Cannot browse local or remote sites with any browser, FTP and email works fine

[canterbury.sales]

This is my original post. I am hoping to get this resolved quickly and
I apologize for the cross posting.

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...2bbf6adc1aa/b41fb49e38afdcb1#b41fb49e38afdcb1

Problem: Web browser (IE) will not connect to any site. Internal or
external. Tried firefox and opera as well and all I get is "web site
found" but the site never loads. Tried localhost for my Apache server
no luck.

However, FTP connection and email work just fine.

Solutions tried:

Checked router, modem, etc.
Restarted
Checked connection with another computer and another install on same
machine. They work.
Started in Safe mode (I am using it now) and it works fine.

Anyone has a solution?

Thank you very, very much.

PS: Check link above for more details.

 

[Vanguard]

This is my original post. I am hoping to get this resolved quickly and
I apologize for the cross posting.

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...2bbf6adc1aa/b41fb49e38afdcb1#b41fb49e38afdcb1

Problem: Web browser (IE) will not connect to any site. Internal or
external. Tried firefox and opera as well and all I get is "web site
found" but the site never loads. Tried localhost for my Apache server
no luck.

However, FTP connection and email work just fine.

Solutions tried:

Checked router, modem, etc.
Restarted
Checked connection with another computer and another install on same
machine. They work.
Started in Safe mode (I am using it now) and it works fine.

Anyone has a solution?

Thank you very, very much.

PS: Check link above for more details.

"Web site found" probably only means that the DNS server returned an IP
address to IE for the IP name that you specified.

See if you can ping using an IP name, like "ping www.yahoo.com". If it
reports that the host cannot be found, could be a DNS problem. Look at your
LAN connectoid's TCP/IP properties in Network applet in Control Panel.

I just ran into a problem where I could ping a host (by IP name) but could
not browse to the site. A new cable modem was installed (to replaced the
old flaky one) and I could ping the site but I couldn't browse there. This
was a bit confusing since the connectivity was obviously there and DHCP and
DNS were working. Turns out the tech had not yet registered the cable modem
with my ISP so HTTP traffic was not allowed to get through the cable modem.
There was another time long past where the ISP had to re-register the cable
modem (I think it was about the time that they upped the service for higher
bandwidth).

What happens when you use an IP address in the URL to a site instead of an
IP name?

Are you using a NAT router? If so, are you using a static IP address
configured in the TCP/IP properties for your LAN connectoid? If so, make
sure the subnet for your static IP address is within the subnet range
supported by your NAT router. For example, my router is at 192.168.1.1 and
its DHCP server allocates IP addresses in the range of 192.168.1.100 to
192.68.1.149 (by default, its DHCP server only provides a 50 IP address
range but it can be increased). I tried using 192.168.2.100 for my static
IP address but thereafter I couldn't even reconnect to the router's internal
web server used to configure it. The router doesn't support multiple
subnets coming into it and its list of preset subnet masks don't cover the
3rd octet for a different subnet. So I had to change to using 192.168.1.200
for a static IP address so it was in the same 192.168.1.x subnet as the
LAN-side of the router and then I could connect to the router and get
through to the Internet. You could just trying pushing in the Reset button
on the router to get it back to factory defaults.

Maybe I missed it but you never did mention HOW you connect (to the router,
what type of "modem", and what physical transport medium is used after the
"modem", like DSL, cable, ISDN, dial-up, satellite, or whatever).

Have you tried using msconfig.exe to disable startup programs, reboot, and
seeing what happens then? Have you tried rebooting into Safe Mode?

Have you done any tweaking of the TCP properties, especially if using a
"dumbass" utility that purports to increase bandwidth or speed by making
tweaks that you don't understand or it never describes? Are you using a
"web accelerator" utility from your ISP (in which the only acceleration is
just by downloading only a portion of the images so they look fuzzy until
eventually painted fully)?

