Kitz Forum
Computers & Hardware => Networking => Topic started by: Robbo on September 27, 2008, 10:17:58 PM
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Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum. I'm not very 'techie' but reasonably pc literate. I just hope I've missed something obvious with this problem.....
Background: I'm running 3 laptops each with XP Service Pack 3. They all have similar programmes and settings. Each connects to internet by wireless router - broadband (8 meg though 2.5/3 meg typical). Both Toshibas work fine, and I'm typing this on one right now. But the Sony has given up with the internet altogether. It won't log on, or download updates or ....connect to my email....Skype doesn't log on.... nothing. This happened 3 days ago without my making changes to settings. But the Sony was always a bit 'flakey' connecting in the past. after a reboot, it tended to work again.
I use Zonealarm. So shut that down, and then also windows firewall. No difference, so guess Zonealarm is OK. I've checked and double checked internet options and they seem correct to me. Obviously the wireless modem is working (WPA2 used), and the Sony does log on to the modem correctly, with an excellent signal. I've tried a boot in safe mode with networking. Still no connection to internet.
I wonder whether MTU settings can change by themselves? or maybe they weren't quite right before (previous 'Flakey' connection !!), and Orange ( :no: yes I know....But when I threatened to leave them, they tempted me to stay with free connection for 6 months and then £9.99 for the next 6, and increased monthly download total to 10 GB - good enough for me.)have changed something at their end ? I'm reluctant to start tampering with settings which might lead me away from - hopefully- a more likely cause.
BTW I use firefox, but IE7 won't connect either. the IE7 connection diagnostic tool tells me that the ports 80, 443 and 21 (ie http, https, and ftp ports) will not connect to internet, it suggests a firewall problem....But I think I've discounted the firewall. I also use Norton and Ad aware.
Can anyone shed any light on this?
Thanks.
Robbo
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Hi and welcome.
I don't use Windows, so I can't help much, but it sounds to me as though the wireless interface on the Sony is the problem. Perhaps you can get an updated driver for it?
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>> and the Sony does log on to the modem correctly,
Can I just confirm that means that you can access your routers web interface via the sony?
If so then it would appear to be a software config problem such as the firewall or incorrect setting.
A few suggestions:-
Unlikely to be orange if the toshibas work ok. Try checking the MTU on that machine- orange does occasionally have mtu issues, but Im not convinced its that.
Zone Alarm - Ive heard several times in the past where zone alarm has blocked something and people havent thought its zone alarm because problem is still there when they turn it off. However subsequent full uninstall and reinstall has cured the problem. So worthwhile checking that setting.
Which Norton - NIS? if so it could be NIS blocking something too.
Finally can you test DNS is correct and working
Can you put the following address in your browser and browse to the site http://212.58.224.131
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Your queries are getting me somewhere. Not sure where exactly..
I thought the Sony was logging on to Router. But I could not access the routers IP address (or the one you offered in you reply). So although the taskbar shows the usual good connection - all is not what it seems. I clicked 'repair' And the router disconnected then reconnected. Skype connects and it looks normal - for about 10 seconds, then Skype drops out and Wireless icon either appears to stay connected - or I get a 'limited or no connectivity" Click repair again, and Sony fails to connect to router. Zonealarm is now saying it has blocked routed traffic from remote IP address to me. From Skype by the look of it.
I did a manual uninstall and reinstall of Zonealarm a few days ago, as I had a similar problem a year ago. It fixed it last time, but not this time. This made me think that it was Zonealrm might not have been the problem last time. I might do another manual uninstall and try connecting to router with just windows firewall.
It's probably a case of eliminating possible causes 1 at a time. Norton would be next on the list to uninstall.
It's all a bit of a drag.......I guess it might even be quicker to just format the hard drive and load up original operating system from scratch......
Have to think about it some more...
Thanks for your suggestions by the way,
regards
Robbo
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A few more....
Can you ping your routers IP address ok?
If you use ipconfig /all does it show your routers address and other network settings correct?
Have you ever had USB modem software on that laptop? (The ST330 software is pretty well known to attempt to take over a ethernet connection and can stop you connecting via a router)
>> Zonealarm is now saying it has blocked routed traffic from remote IP address to me. From Skype by the look of it.
hmmm worth trying removing it completely again just to try.. you should be fine without a software firewall to test, since youre running behind a NAT router.
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The sony is the oldest of the 3 laptops, and did have a usb modem to start with...
This is another Sony quirk. periodically it tells me that my camera will wok better if connected to a usb2 port - and it offers me the ports I can choose from. And the camera it refers to ? Only the webcamera in the lid. Even Sony couldn't explain that one. Crazy. But not a great hassle. It just makes me think it would be better to load up the original disks.
1st I'll retry the zonealram uninstall - just out of curiosity. Then Norton. Then Adaware, then Last resort start from scratch.
Not sure about pinging as it isn't something I'm familiar with.
Thanks again.
