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  • 28-06-2012 3:30pm
    #1
    tufterween
    Registered Users Posts: 364 ✭✭


    I know this mightn't be the right place for this post but I'm having a real problem that I'd really like to get sorted as soon as possible.
    My laptop (not the one I'm using now) connects to the internet perfectly fine but none of the browsers will work (internet explorer, firefox, google chrome).
    The only website that will connect is google mail. Other than that it just says the webpage is not available. It's been like that for a few months now and I just gave up and put the laptop away.
    The strange thing is that last night I took it out and it worked fine. Connected to all the websites without a problem. Shut the laptop down to go to bed and came back to it this morning and the problem has returned.
    I don't know if this is a very basic problem or what but can somebody please help me with it?
    Tagged:


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    #2
    tufterween
    Registered Users Posts: 364 ✭✭tufterween


    Oh, one more thing... It only connects to google mail with google chrome. Not with firefox or internet explorer.


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    #3
    croo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 1,333 Mod ✭✭✭✭croo


    When we are in a browser and type www.boards.ie our computer asks something called a "Domain Name Server" what the IP address of the url www.boards.ie is.

    WHICH domain name server we ask is defined by our network connection definition. Alas unless we know more about what operating system your laptop is running it is difficult to say more.

    A good test to see if this is the problem is to go to the command line.
    On linux you can use the host command
    $ host www.boards.ie

    On windows you can open a "DOS box" and enter
    > nslookup www.boards.ie

    This should tell us which DNS is used and what the IP address of the entered url is. Or if no DNS is define produce an error.

    The computer usually gets it's DNS from the same place it gets its IP address - namely the DHCP server which in a home environment is usually your broadband router.

    IF you have other computers that work then the broadband router is probably configured ok. If not check it. Then check how is the network connection of the laptop defined. Is it configured to accept the DNS from the DHCP server or does it have its own defined?

    Find out all this - provide more info like what OS and how is the network configuration defined and perhaps there is more we can say.


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    #4
    tufterween
    Registered Users Posts: 364 ✭✭tufterween


    Hi croo. Thanks for replying. Unfortunately, being damn near computer illiterate, I'm having a serious amount of difficulty understanding what it is you are saying.
    My laptop runs on Windows but I have no idea what a "DOS box" is or how to go about doing anything with it.
    The are other laptops running off the same router with no problem so I don't think it's the router. Also, how do I check how the network connection of the laptop is defined? (To be honest, not really understanding that sentence either). I also haven't a clue how it should be defined if that even makes sense.

    As you can probably see, I'm about as far from a computer whiz as they come so some very basic instructions in very simple language would be much appreciated!


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    #5
    croo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 1,333 Mod ✭✭✭✭croo


    There are three versions of windows in common use; XP, Vista & Windows 7. If you need detailed, step-by-step instructions you'll need to say which version. I myself have not been using windows in many years so I'm a little rusty. But might I suggest that knowing you need to check the network settings and DNS settings in particular you might be better asking in the windows forum how you might do that.

    You seem to indicate that other internet programs work just not the browser... another possibility is that you have configured the browser to use a "proxy server" - you might ask also in the windows forum how to check if you have a proxy set.


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    #6
    tufterween
    Registered Users Posts: 364 ✭✭tufterween


    Ok thanks a million, I'll check the Windows Forum.
    It is Windows 7 on my laptop and I've already checked the proxy server. There's no problem there.
    Thanks for the help. I'll get onto the windows forum :)


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    #7
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,878 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    google mail will work because it's connecting through HTTPS which uses a different port to normal web browsing. Can you go on other secure websites? Try https://facebook.com and see if that works. If so then your computer is for some reason not allowing connections through port 80.


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    #8
    tufterween
    Registered Users Posts: 364 ✭✭tufterween


    Yes, it's working if i put https:// before the address


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    #9
    croo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 1,333 Mod ✭✭✭✭croo


    google mail will work because it's connecting through HTTPS which uses a different port to normal web browsing. Can you go on other secure websites? Try https://facebook.com and see if that works. If so then your computer is for some reason not allowing connections through port 80.
    Yes, it's working if i put https:// before the address

    So it's NOT the network connection or dns then.

    Do you have a firewall setup? Check if it has any rules defined that apply to port 80. On windows 7 the built in firewall can be found in Control Panel->System & Security.

    On second thoughts - just switch it off to see if that is the issue. If you can browse once the firewall is off then you can re-enable it and look closer to the rules.

    You might have another firewall installed? Do you have anything like norton security installed?


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    #10
    tufterween
    Registered Users Posts: 364 ✭✭tufterween


    Thank you so much.
    Turning off the firewall worked! So happy. Thanks a million


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    #11
    croo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 1,333 Mod ✭✭✭✭croo


    welcome
    .
    well now you know where the problem lies. I don't recommend leaving the firewall disabled! Now you know that this is the problem re-enable the firewall and look to remove a rule that is blocking port 80.

    Again the windows forum might be the best place to get detailed instructions.


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    #12
    tufterween
    Registered Users Posts: 364 ✭✭tufterween


    Ok firewall is on now and everything seems to be sorted. I had an out of date antivirus on the laptop which was in control of the firewall. So when i uninstalled that i was able to turn off and back on the firewall and everything works perfectly. (Also downloaded antivirus software so my computer's protected too.

    So thank you so much. This problem has been bugging me literally for months so it's great to get it sorted!


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