Have you totally disabled your anti-virus program? Some will insert an LSP
(layered service provider) into the TCP protocol that will then interrogate
even HTTP traffic looking for viruses, usually in HTTP file transfers. Even
disabling the anti-virus program will NOT remove the LSP. It won't do the
datastream interrogation (so the performance penalty is gone) but the data
still has to pass through their now passive LSP. An LSP doesn't care which
browser you use as it intercedes at the TCP/IP protocol. The only way to
get rid of the LSP is to disable whatever feature in the anti-virus program
uses it or to uninstall the anti-virus program altogether. You can use
LSPfix, Spybot, or, I think, MS Antispyware to list what LSPs, if any, that
you have installed.

If the problem were only with IE then I would've suggested using BHO Browser
to check which BHOs (browser helper objects) you have installed in IE, or to
use Internet Options -> Programs -> Manage add-ons to list them. However,
you said the problem is exhibited regardless of which browser you use which
makes it sound like you have a process loaded that is interferring or
something wrong in the TCP protocol defined for your LAN connectoid. We
don't even know if you are using a wired or wireless network or combo of
both, and if you did the necessary security setup of wireless to prevent an
outside from using, abusing, or altering your wireless network.

You never mentioned what anti-malware products you used to scan your system?
Ad-Aware, Spybot, Microsoft Antispyware, Pest Patrol (online scan), or did
you try something else? Besides McAfee (which incurs a performance penalty
on most hosts), did you try using any of the other online AV scanners, like
Symantec, TrendMicro? Since they are free, they only detect and won't clean
but it would provide some reassurance that you weren't infected with
something the McAfee has yet to define a signature and removal scheme to
eradicate. Some products aren't free but do offer a working trialware
version, like TDS-3 and a-squared for better trojan scanners (don't remember
about TrojanHunter).

 

[canterbury.sales]

Hi, thank you for responding.
You asked some very good questions about my system and I'll try to
answer them. however, I included a link in my original post with a
cross posting where I go into much more detail about my system and the
measures I have take.
I apologize if I didn't make that more evident.

The status at present has not changed, except that I discovered that I
can connect to the web using :
1) A mac I have on the same network
2) The same computer using an alternate boot
3) the same computer using a different "User"
4) the same computer in Safe Mode

This tells me my http problems are not caused by my modem (a Comcast
broadband Scientific Atlanta)

In addition, I can do pretty much everything aside from connecting to
web pages:
1) I can ftp
2) I can ping both using an IP address and a domain name (tried yahoo)
3) I can send and receive email

I CANNOT:
browse the web using either a
1) domain name
2) IP address
3) local IP address (apache server)
4) or using http://localhost

I scanned for viruses using McAfee and I used the microsoft Antispyware
program plus the usual adware and spyware utilities.
I also used (in safe mode) several online port checkers and virus
checkers.

I'll respond in more detail in the body of the post, otherwise I invite
everyone kind enough to want to help to click on the link in the OP to
see more details that could be important.
My hope is that someone that had the same problem or read about it can
point me in the right direction.

Thank you

Answers to specific questions:

Q=> See if you can ping using an IP name, like "ping www.yahoo.com".
If it

reports that the host cannot be found, could be a DNS problem. Look at your
LAN connectoid's TCP/IP properties in Network applet in Control Panel.

### Yes I can ping both Yahoo and its IP address successfully. Also my
cable modem works in other configurations. it only craps out under a
specific user

Q=> What happens when you use an IP address in the URL to a site
instead of an

IP name?

### The same happens. No joy.

Q=> Are you using a NAT router?
Frankly I am not aware if I do or don't. I have a Dlink wireless with
the configuration you describe. I will look into it, but again, it
works well if I login as administrator or I am in safe mode. It should
not affect the router.

Q=> Have you tried using msconfig.exe to disable startup programs,
reboot, and

seeing what happens then? Have you tried rebooting into Safe Mode?

No and Yes. Now that you mention it, a start up program may very well
be the problem. I'll check. Safe mode works great. So that could be it.
However, I have very few strt up programs (I like to invoke programs
myself and keep hte start ups to a minimum. So I doubt it will be that.

