Can you help?

Rubecula

Just had my computer repaired after a blue screen of death incident and it was pretty serious. Cost me a few pennies for repair.

Now it works perfectly apart from one minor snag. I can not get online with it.

It connects to my broadband get signal strength is excellent but no matter what I use (Firefox, Google Chrome, IE) I get the message page unavailable (or equivalent)

Any hwlp would be wonderfully recieved

Stheno

Are you on windows and if so what version? XP, WIn 7, Win 10?

Have you tried plugging it into your router and seeing if you can connect that way?

me_irl

What operating system are you running (I'm guessing Win 7 or 8?).

If you go in to Control Panel and Network Connections, make sure IPv4 and IPv6 are set to "obtain address automatically".

Check the link for more info... http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-tcp-ip-settings#1TC=windows-7

Atlantic Dawn

If you have the modem near the computer connect a lan network cable to it and see if you can go online. If you can you know it's wireless related, if you can't you know it's configuration on the computer.

Rubecula

I am on XP

Connection is excellent and signal strength is excellent but nothing will let me get online. (it is a desk top with wireless connections)

I have gone through lots of different things but I always end up with the message that the Page is Unavailable (or similar phrase)

I am using exactly the same connections on this laptop I am using now and exactly the same connections that I have used for the past few years.

Rubecula

Oh it also says DNS Lookup failed. I have no idea what that means

DNS is the service that maps IP addresses to host names or website names, I'm new here so can't post links or images.

Open the properties of your network card and make sure the card is set to automatically receive its IP address and that the repair centre did not leave a static IP address or their DNS settings in place.

Check the browser configuration to make sure the repair centre did not leave any proxy configuration in place.

Firefox has its own configuration settings but Chrome on Windows reads the exact settings you have in place for Internet Explorer and uses these.

Temporarily disable your anti virus software and see if you can connect, if you can check the network/browser protection settings within your software.

Rubecula

DubInMeath wrote: »

Open the properties of your network card and make sure the card is set to automatically receive its IP address and that the repair centre did not leave a static IP address.

Tried and failed to improve matters

Check the browser configuration to make sure the repair centre did not leave proxy configuration in place.

I hoped this might work but no luck

Temporarily disable your anti virus software and see if you can connect, if you can check the network/browser protection settings within your software.

Tried this without anything happening to help

Can you ping a website and get four success responses?

Not sure what you mean

Thankyou for your help, in fact thanks to everyone who offered help.

Ping is an operating system level command that tests connectivity at the lowest level

I can't show you an example here as I'm new and can't post images or URLs, so you need to google this unfortunately and anything else I suggest as needed.

Also try the following.

Issue the command ipconfig/all in the Windows command prompt on both the problem laptop and your working one.

Check the IP addresses and see if they are in the same range and what is returned as the DNS.

Your ip address should be something like

192.168.1.10

Take note of all the details of your working machine returned by ipconfig and manually enter this information into the properties of your network card. Make sure to use a different ip address for the problem laptop by changing the last digit from 10 to 11 for example, then restart the laptop and see if you can connect.


Other items to look at.

1. Check that the repair centre have not changed your user account from Administrator to a Standard user. Also create a new user as an administrator, then log into the laptop as this user and see if you can connect under this profile.

2. Physically connect the laptop to your router using a network cable and see if you can connect, this limits down the problem to your wireless network card.

3. Check the status of your wireless network card in device manager.
If no issues reported delete your network card via device manager, restart the laptop and the card should be picked up again and automatically installed. Then check if there is any issue connecting.
Note as your most likely aware XP is no longer supported as an OS so you might have difficulties finding a driver for your wireless network card. I'd suggest that you find and download the driver onto a USB drive just in case the driver is not automatically picked up before deleting via device manager. This way you can also update the driver for the wireless network card via device manger if the uninstall and reinstall routine oes not work.

bside29

ping an address on the command prompt,
check if Proxy is added on the internet properties,
You may also try booting on Safe mode with Networking to see if its a virus preventing you from connecting to the internet

mordeith

Rubecula wrote: »

I am on XP

Just an aside (and apologies if it's been mentioned above already) but you shouldn't really be using XP online anymore due to security updates no longer being issues by MS.

bside29

I agree, Microsoft already stopped supporting this OS since 2012 I believe. Next on their list is Vista.

While its true the OS is out of support it's what the OP has.

It's stilll being used in the civil service and hospitals but they don't have the money to upgrade.

OP one other thing, flush your DNS via the command prompt.

garbeth

OP can you get online using any other device using that connection. For example your phone or another PC/ tablet

Go to start
Select run
Type CND and press enter
Type ipconfig and press enter
Tell me what comes back

Then type ping 104.20.1.160
Press return and tell me what comes back

Your other option would be to ring the person who fixed the pc in the first place and get them to fix it for you.

Can you also tell me what your general level of it knowledge is so that people can tailor a response to you

Rubecula

I am online from same router using same connections right now. BUT I have no start prompt/button as I am running windows 8 on this device.

Rubecula

Rubecula wrote: »

I am online from same router using same connections right now. BUT I have no start prompt/button as I am running windows 8 on this device.

In windows 8 you need to search for the command prompt and run it as an administrator.

Usually the words CMD will find this

garbeth

As above in the search bar type cod and hit return a black box should appear them continue as before.

You need to do this on the PC that isn't working

me_irl

The windows key (usually between Alt and Ctrl) + the letter R will open the run command. Type "cmd" (without quotes) and press enter. That will open the Command Prompt.

You can check your own IP address by typing: ipconfig /all and then press enter. Should list your Gateway (the router).

As mentioned above you could try to "ping" a website to see if you get a response. Think of it as sonar on a submarine.

So the command would be: ping www.google.ie and then press enter. You'll either get a response (four IP addresses) or a timed out for each.

mp22

Check that the network settings have not been set to public.

yoyo

DubInMeath wrote: »

While its true the OS is out of support it's what the OP has.

It's stilll being used in the civil service and hospitals but they don't have the money to upgrade.

OP one other thing, flush your DNS via the command prompt.

Their paying (or rather us taxpayers) big money for special support from Microsoft due to laziness, a bit off topic but I agree I wouldn't risk taking XP online these days.

Nick

yoyo

yoyo wrote: »

Their paying (or rather us taxpayers) big money for special support from Microsoft due to laziness, a bit off topic but I agree I wouldn't risk taking XP online these days.

Nick

Being online with any version of MS is dangerous :-)


OP if possible take and upload screen shots of the IP config /all command from both your working and non working machine.
I'm assuming you have a USB drive in this case to save the screen shot from the non working machine to.

mp22

mp22 wrote: »

Check that the network settings have not been set to public.

Been a while since I worked with XP but to my knowledge network setting being public, work etc only arrived with Vista

mach1982

Sounds to be like you network work in configured correctly.

Ok , your on XP , fowllow the stepts here tp run a ping test .

Post the results here

Also
this might help