Desktop PC is connected to the net but isnīt?

[Juud]

4 year old Dell PC, running XP, Windows Explorer (I know ), wireless connection.

When I look at the little wireless connection icon in the right bottom corner of the screen, it tells me:
Wireless network Connection
Speed: 54 Mbps
Signalstrength: excellent
Status: logged onto the net

But when I open Outlook Express, it tells me there is either a server or a network problem and that it can not log on.
When I start IE, it tells me that I am not logged onto the net and that it can not open the page.

I am writing this from the iBook, which works from the same wireless connection. Our landline phone is also via the net, and it works fine.
All usual lights are merrily blinking on the modem, and I have no idea what to do.
I have of course restarted the machine a few times, my Norton is up to date and I regularly run CrapCleaner and nCleaner.

Any Kind Boffin here who could take me by the hand and lead me through the streets of London?

[poss]

Hey,
What is the wireless icon showing at the bottom right. Possibilities include:

Computer with world icon, Computer on its own, Computer with exclimation, Computer with cross.

------------------------------------

Also, make sure your pc isn't asking you to "connect" as it is "working offline". If it is go:

Start - Control Panel - Internet Options - Connections - (tick) Never dial a connection - click ok

Then

Internet explorer - File - untick work offline
Restart internet explorer

-----------------------------------

start - run - cmd - ping www.bbc.co.uk
(tell me what the response is)

Also
in the cmd window: ipconfig

tell me what it says there.

I'll be on here all day as i'm at work so get back and the response should be fast.

[Lasiorhinus]

Go to the Network Connections window, and make sure your computer is set to use the wireless connection as the default. It may be trying to use the ethernet port, which is probably empty.

[Juud]

Lasio, thanks for the suggestion, but it isnīt that; I checked it.

Poss that was quick

Thereīs now (like always) 3 icons in the right bottom corner of PCs. 2 of them, like normal, have a red cross, and 1 has 3 green half circles that increase in size radiating out from the right hand side, indicating that the machine is connected to the net.

īNever dial a connectionī was already done, as was not working offline.


When it comes to pinging, I think I understand what you mean and the (translated from Norwegian) result is:

Pings www.bbc.co.uk [198.18.1.11] with 32 byte data:

Answer from 10.0.0.138: Goalhost can not be reached.
Answer from 10.0.0.138: Goalhost can not be reached.
Answer from 10.0.0.138: Goalhost can not be reached.

Ping statistic for 198.18.1.11:
Parcels: sent = 4, recieved = 4, lost = 0 <0% loss>,
Average time for go-return in milliseconds:
minimum = 0ms, maximum = 0ms, average = 0ms

If that makes any sense to you.....

[poss]

Posted a reply but it went to server busy and lost what I wrote... what a ****.

The ping showing 4 packets sent 4 received non lost tells me that you have internet access.
Do you have an antivirus?
What version of internet explorer are you using?

[Juud]

Originally Posted by Juud

my Norton is up to date and I regularly run CrapCleaner and nCleaner.
[/COLOR]

Yesterday, same as always when I get back froma trip and husband and son have had unfettered access to the PC, I ran an extra update of the Norton, did a full system scan with it, ran CCleaner and nCleaner and defragged the machine.
It ran fine the whole day after that.
Last it was on the net was when I went to bed last night at 2300 and son was surfing the net.

IE version 7

Thanks for taking the time, very kind of you.

[Saab Dastard]

The ping showing 4 packets sent 4 received non lost tells me that you have internet access.

Eh?

Answer from 10.0.0.138: Goalhost can not be reached.

The default gateway (or next hop router) is simply saying that it does not know how to reach a foreign network or host - i.e. has no route defined, or the destination network or host does not exist.

Interestingly, www.bbc.co.uk should resolve to www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.253.74] - at least it does so in the UK.

Juud, please run ipconfig /all from a CMD session and post the result here.

