the problem lies within the registry or with ZoneAlarm Security Suite but have searched these and have not been able to find anything.

Has anyone else had this problem, or have a solution? :sad:

[Saab Dastard]

RFCC,

It might be a DNS (Domain Name Service) problem.

I'm assuming that your mail server with ISP-1 is an "intranet" service - that is, your PC and the mail server are on the "same" network, not the public internet.

So you can resolve names on the intranet, but not the internet - e.g. ping smtp.myisp.co.uk resolves to an address such as 192.168.12.10.

Try pinging your email server, then try pinging www.bbc.co.uk.

Next, check your IP configuration with ISP-1 go to a command prompt, type ipconfig /all. In the listing should be entries for DNS server(s). If there aren't any that's the problem. If there are DNS servers and you get a response from pinging bbc, then it may well be a browser or firewall setting.

Have you got a proxy set up for ISP-2 that you don't need for ISP-1?

Try disabling the zonealarm firewall (briefly) for a short test to see if you can connect.

[RFCC]

SAAB

Thanks for the help. It is just a public internet server (Flyer) that I am trying to access. On ISP-1 I've pinged the mail server successfully but got no response from the BBC. On ISP-2 everything pinged OK. There isn't a proxy for either ISP. Also disabled Zonealarm with no difference. I've looked throught the config for Firefox and found nothing out of the ordinary, but the puzzling thing is that IE6 was simultaneously denied access when the fault occured.

[Saab Dastard]

RFCC,

If you can ping the mailserver - and resolve its name - on isp1, but not get out to the public internet, then I suggest you contact isp1 support.

You can check if it is a DNS problem by pinging bbc directly - i.e. 212.58.224.125 - if you can ping the IP but not the name, then it's a DNS problem.

Otherwise, your network and internet connection to isp1 seems fine (you can ping the mailserver). So it looks like it could be a problem with your isp.

I assume that isp1 is a broadband connection - do you have a hardware firewall between your PC and the isp?

Obviously your dial-up connection would bypass this firewall.

Nothing puzzling if both browsers - ie and ff - are unable to access the internet over the same connection. That's what you would expect.