Cant open Web pages in IE

[Paul]

Windows XP machine with SP2

I can connect to the Internet but I'm unable to view Web pages in IE. The
connection appears to be working as i'm able to use Trace Route in a command
prompt window.

Using broadband connection with dynamic IP and DNS info set by ISP.

Any ideas anyone??

Virus and spyware scans draw a blank

 

[R. McCarty]

New condition ?, or from a new install ? Which firewall or Security
software are you running ? If it's a 3rd-Party Firewall has IE been set
to allow access to the Net ? Do you use any type of Proxy Server
and have you checked the hosts file in:
C\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc
When you try to access the web, does IE present any error messages
or just simply not open the page.

 

[Paul]

This is a new problem, it occurs with or without a firewall being turned on.
There's no proxy being used. Not sure what you mean when you say to check
the hosts file " C\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc".

When I try and access a web page i get Internet Explorer cannot open the
page or the URL not found error

Thanks

 

[R. McCarty]

All web sites are referenced by URLs (Universal Resource Locators)
or the names. When you enter a URL, a server translates that into the
true IP address (Cnn.Com translates to 64.236.24.20). A Hosts file
or table overrides that function to provide a direct association between
a URL and an IP address. Modifying Hosts is one avenue hackers use.
Normally, an XP Hosts file will only have a single entry 127.0.0.1 and
around 12 lines of comments before it (#).
From your description it sounds like your LAC isn't properly setup
for DNS (Domain Name Server). Normally, the Modem/Router will
get that configuration from your ISP, when DHCP configures the NIC
at boot time.

 

[Paul]

Thanks for the informative reply, it could be the what's causing the problem
but how do i fix it??

 

[Paul]

Just checked the hosts file and it has just the one entry as you said

Would a repair of XP help??

 

[R. McCarty]

Guess I left that out. It would probably help to know what type of
connection you have (ADSL or Cable) and what equipment is used.
To verify your network connection, you should be able to use the
Web interface of the modem/router. Normally, they all have a status
page that shows your WAN (Wide Area Network) settings. It's
here you'll see the ISPs Gateway and DNS server IP address. If
the equipment uses NAT (Network Address Translation), then the
LAC (Local Area Connection) will usually have the equipment IP
address used for both Gateway and Primary DNS Server. On most
home Broadband connections I setup, I manually assign an IP and
the Gateway/DNS just to speed up boot time and so I can access
the systems with Remote Assistance. Check your manual, for the
Router/Modem address. (Some modems work in something called
Bridging Mode) and may not have a web interface to log into.

I'm assuming you've done all the normal Spyware/Malware runs with
SpyBot, AdAware, CWShredder. In cases like yours a HiJackThis
check might reveal any modifications made to IE's setup.