Connected to internet but can't load websites or use Windows Live Messenger

I have a laptop (a HP Compaq Presario R4000, running Windows XP) which is connected to a wireless network. There are two other computers connected to the same network (another laptop, which I am using at present) and a PC) - these two are having no problems at all.

Whenever I try to load a website on Firefox it comes up with Address Not Found (using the URL in the location bar). When I put the IP address in instead (for example for Google) it comes up with Network Timeout.

Windows Live Messenger will not sign in. It comes up with an error message which says "We were unable to sign you into Windows Live Messenger at this time. Please try again later." (Error code: 80072ee7).
I clicked the troubleshoot button. The following tests were fine - IP, Default Gateway, IE's Offline Setting, Hosts File, Proxy Server, Wireless. The DNS and Key Ports are flagged up as not being ok.
It says the following:
"Failed to connect to the service. THis could be due to improper proxy or firewall settings. Please review your proxy and firewall settings."
I have checked the proxy settings (there isn't one) and have checked that it is not blocked by my firewall.
When I click the repair button it says it was unable to identify and repair the connection problem.

I have tried to Ping www.google.co.uk using my command prompt - it responds "Ping request could not find host www.google.co.uk. Please check the name and try again."

Any help would be much appreciated.

Many thanks,

Louise

[sillyboy]

How is the wireless network configured? Is it going through a router or through a computer? If the DNS is not correct, perhaps you are going through a computer and you need to put that computer's IP address as the DNS...

Thanks for your reply.

We have a D-link router which is being used. We have had this router for a long time and it's always worked fine with my laptop. In fact someone else was using the internet and msn on the laptop perfectly fine about 10 minutes before I first tried to use it yesterday and found it wouldn't work.

[sillyboy]

Hm... curious. Problems like this can be fairly difficult to diagnose, but hopefully this one isn't too bad. Since you are using a router, you will want to auto-assign your IP / DNS, so as a next step I would check your properties on your network card.

Just make sure you are being auto-assigned a IP / DNS / Gateway, and aren't using static values.

See how that goes.

[Stylish]

1) Verify the wireless nic is even recognized by your laptop (Start -> Control Panel -> Network Connections). Should see something about Wireless.
2) Check your IP settings (is the NIC provided an IP, etc?): Start -> Run -> cmd [Enter]

C:\> ipconfig /all

You should see some stuff go by. Hopefully something like: "IP Address. . . . XXX.XXX.X.X"
3) Ping that IP Address by the command prompt

C:\> ping XXX.XXX.X.X

Should see some stuff like:

Reply from XXX.XXX.X.X: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

4) Ping your router ("Default Gateway" from Step #2)
5) Ping your WAN IP Address. This is the address your ISP assigned to your Router, you will have to log into your Router (web-based usually) and find it (typically "Status" page somewhere)

Those 5 steps will verify that you 1) are assigned an IP address 2) can ping it 3) can ping your router 4) can ping through your router.

If any of those steps fail, then you know where to start. If they all pass, hrmm..

[motox822]

Im having the same problem.

I used Sylish's directions and found out that step 3 was the problem. I tried to ping my ip and it didn't work, it said that it timed out.

Now im not sure what to do now with my computer now that i have located the potential problem.. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME?

[crunchie]

If you are using a router/modem/modem router, try powering it down for a while, then restart.

[motox822]

Ive done that, and all of the other 3 computers work fine except mine. I recently had a virus which i think caused the problem but i'm am absolutely sure that it is gone with help from spybot forums.

[crunchie]

Download HijackThis Executable from here. Save it to your desktop.
Start HJT & press the "Do a system scan and save a log file" button. When the scan is finished a window will pop up giving you the option of where to save it. Save it to desktop where it is easy to access. Open the log file and then go to the format Tab and make sure that wordwrap is unchecked. Copy the entire contents of the file & paste it into the body of your post. DO NOT FIX ANYTHING YET. Most of what is there is necessary for the running of your system.

[Stylish]

A step 3 failure? Bah. Google something like "network card cannot ping self" .. A card that cannot ping itself, even when it is assigned an IP address could point to bad drivers or a bad TCP/IP stack. None of which are enjoyable to fix.

If you did have a virus, it is possible it obliterated your TCP/IP stack - although a tad unlikely. (if it destroyed TCP/IP, how could it connect to its control server?)

I would check drivers. Can you ping 127.0.0.1 (loopback device)?