Member Avatar for lenderson

Hi,

I hope some one can help! My wife's laptop (Windows 7) has lost it's ability to access any web-sites, despite the fact that it is showing a Wi-Fi connection through an Orange Livebox router. I've tried pinging google and there was no response - indicating a connection issue - which is strange as my lap-top is functioning normally through the same connection (sitting on the desk right next to my wife's!). A Skype connection is available and usable but no Internet access or e-mail.

Any Ideas?

Thanks - lenderson

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Useful follow-up for and : when a laptop shows a wireless association but browsing or mail fail, treat the problem in two parts — IP-layer reachability and name resolution/local configuration. The short checklist below helps identify which layer is at fault and offers fast, safe remediation steps that work across Windows versions and most home routers.

Diagnostic checklist (run on the affected machine):

ping 8.8.8.8
ping google.com
nslookup google.com
ipconfig /all
tracert google.com
  • If the IP ping succeeds but the name ping fails, the problem is name resolution (DNS).
  • If IP pings fail, the issue is link/DHCP/router/ISP related.

Quick remediation commands and checks:

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Also verify IPv4 adapter TCP/IPv4 properties (obtain DNS automatically vs. manual DNS entries), check for a configured proxy (netsh winhttp show proxy), and inspect the Hosts file at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts for accidental entries. If using alternate DNS, pick reputable resolvers (for example, 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1) as fallbacks.

Notes and prevention: compare the affected machine’s ipconfig /all output to a working device to spot differences (gateway, DNS, IP class). Keep router firmware and OS patches current, avoid untrusted DNS providers without understanding privacy implications, and check firewall/AV or proxy settings if only specific services (like mail clients) are blocked. Thanks to for the troubleshooting direction and to for the follow-up — the checks above make this class of problem quick to isolate and remediate.

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Member Avatar for BlackFetus

..hi there!..did you check the router if it has a password?..if there is, did you encode the network key when you try to connect to the router?..nor, try to check the network address of your wife and check her DNS server address if both is the same as yours..i hope it helps!..^_^..

Member Avatar for lenderson

..hi there!..did you check the router if it has a password?..if there is, did you encode the network key when you try to connect to the router?..nor, try to check the network address of your wife and check her DNS server address if both is the same as yours..i hope it helps!..^_^..

Hi BlackFetus,
Thanks for your suggestions! Yes, I did encode the network key and when I log on to the router it is showing my wife's laptop as connected (which would confirm the indication on her laptop that she has 'local and internet' access) - but it still won't access any websites. I can access the google sit by entering the IP address for the site, I have tried accessing the internet using different browsers (Google Chrome and Firefox) but always get the same message 'Unable to access this page'.

I'll check out the DNS addresses now, as you suggest, and see if I can make any progress, but it's a time consuming and frustrating business!

Member Avatar for lenderson

Hi BlackFetus,
Thanks for your suggestions! Yes, I did encode the network key and when I log on to the router it is showing my wife's laptop as connected (which would confirm the indication on her laptop that she has 'local and internet' access) - but it still won't access any websites. I can access the google sit by entering the IP address for the site, I have tried accessing the internet using different browsers (Google Chrome and Firefox) but always get the same message 'Unable to access this page'.

I'll check out the DNS addresses now, as you suggest, and see if I can make any progress, but it's a time consuming and frustrating business!

Just checked the DNS Server settings an re-set my wife's to the same as mine and voila! back in business! Thanks for the suggestion BlackFetus - problem solved!

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