Member Avatar for kejenkin

I've been having a frequent problem where I have a strong internet connection, but neither Firefox nor IE will connect. I get either timeout errors or "can't find the server" errors. This sometimes happens from boot up, but more often happens while I'm surfing. Rebooting usually corrects the problem and I have resorted to using the "netsh winsock reset catalog" command, which helps. However, I shouldn't have to do that everytime I want to use the internet.

Any ideas on what's causing that? Any suggestions for a permanent fix?

I'm running XP. The computer is running on a wireless home network. I have a cable connection.

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Intermittent “connection but browsers fail” on XP with ping/Outlook still working usually means something is intercepting or breaking HTTP(S) or name resolution rather than raw IP routing. Given that already tried a Winsock reset and reboots, ’s suggestion to bypass the router and ’s Panda observation are the right directions: likely causes are (a) security/web‑filtering or a browser plugin, (b) DNS or proxy settings, or (c) router/NAT/firmware issues (or a combination when heavy map/Earth traffic causes fragmentation). ’s ISP check is still worth doing if multiple devices on the same link are affected.

Quick diagnostic checklist to run while the fault is happening (copy into a Command Prompt):

ping 8.8.8.8
ping www.google.com
nslookup www.google.com
tracert www.google.com
ipconfig /flushdns
netstat -ano

Interpreting results: if ping to 8.8.8.8 works but ping to a hostname fails → DNS problem. If both work but browsers time out → something at the application layer (proxy, AV/web filter, plugin). If traceroute fails early → modem/router.

Isolation steps (in order):

  • Bypass the router and connect the PC directly to the cable modem (as suggested) to see if the router is the culprit.
  • Test another device on the same network to confirm single‑machine vs network‑wide.
  • Check IE proxy (Internet Options → Connections → LAN Settings) and Firefox connection settings; set to No Proxy or System Proxy as a test.
  • Run browsers with no add‑ons/plugins (or use Firefox Safe Mode / IE -extoff); disable Google Maps/Earth plugins.
  • Temporarily suspend web‑filtering/firewall features of Panda (or uninstall/update it) briefly to test, and prefer Safe Mode with Networking for a cleaner test.
  • Update NIC drivers and router firmware; try using public DNS (8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1) as a test.

If the problem recurs, collecting ipconfig /all, netstat outputs and Event Viewer timestamps (System/Application) at failure time will make diagnosis possible. Caution: disabling security software exposes the machine—perform tests briefly and with care. Since this thread is dealing with XP-era software (Panda 2007, etc.), outdated AV/firmware/drivers are common root causes.

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All 6 Replies

Member Avatar for Serunson

are you typing in the correct URL?
If not this could be the source of ur problem.
Change your homepage to something new maybe, or install the latest Firefox, version 2.4 i think.

Member Avatar for dcc

What happens if you bypass the wireless router and connect directly to the cable modem?

Member Avatar for kejenkin

Has nothing to do with the url.
I'm having the problem with both Firefox and IE.
Haven't tried bypassing the router. It occurs randomly and may go days without happening.

Member Avatar for scooterpie100

I've got the same problem. It works for a few hours and then stops browsing. When it quits, it won't connect with IE7, NetCaptor, Firefox or Safari. Outlook continues to work fine and I can ping anywhere. It's just the browsers that quit working. A re-boot is required to get it working again. Turning off the browser and starting it back up doesn't help.
I notice that when I am using Goggle maps or Google Earth, it occurs more often.

Member Avatar for bobbyraw

ok clean up your cache, temp files and if this does not fix the prob, find out from your ISP if ther is an outage on your node that would affest you.

PS if this only happens whe u surf maybe a bug, in your pc. do a scn now before it gets worst.

Member Avatar for scooterpie100

ok clean up your cache, temp files and if this does not fix the prob, find out from your ISP if ther is an outage on your node that would affest you.

PS if this only happens whe u surf maybe a bug, in your pc. do a scn now before it gets worst.

I worked with the ISP over the weekend and while the problem seemed to go away while we trying to slove it, we think the problem is with my virus software (Panda). I disabled the firewall and Panda and it seemed to come back. I enabled the firewall and it still worked and then i enabled Panda and it still worked. I am waiting for the problem to occur again and I will some further testing but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Panda Internet Security 2007. More later.

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