There are still several possibilities as to what the problem is - and it is probably a network problem, rather than a virus problem or an IE problem!

SD

[poss]

Unfortunately my pings resulted in request timed out so i couldn't check bbc's ip address.
It showed packets been sent and received... usually a sure sign of internet activity.
I was going to suggest:
Start - Control Panel - internet options - advanced - reset

[Keef]

As SD says: do the IPCONFIG /ALL thing and post the results here.

Do you have a firewall - Windows or ZoneAlarm? Does that allow your browser etc through?

[Lasiorhinus]

C:\>ping www.bbc.co.uk

Pinging www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.253.75] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 212.58.253.75: bytes=32 time=325ms TTL=239

Yeah, thats how the ping resolves for me, and I'm in Australia.

Juud, sounds like your problem is related to your DNS. Can you ping 212.58.253.75 ?

Also, just for fun, see if your browser can find 212.58.253.75


If it can, then you have internet access, but your computer isnt understanding the Domain Name system.

[Juud]

Juud, please run ipconfig /all from a CMD session and post the result here.

Saab & Keef, I have no idea what that means; Iīm not computer clever like you guys.
I can follow simple short step by step instructions though...... please?

Lasio, when I pinged 212.58.253.75 I got the same result as above. But maybe I am not doing it right? (am typing cmd in the run window, and then īping space numbersī in the black window)
As to seeing if my browser can find 212.58.253.75; I again have no idea how I would do that.

The Windows firewall is off.
Norton has something called īautoprotectī which is on.

[Saab Dastard]

Juud,

Type cmd in the run window, and then īipconfig /allī in the black window.

To copy the text, right click the black window, select MARK, then highlight the text to copy and press enter.

Then paste the text wherever.

Alternatively, type "ipconfig /all > c:\ipconfig.txt" in the black window - that will pipe the output to a text file called ipconfig.txt at the root of the C: drive.

SD

[Juud]

Ok here we go.
No point in copying the text, the PC isnīt on the net so Iīm typing it all out.

Again, pls keep in mind that I am translating from the Norwegian and that I am probably getting the technical translations wrong. Depending here on your collective smarts to recognise what it should have been.

Windows IP-configuration

Hostname ............... : troll-jgair3fmp
Primary DNS-suffix ... :
Nodetype ................ : Unknown
IP-routing activated ... : No
WINS Proxy activated . : No
Searchlist for DNS-suffix: lan


Ethernet-card local connection:

Media situation ...... : Medium not connected
Description ........... : Intel<R> PRO/100 VE network Connection
Physical Address .... : 00-07-E9-4B-B8-C4

Ethernet-card local connection 2:

Media situation ...... : Medium not connected
Description ........... : Bluetooth PAN network Adapter
Physical Address .... : 00-0D-3C-39-26-C4


Ethernet-card Wireless networkconnection 2:

Connectionspecific DNS-suffix .... : lan
Description ............................. : 802.11 USB Wireless LAN Adapter
Physical address ...................... : 00-02-72-4D-F8-DF
DHCP activated ........................ : Yes
Automatic configuration activated : Yes
IP-address ............................... : 10.0.1
Networkmask ........................... : 255.255.255.0
Standard gateway ..................... : 10.0.0.138
DHCP-server ............................ : 10.0.0.138
DNS-servers ............................ : 10.0.0.138
Leasingdeal recieved ................. : 11 March 2008 14:00:04
Leasingdeal expires ................... : 12 march 2008 14:00:04

While wreaking havoc with the housekeeping and dinner, this is actually fun, Iīm learning things.

[Saab Dastard]

DHCP activated ........................ : Yes
Automatic configuration activated : Yes
IP-address ............................... : 10.0.1
Networkmask ........................... : 255.255.255.0
Standard gateway ..................... : 10.0.0.138
DHCP-server ............................ : 10.0.0.138
DNS-servers ............................ : 10.0.0.138

Your problems are:

1) the IP address is wrong (although this could be a typo!!!). If the gateway and DHCP server is 10.0.0.138, netmask 255.255.255.0, then the IP address of your PC MUST be 10.0.0.x, where x is a number between 1 and 254 (except 138).

