DNS doesn't seem to be working for IE.
The problem is: even though the network card is installed and working properly, the cable modem and DHCP server (a router) are working perfectly fine, the computer will not go on to the Internet.
This isn’t as easy as a problem as it sounds. I install network cards all day long in all sorts of different home users computers and encounter all sorts of hardware configurations and programs that do cause problems: such as proxy services for firewalls and the annoying IRQ conflict that won’t show up in the Device Manager.
Network configuration: We have a router set up as a DHCP server with plenty of IP addresses and a cable modem that works great and I can easily verify with my own machine.
OS: In one case the OS was Win98 (I think it was Second Edition version A) and the other case it was WinME.
Network Card: I know the network card is working fine. I always verify the cabs before I use them and the modem is working (in one of the cases) before I got started. If I still have trouble, I replace the card. In both cases that I had trouble, I used different kinds of cards.
NetBEUI: In both cases, both computers, with network card installed, could see and navigate in different shared computers on the network. I have a shared place on my drive I put driver files just so I can do this (and copy larger than floppy size files).
TCP/IP: At least in one of these cases, I know the TCP/IP was using DHCP to pull down the DNS and other information needed. WINIPCFG on the network card told me all the same information my computer was pulling from the router (except the IP address, it was different-of coarse-but in the range it was suppose to be). Just in case, I usually remove ALL the network components and reinstall them.
The settings for TCP/IP are the same as everyone else’s: Obtain an IP address automatically, Disable DNS, Run WINS over DHCP, run TCP/IP over NetBEUI, and remove all gateways. This is the same configuration I use for everyone else. Run the Internet Connection Wizard for a LAN configuration and set it to Automatically Detect Settings. Same as everyone else.
Telnet: In the case of the ME machine, I couldn’t even Telnet.
DNS: The DNS registry entries are correct. I know how to get rid of the BonziBuddy DNS hang up, by removing all the Dundus DNS 3.0 registry entries. (I have saved a couple people wipeouts since I discovered that problem.) But neither of these machines had any unusual DNS entries.
Virus: I KNOW they don’t have a virus problem. I have a great program that can catch ALL the viruses Norton and McAfee tend to over look and my definitions are up to date. It is fantastic software and can run in DOS!
Case One: If I remember correctly it was a newer HP or Compaq machine, in either case, it had a restore CD. This is the Win98SEA machine with the working DialUp, that we went though the changing network cards, navigating in NetBeui, reloading TCP/IP, going through his registry and checking for a virus. When the customer used his restore disk and chose the “TCP/IP to go to the Internet” option during setup, the Internet came up fine and he has been on-line ever since.
Case Two: This case was last Friday, it was the WinME machine. This computer was humming down the Internet fine until the router where it lived was replaced. This was a mutt machine a local company built with WinME installed. They had replaced the Kingston with another one and when it came to my shop, I replaced it with a Netgear. (I use these cards all the time.) NetBeui worked great. TCP/IP was pulling the correct information and its settings were verified. ALL network information was cleared and reloaded (several times). The DNS in the registry was fine. It didn’t have a virus. My only recourse was to reformat and start over. Thank goodness the owner of the computer had no problem with that. It was a lot like the network was working fine (from the router on) but the cable modem wasn’t working . (I’ve experienced that before, when we took our cable modem off line to verify someone else’s during a network card test.)
I guess in this case, it could by chalked up to a corrupted TCP/IP component, but reformat shouldn’t be the only answer.
