Strange internet problem

[jedibond]

I've got a new pc up and running but I've got a strange internet connection problem.

 

My connections is fine and works okay normally. However, if I switch user, no internet pages will load up. The problem is the same whether I'm using IE or Firefox and the strange thing is that anything else that needs a connection works fine. Email, thunderbird, av updates, ms udates, etc, etc all work without a problem, it's just the internet applications that are affected.

 

The only way to resolve it is to shutdown and restart it and then use the O2 broadband assistant to restart the connection.

 

I'm using XP Pro SP3, I've found a post on a Vista forum where someone has the same problem but no one's answered with a reply yet (typical !).

 

Has anyone seen this before ?

Edited May 29, 2008 by jedibond

[Steve Walker]

So we know you have an internet connection, because email and various other connected applications work.

 

I wonder whether it's a name resolution issue.

 

Try opening a command window (start/run and type cmd)

 

Type

 

ping 66.249.91.104

If you have connectivity, you should see something like

Pinging 66.249.91.104 with 32 bytes of data:

 

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=245

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=25ms TTL=245

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=245

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=245

 

Ping statistics for 66.249.91.104:

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

Minimum = 24ms, Maximum = 25ms, Average = 24ms

 

 

Assuming that worked, now type

 

ping www.google.com

 

You should see something like:

Pinging www.l.google.com [66.249.91.104] with 32 bytes of data:

 

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=245

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=245

Request timed out.

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=245

 

Ping statistics for 66.249.91.104:

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 3, Lost = 1 (25% loss),

Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

Minimum = 23ms, Maximum = 24ms, Average = 23ms

 

Try that and let me know what happens.

[jedibond]

Hi Steve,

 

Here's the results :-

 

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

© Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

 

ping 66.249.91.104

 

Pinging 66.249.91.104 with 32 bytes of data:

 

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=26ms TTL=247

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=26ms TTL=247

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=247

Reply from 66.249.91.104: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=247

 

Ping statistics for 66.249.91.104:

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

Minimum = 24ms, Maximum = 27ms, Average = 25ms

 

ping www.google.com

 

Pinging www.l.google.com [66.249.91.99] with 32 bytes of data:

 

Reply from 66.249.91.99: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=247

Reply from 66.249.91.99: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=247

Reply from 66.249.91.99: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=247

Reply from 66.249.91.99: bytes=32 time=26ms TTL=247

 

Ping statistics for 66.249.91.99:

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

Minimum = 26ms, Maximum = 30ms, Average = 28ms

[Jeff S]

Hi Ian,

 

DNS looks like it works fine. (that is what Steve was checking) Can you tell us how you connect to the internet? Is it via broadband modem, wifi or router?

[jedibond]

Hi Jeff, it connects via wireless to a router downstairs. Never had this problem previously and even the techies at work are a bit stumped !

[Jeff S]

Hi Ian,

 

I saw something similiar a while ago and it was posted here but I can't seem to find it. It turned out it was a protocol issue with ports or a channel issue router setting or somethingorother. Sorry not much help..

 

Try to temporarily disable your personal firewall and see if you can hit those sites as a different user. This would indicate a port/firewall issue.

 

You can also try changing channels in your router and double check to make sure the MTU size isn't more than 1500.

[Steve Walker]

As Jeff says, that rules out DNS issues. You've got connectivity and your machine can resolve a name to an IP address. So it's something else about either the http protocol itself or those applications that use it. Could be a personal firewall blocking particular applications, could be the router or a personal firewall blocking port 80.

 

Might be worth trying a different protocol from a browser to see whether it's the protocol that's blocked or the app. Try

 

ftp://ftp.maths.tcd.ie/pub/music/guitar/

[jedibond]

Apologies chaps, been busy !

 

Hi Ian,

 

I saw something similiar a while ago and it was posted here but I can't seem to find it. It turned out it was a protocol issue with ports or a channel issue router setting or somethingorother. Sorry not much help..

 

Try to temporarily disable your personal firewall and see if you can hit those sites as a different user. This would indicate a port/firewall issue.

 

You can also try changing channels in your router and double check to make sure the MTU size isn't more than 1500.

 

Thanks Jeff, I've changed router channels but I've got no idea what a MTU is, let alone it's size ! I'll try the firewall thing tonight though

 

As Jeff says, that rules out DNS issues. You've got connectivity and your machine can resolve a name to an IP address. So it's something else about either the http protocol itself or those applications that use it. Could be a personal firewall blocking particular applications, could be the router or a personal firewall blocking port 80.

 

Might be worth trying a different protocol from a browser to see whether it's the protocol that's blocked or the app. Try

 

ftp://ftp.maths.tcd.ie/pub/music/guitar/

 

Steve, clicked that and it went though to some folders, is that what I was supposed to see ?

[Jeff S]

Apologies chaps, been busy !

Thanks Jeff, I've changed router channels but I've got no idea what a MTU is, let alone it's size ! I'll try the firewall thing tonight though

Steve, clicked that and it went though to some folders, is that what I was supposed to see ?

 

Hi Ian,

 

The MTU is a maximum transmission unit -the size of an ethernet frame. 1500 is the maximum allowed. Some providers like AOL use a slightly smaller size (1498 I think). There should be a setting in your router that allows you to adjust it but you should probably check to see if your ISP has a preference.

 

Your firewall should have at least these two ports allowed.

http traffic (regular browsing) uses port 80

https (SSL) traffic (banking etc) uses port 443

 

I have been thinking about this for a few days and it just seems odd that you can't access those sites after changing users. Do you have a login for your ISP and are you using that login as your second user?

Edited June 4, 2008 by Jeff S

[Steve Walker]

Steve, clicked that and it went though to some folders, is that what I was supposed to see ?

 

Yes, it was. Were you having the problem seeing websites at the time?