Q= > Have you done any tweaking of the TCP properties?
No and I don't use accellerators

Q=Have you totally disabled your anti-virus program?
Yes, several times, as well as the firewall. No joy.

Q=We

don't even know if you are using a wired or wireless network or combo of
both, and if you did the necessary security setup of wireless to prevent an
outside from using, abusing, or altering your wireless network

My computer is more secure than fort knox. I run all sorts of port
tracers and went through the log of the firewall.
This particolar boot that is having problems is my staging and
production machine. In the other post I put all the specification, but
I did forget to mention that I run a wireless router but I am plugged
in.


Thank you again for all the help.

 

[Vanguard]

Hi, thank you for responding.
You asked some very good questions about my system and I'll try to
answer them. however, I included a link in my original post with a
cross posting where I go into much more detail about my system and the
measures I have take.
I apologize if I didn't make that more evident.

The status at present has not changed, except that I discovered that I
can connect to the web using :
1) A mac I have on the same network
2) The same computer using an alternate boot
3) the same computer using a different "User"
4) the same computer in Safe Mode

This tells me my http problems are not caused by my modem (a Comcast
broadband Scientific Atlanta)

In addition, I can do pretty much everything aside from connecting to
web pages:
1) I can ftp
2) I can ping both using an IP address and a domain name (tried yahoo)
3) I can send and receive email

I CANNOT:
browse the web using either a
1) domain name
2) IP address
3) local IP address (apache server)
4) or using http://localhost

I scanned for viruses using McAfee and I used the microsoft Antispyware
program plus the usual adware and spyware utilities.
I also used (in safe mode) several online port checkers and virus
checkers.

I'll respond in more detail in the body of the post, otherwise I invite
everyone kind enough to want to help to click on the link in the OP to
see more details that could be important.
My hope is that someone that had the same problem or read about it can
point me in the right direction.

Thank you

Answers to specific questions:

Q=> See if you can ping using an IP name, like "ping www.yahoo.com".
If it

### Yes I can ping both Yahoo and its IP address successfully. Also my
cable modem works in other configurations. it only craps out under a
specific user

Q=> What happens when you use an IP address in the URL to a site
instead of an
### The same happens. No joy.

Q=> Are you using a NAT router?
Frankly I am not aware if I do or don't. I have a Dlink wireless with
the configuration you describe. I will look into it, but again, it
works well if I login as administrator or I am in safe mode. It should
not affect the router.

Q=> Have you tried using msconfig.exe to disable startup programs,
reboot, and

No and Yes. Now that you mention it, a start up program may very well
be the problem. I'll check. Safe mode works great. So that could be it.
However, I have very few strt up programs (I like to invoke programs
myself and keep hte start ups to a minimum. So I doubt it will be that.

Q= > Have you done any tweaking of the TCP properties?
No and I don't use accellerators

Q=Have you totally disabled your anti-virus program?
Yes, several times, as well as the firewall. No joy.

Q=We

My computer is more secure than fort knox. I run all sorts of port
tracers and went through the log of the firewall.
This particolar boot that is having problems is my staging and
production machine. In the other post I put all the specification, but
I did forget to mention that I run a wireless router but I am plugged
in.


Thank you again for all the help.

It works in rebooting into Safe Mode. Okay, so to repeat from my post:

"Have you tried using msconfig.exe to disable startup programs, reboot, and
seeing what happens then?"

You are loading something on Windows startup (which actually appears
specific to the startup items for one account you login that has the ills)
that is causing the problem. Use msconfig to disable ALL startup programs
and reboot into normal mode to see if the problem goes away. If so,
reenable each startup item one at a time, do the reboot, and test again
until you reenable the one that causes the problem.

You might also want to check Task Scheduler for any events configured to run
on Windows startup or on login.

Check if the account under which you login that has the problem has a login
script defined for it. If so, see what is in the script.