Server Problem?

I'm having an aggravating problem. I have 2 laptops connected to a hard wired router (D-Link EBR2310). I have cable internet (Comcast). Everything was working fine until yesterday (nothing new was installed or changed). One laptop will connect to the internet, but the other will not. It says it cannot connect because it cannot find the server. I tried both Firefox and IE.

I tried shutting down the laptop and unplugging the router and modem with no success. I called Comcast and they were not helpful.

If you need additional info let me know what I am supposed to post.

The working laptop is running on XP. It is a Dell

The one not working is Vista. Its a Compaq.

The WIFI is turned off on both.

The sever error just means the browsers can't reach the server where your homepage is stored. That is normal with connectivity issues. comcast isn't going to help you get a 2nd PC online.

On the Vista laptop - Click Start -> click in the Search box -> type CMD -> in the list above right click the Command Prompt and click run as Admin

At the prompt, type ipconfig /release wait for the prompt to reappear and type ipconfig /renew. It should display an IP address, in your reply can you type what is displayed. If it is 192.168.x.x, see if you can surf, if it is 169.x.x.x don't bother.

if its 169.x.x.x that means it is not getting an address from the router. If its 192.168.x.x and you can't surf atleast it is seeing the router.

It has an IP address beginning with 192. The strange thing is i can log into the router but cannot access the internet.

Edited by JackieP, 14 September 2009 - 12:24 PM.

Try pinging a few things. Open a command prompt - type ping www.google.com and hit Enter. You are looking for the line - Packets: Sent = 4, Received=4 Lost = 0. If that errors type ping 74.125.65.103 you are looking for the same line. Let us know if one or the other or both work please.

Pinging was successful.

I'm thinking its probably something wrong with the router. The problem computer will not work when connected to it, but the other one does. If I connect the problem computer directly to the modem it works fine. I'm clueless and don't know what the heck I'm doing LOL. Everything worked fine before. I don't know what could have changed.

Edited by JackieP, 14 September 2009 - 06:51 PM.

Pinging was successful when connected to the router? or connected to the modem?

Well you could restore the troubled PC back to before this happened. If it works, look at restore point(s) in-between and see if something changed you didn't know about. Nothing to lose cause you can restore back and forth.

Successful when connected to router.

I'm a little baffled as to what could be going on.

You can ping if connected to the router, which means you are connected to the net. But your browsers won't work.

If you connect directly to the modem, everything works just fine.(I am assuming that means the browsers work)

Well lets try resetting the router. On the back of the router there is a little hold with a white ring around it and it has Reset right beside it. Use a straightened out paper clip to put in the hole and push the reset button. You'll feel a little click when you've pushed the button. Hold it for a sec or 2 and then release it. See if the problem clears up. :fingers crossed:

If it doesn't, I am at a loss as to what it could be. If you know a friend that will let you come over and connect to their router just to test if you can get on then you'll know its the router or laptop.

I meant to say the internet will not work on the laptop when connect to the router, sorry. I don't get what's going on. Its just strange how I can get it work when connected to the modem but not on router but I can log into the router.

Totally baffling how one laptop will work with the router, but the other will not.

Edited by JackieP, 15 September 2009 - 01:21 PM.

Ok...fast Networking Lesson!

What ping does is sends out a very small amount of info(or packet) to a website(www.google.com) or an IP address(74.125.65.103) and waits to get an acknowledgment back that it was received. It does it 4 times. This establishes that you have the very basic of connectivity. The fact that when connected to the router you can ping means your laptop is connected to the net. The fact you can't open a browser and go to a web site means there is something going on with your browser. Now the fact you said when you connected directly to the modem, you could surf just fine has me a little baffled.

I have 1 more thing to try. With your laptop connected to the router, open a browser and put 74.125.65.103 in the address bar and hit Enter. See if google comes up.

Ok I'll give that a try.

No success

Did you try restoring the computer back to when it did work?

Because I am baffled as to why you are connected to the router, you can ping both IP and URL but you can't surf. But when you plug directly into the modem you can surf no problem. And I know it is something small I am missing. I know it and it bothers me lol.

Try this - Open Windows Calculator -> click Help -> Click Help Topics -> at the very top of the page you'll see a icon that looks like a piece of paper with a yellow question mark -> Click it ->Go down to Jump to URL and click it -> in the box type http://www.google.com -> Click OK and in the right side of the window see if Google pops up.

Edited by CaveDweller2, 18 September 2009 - 08:31 PM.

Yes I did do a restore and did a system recovery on the non-working laptop. Should I reset the router one more time and run the installation disk that came with it?

Run the install disk. No need to reset the router.

I am assuming the Calculator trick did not work?