Robbo
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>> pinging as it isn't something I'm familiar with
PING (http://www.kitz.co.uk/tute/ping.htm) your router's IP address to see if it responds (usually something like ping 192.168.1.1).
>> and did have a usb modem to start with
Well worth checking to see if the software isnt installed.. like I say the Speedtouch 330 software is a common culprit.. Ive also heard something similar with the Voyager software, but its not something that Ive personally come across - unlike the ST
>> 1st I'll retry the zonealram uninstall - just out of curiosity. Then Norton.
I'd most likely say ZA or NIS is the culprit.. Adaware should be fine.
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I use Zonealarm. So shut that down, and then also windows firewall.
Did you have both ZoneAlarm firewall and Windows running at the same time?
Also the mention of Norton, do you have NIS with the firewall running too?
I would try as Kitz suggested and turn off all the firewalls and try the connection.
Remember that you should only have one software firewall running at any time.
dave
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Thanks Dave. zonealarm does disable the windows firewall - as long as the right box is ticked - which it is by default. But I believe it's possible even when firewalls are turned off, they can still be active in some way. I know zone alarm is- hence the full manual uninstall.
I did have speedtouch, so maybe that is the culprit, even though I can't actually see this old software - remnants might be lurking - another good reason to start again with new install of operating system.
I tried pinging from Sony - request timed out. But can ping OK from Toshibas.
It's all good fun !
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>> I tried pinging from Sony - request timed out
Can you see what the network settings are please, to see if we can see anything obvious. Instead of typing ping or tracert type ipconfig /all
You should get a result that looks something like the following, only obviously it should give you the wireless settings, where as mine is ethernet.
C:\Program Files\Support Tools>ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : kitz
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection GB:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dynex Gigabit PCI Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-E0-49-69-27-D0
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.11
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.5
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 87.194.0.51
87.194.0.52
208.67.220.220
Details how to save the results (http://www.kitz.co.uk/tute/save_results.htm) are the same as with a tracert or ping.
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Also as an aside can you connect to the internet ok via ethernet?
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Hi Kitz, Thanks for the tips.
I've taken off Zonealarm, Windows firewall, Norton (antivirus only. I don't have NIS). No change.
I checked ethernet connection with Toshibas. They switched network straightaway. Not so on the Sony. Nothing happened. Oddly I can't see the 'network cable disonnected' icon on task bar either....
Re ipconfig/all. Sony does show the detail similar to the example you gave with wireless connection. (despite the accurate error message that I have little or no connection). But shows no network detail with ethernet cable connected.
I'm wondering now if perhaps I have a hardware problem?
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Hi robbo, I notice you are using Windows XP with SP3 installed.There are some interesting articles on here related to problems with SP3 that might be of some interest to you.
http://tinyurl.com/5tp94p
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Thanks for interesting SP3 problems I wasn't aware of - Phil.
Update. I've plugged a spare HD into the Sony and used the recovery disks (I think original OS had SP2 - certainly not SP3). And still no change. Can not even log on to the router (though it says it's connected with Excellent signal. ) Can't connect to internet with IE7 or firefox.
Odd that both wireless and ethernet don't work, isn't it?
I'll have to give Orange a call in the morning,
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Re ipconfig/all. Sony does show the detail similar to the example you gave with wireless connection.
What are the settings - do you have
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Have you tried manually hard-coded an IP address into the machine.
Does it get an IP address in the same range as the router.
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Hi, The Sony ipconfig/all detail is:
Dhcp Enabled.......Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled.......Yes
IP address......... 192.168.2.2
Subnet Mask.......255.255.255.0
Default Gateway / Dhcp Server / DNS Servers/ .........all 192.168.2.1
I've only ever used the network wizard to create a connection thinking it should make all the correct settings automatically. And this has always been the case. The laptop is now as it was when I bought it 3 years ago. Except it still won't connect to the internet. This really makes me think there's a hardware problem.....
Still haven't contacted Orange to see if they can suggest settings which might be responsible. (I've compared settings with the Toshibas, and they seem to be the same) I might email them at some stage.....
Many thanks again for your suggestions
Robbo
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>> Dhcp Enabled.......Yes
Ahh... thats ok.. just wondered, since I have mine set up manually and wanted to check that all your IPs were in the correct range.
Which they appear to be... however, one slight query.. can you check your livebox IP.
I may be wrong since I dont have one, but the default IP for the livebox was 192.168.1.1
Edit to add
Ive just been doing some googling and all the sites I looked at seemed to confirm 192.168.1.1.
Belkin routers are the routers that tend to use 192.168.2.1
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I just retrried my ethernet cable on the sony. Hey presto - it did what it's supposed to do. So I have normal 100% connection with the cable. Can also access router ip address - should I need to.
So my transmitter seems to be stuffed. Might have to look into getting a wifi dongle.
Thanks all for the advice. :blush:
Robbo
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Well at least something worked :D
Thanks for letting us know
Good luck with the dongle :)