BleepingComputer.com: Can't Login To Google Account (and Others) From One Laptop At Home

I am unable to login to gmail (or any other site that requires a google account) from my laptop when I am at home. I type in the username/password and then it times out, when trying to log me in. Here is hopefully the relevant information:

I have work laptop (IBM thinkpad) running Windows XP Professional. I use this laptop in the office (through a wired network) and at home (wirelessly). I am able to access gmail and other such application from work without a problem. This leads me to belive it does not have to do with any of my IE or computer settings (BTW this occurs with IE and Firefox), and I've tried all the "can't connect to secure sites" fixes (Windows Live Hotmail works fine, all the settings look correct).

At home I access the internet though a Netgear MR814 router (to a Verizon DSL modem). So I thought maybe the router is the issue (and it may still be). The interesting thing is my wife is able to connect to gmail, etc. through the same router (wirelessly) with her computer without a problem.

Other interesting/helpful information:
It may have something to do with uploading information via (javascript or something, this is where my expertise runs out), as I am unable to upload music onto muxtape.com either (with the same circumstances: can do it from work and wife can do it from her computer).

I connect to my work's network from home via a VPN, but turning this off does not seem to help.

I use McAfee Virus scan. I have run ad-aware and spybot, and both have found nothing.

I've tried fooling with the port forwarding on the router, but can't find any good information on what ports (if any) would need to be forwarded.

If I login to google at work, then come home I seem to still be logged in iGoogle comes up and I can see a preview of my gmail, but as soon as I try to actually go into my gmail I am unable to.

Also I think I remember getting gmail to work from home, but it was at completely random times (I hadn't made any changes). And this has not occured in a while.

All in all, very strange, but I feel it is something easy I am just overlooking. Any help or ideas are welcome.

Thanks in advance.

This post has been edited by bbrhodes01: 21 May 2008 - 11:52 AM

Hi bbrhodes01,

Welcome to BC.

As you said it may be somthing easy, but to find it is not that easy. I suspect it has something to do with DNS because that is one of the major diferences between home users and network (company) users. I don't have the answer but you may check the followoing thread, it is not directly related to your problem but it may guide you to the right track. Please let us know your findings: here

Thanks farbar for your help. I read the thread that you linked to and tried to do some research on DNS, but wasn't able to come up with anything helpful. Would it be helpful if i copied by 'ipconfig /all' here?

This post has been edited by bbrhodes01: 21 May 2008 - 03:01 PM

I suspect a DNS problem because you get connected at work but not at home. Other (home) computers get connected at home too. So what is the difference? the computer you are using both at home and at work has something which works with the servers at work but not with the ISP server at home.
My guess is as in that thread is mentioned you have some extra servers at work, when you don't get connected via your own (home) DNS the system tries other servers and in this way you get connected via extra (network) servers. But there is some problem which prevent your computer to the ISP server at home.

I'm not that good in DNS but if you could take a screen-shot of this page I might think with you: go to start > control panel > network connections > right-click Local Area Connection and select Properties > highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and press Properties > Under General tab press Advanced > select DNS That is the page I am talking about.

It doesn't hurt to make sure of this too:

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer....=sibling#McAfee

I am no expert on this but it would appear that your problem arises from changing ISPs between work and home. By getting your DNS from a single source, you may fix your problem.

Read about it here:
http://www.opendns.com/

I tried this a few weeks ago with no bad effects.

Ok, so it sounds like DNS is the likely culprit. Andlooking at my ipconfig/all output I'm guessing that is the issue. Farbar I have definitely tried setting up McAfee as it says in the link you posted with no luck. I looked at my DNS settings (I would post the screen shot, but interestingly photobucket is another sire I can't upload to), and nothing looks too strange there (no DNS addresses are listed). I'll give the openDNS thing a try tonight when I'm back at home.

Could you also check this when you get home and post your findings?

Go to start > control panel > network connections > right-click Local Area Connection and select Properties > highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and press Properties > Under General tab there are two settings, one concerns the IP setting and the other DNS setting. which options are checked?

That I know. For both DNS and IP "obtain automatically" are checked.

OK. To rule out this one try it at home (it empties the DNS cache) if you haven't:

* Go to Start > Run and type in cmd
* Type in the following line one by one and pressing Enter after each line (note the space between ipconfig and /):

ipconfig /flushdns

*Reboot.

Ok, so I set up my router to use the open DNS server addresses. I flushed the DNS cache and rebooted. Went to gmail and get this:

Quote

I wait and finally the page just stops trying to load. I try the https:// and html versions, neither of which load ("cannot find server"). I only got this the first time I tried at home. Every other time it just goes to "cannot find server"


Here is my ipconfig /all, I think the answer may lie here, but I'm not sure:

C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : SSS-003636
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : RCC_NT.RTI.ORG
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : RCC_NT.RTI.ORG
myhome.westell.com
rti.org
RTI.ORG

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : myhome.westell.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-02-9A-43-61
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.3
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
192.168.1.1
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 152.5.128.116
Secondary WINS Server . . . . . . : 152.5.128.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, May 22, 2008 1:34:28 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, May 29, 2008 1:34:28 PM

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/1000 PL Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-15-58-2E-42-09

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth LAN Access Server Driver
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-16-CE-E9-4C-A0

Ethernet adapter {92477240-293B-4891-B32F-157D45C290B6}:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : rti.org
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VPN-1 SecureClient Adapter - SecuRemote Miniport
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 54-55-43-44-52-00
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.38
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.248.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 152.5.128.21
152.5.128.19
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 152.5.128.116
Secondary WINS Server . . . . . . : 152.5.128.1

C:\>

You have already tried many things. How about doing this also:

1. As the notification recommend visit the Gmail troubleshooter of loading problem and go through the procedure, you know what the softwares you have on your system.

2. Read this, if you decided to try it make sure you backup the registry first: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315236#appliesto

Don't know if it is relevant but there is no default gateway specified on your ethernet card.

FWIW. I lost my OPENDNS.com settings the other day when my system crashed, so reset my computer and wireless router again last night and all is going like a bird.

Have you considered phoning your ISP? (make 'em earn their money. LOL).

Good luck