Troubleshooting Internet Connection Issues: Fixing Non-Connecting Websites

[Math Jeans]

This is driving me crazy. All of the icons on the bottom right of my screen say that I am connected to the internet with great connection, and yet I cannot connect!

Basically, almost everything non IE related won't connect, almost all websites (except for google, physicsforums, downloads, and a couple others), cannot connect. This also means that I cannot connect to my school website and go to discussion group.

I have run virus scans, adware scans, repaired the network, and restarted my computer numerous times.

What is the problem?

 

[robphy]

open a command window and say
tracert www.physicsforums.com

what does it say?

what is the result of
ipconfig /all

Are you behind a router? Is there a filter that is on?

What specific site doesn't work for you? Does this site work if you use its IP address instead? (Maybe a DNS problem?)

 

[Evo]

This is driving me crazy. All of the icons on the bottom right of my screen say that I am connected to the internet with great connection, and yet I cannot connect!

Basically, almost everything non IE related won't connect, almost all websites (except for google, physicsforums, downloads, and a couple others), cannot connect. This also means that I cannot connect to my school website and go to discussion group.

I have run virus scans, adware scans, repaired the network, and restarted my computer numerous times.

What is the problem?

Did you call your ISP's tech support and have them troubleshoot with you? If you have a large ISP, their tech support is usually excellent, free and open 24/7.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Usually that means you are connected to your router, but the router can't connect to the internet.

 

[Astronuc]

But Math Jeans can get to a few sites.

Can you get to the ISP's page?

Periodically I loose the connection with the ISP (seldom at home, more frequently at work :grump:), so I have to power off the modem and router, the power on the modem first, then the router.

Sometime I've had to use ipconfig /release, the ipconfig /renew.

 

[stewartcs]

Sounds like an ISP problem.

Try to ping some random sites and see how many lost packets you get.

CS

 

[Edgardo]

Could it be that you have recently updated Firefox?
I encountered the following and maybe it applies to your case:

I have Windows Vista and have an account as admin and a personal account.
There's also a firewall installed. Now, in my personal account I updated Firefox and suddenly couldn't connect to the internet.

The solution: I had to log in as admin, open the updated Firefox and wait until the firewall popped up with a message that a new application wants to connect to the internet, namely the updated Firefox. After that, I logged into my personal account and the internet worked again.

So:
1) Log in as admin -> Try to connect to the internet with the updated Firefox
2) Wait until firewall pops up and allow updated Firefox to connect to the internet
3) Log in again as normal user, internet connection should work again

 

[Math Jeans]

Well. Here are the specifics. I am using IE7, I tried reinstalling it, and that didn't work. My computer is the only one in the house having problems. All of the others work. I am using Windows XP operating system. I am using an external N card for internet access (I already tried disabling that and using my computer's connectivity).

I also tried resetting my computer to over a week ago, and that didn't work.

One more thing. I have found a way to figure out which websites I can access. If I enable "work offline", my computer will allow me to access physics forums, yahoo, google, etc, but the other sites, it will tell me that I am working offline and cannot access them.

We had a computer person come last night (he was coming anyway), and he said that the problem is probably with the TCIP address, and to fix it, we had to reload everything in my computer. We figured that since we were getting a new computer anyway sometime soon, we might as well get one now. So we got a new computer, but I still have another month before it comes, and the current computer (that I use for all school functions) is crippled.

But those are the main specifics I can give you.