2) the DNS servers are listed as the same address as the gateway and DHCP server - this is an error.

Either the DHCP server (your Wireless Access Point / router) is wrongly configured, or your PC is wrongly configured. The PC should have both "obtain IP address" and "obtain DNS servers" set to automatic. Or both manually entered. This is in the network settings for the wireless card.

You should be able to obtain the correct DNS server settings from the wifi router and from the Mac.

One thing you can do quickly is type "ipconfig /release" and then "ipconfig /renew" at command prompt.

That MIGHT reset the config. correctly.

SD

[Juud]

SaabD, youīre right; i missed out a zero
IP-address ... 10.0.0.1

Quick typing the release/renew didnīt do the trick.

How would I obtain the correct DNS server settings from the wifi router and from the Mac please?
And once I have done that, what would I do with it/them?

really very grateful here; husband already threatening to buy a new PC

[Keygrip]

You *want* a new PC?

Might be easier to get a new husband (one that can fix computers?).

[Saab Dastard]

How would I obtain the correct DNS server settings from the wifi router and from the Mac please?

Depends on the router config / setup program - RTFM, I'm afraid.

Ditto with the Mac - there must be a simple network information button, as it's a Mac It would be useful to check what the IP address, subnet mask, Default gateway, DHCP server and DNS servers are on the Mac. Check also if you can ping the Mac and the wifi router (10.0.0.138).

Once you have the correct info, you can manually enter it into the network settings for the PC.

Here is a useful guide - lots more where that came from!

You can either choose to have a fixed IP address and enter the DNS servers manually, DHCP IP address and enter the DNS servers manually or both DHCP IP address and DNS servers obtained automatically.

Since the last case isn't working, and I don't recommend the second, that leaves you with the first option.

Before you change anything, note down your current settings!

You will need to enter the IP address as 10.0.0.x, where x is any number not already in use (10.0.0.1, 10.0.0.138 etc.), the subnet mask as 255.255.255.0, the default gateway as 10.0.0.138 and the DNS servers as whatever they turn out to be.

husband already threatening to buy a new PC

And that would help... how?

Spending the money on a complete reference library for Windows XP support might be a wiser investment!

SD

[Keef]

What SD says ... something is wrong with the IP setup the pooter is getting from the WiFi.

Are the other machines on the network using the same WiFi connection, or are they hard-wired? [Edit - RTFQ, Keef] Since they are wireless and working right, it points to a problem with the pooter.

Do you have a cable so that you could connect the pooter direct to a port on the router? If that works, some more ipconfig /all with that link working would reveal useful stuff.

[bnt]

The PC's IP address is 10.0.0.138, and the local gateway is 10.0.0.1, which looks normal for a NAT setup. The PC reports its connection is OK, and if you Ping the gateway, I bet it will work:
ping 10.0.0.138

Then, if the IP connection is fine, but you still have problems connecting to a name, then it's a Name Resolution problem. I see that the report seems to have the correct value in there:
DNS-servers ............................ : 10.0.0.138
And when you try to ping BBC, you get
Answer from 10.0.0.138: Goalhost can not be reached.
That is, your gateway is reporting that it cannot ping the BBC.

Since your gateway and PC are communicating, I think your gateway or your ISP are having problems. I don't know what to make of the fact that other machines work - cached DNS records? Have you tried restarting the connection on the gateway, or the gateway itself?

re fixed IP addresses, you should not need to resort to such measures on a home network, unless you enjoy that kind of thing! DHCP is mature enough to cope, these days.

[Juud]

SaabD, my extended family smile with derision at the fact that I always RTFM.

Too tired in the head to understand any of the above. Will try again tomorrow.