Member Avatar for linn.cole.5

Hi folks,

I'm unable to open web pages in any browser (Firefox or IE) - I get the message "server not found." I have a little portable router I plug into my USB slot and I just had it checked; it works fine. I can use it to connect, but no pages will open.

I've pinged my IP, which works (not really sure what that means, honestly). I don't have Norton, and I've disabled my firewall and my security software (Security Essentials). Got any ideas?

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Brief summary tying the thread together: reports numeric pings succeed but hostnames fail, and the USB “portable router” later stopped enumerating after Motorola software was installed. That pattern narrows the problem to two areas: DNS name resolution (router or PC resolver) and a failing/incorrectly installed USB network adapter driver. The suggestions from , and are on point; the following triage sequence isolates which one is at fault and gives concrete fixes.

An effective triage sequence (run in an elevated Command Prompt):

ipconfig /all
nslookup google.com
nslookup google.com 8.8.8.8
ipconfig /flushdns
ping 8.8.8.8
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
route print
sc query dnscache

How to interpret results and next steps:

  • If nslookup google.com 8.8.8.8 succeeds but plain nslookup google.com fails, the default resolver is broken. Temporarily point the adapter’s IPv4 DNS to 8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4 and test again; restart the DNS Client service if it’s stopped.
  • If both nslookups fail while pinging 8.8.8.8 works, check the routing table and run the netsh resets above, then reboot. ipconfig /flushdns clears stale entries.
  • Check the hosts file (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) for bad entries and confirm no system proxy is set (Internet Options → Connections → LAN Settings).

If the adapter is not recognized:

  • Uninstall the unstable Motorola Device Manager via Programs and Features, reboot, then reinstall only the driver (use manufacturer’s latest driver). Test the device on another USB port and another PC to rule out hardware.
  • In Device Manager enable “Show hidden devices,” remove ghost network adapters, and disable USB power‑saving on USB Root Hubs. Review Event Viewer (System) for driver install errors.

Cautions: netsh winsock reset and driver changes require a reboot. Back up the hosts file before editing. These steps should reveal whether the issue is DNS, driver/USB, or both.

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Member Avatar for linn.cole.5

Update: working through this lovely website, I've learned that:

"[Ping request could not find host]
This error message means that the destination host name cannot be resolved. Verify the name and the availability of DNS or WINS servers."

I can ping IP addresses and my own DNS servers, but not remote hosts (like google.com). Can anyone give me advice on where to go from here?

Member Avatar for JorgeM

For you to be able to access a resource by hostname (DNS name), you need to have your computer configured to point to at least one DNS server. If this computer is on your LAN and you have a typical consumer based router, you should be receiving the TCP/IP configuration from that router.

Make sure that you have not assigned a static IP configuration to this computer. If you do not know how to do this, take a look at this video I had prepared which covers the different components of the TCP/IP properties found on the NIC tab.

Microsoft TCP IP Configuration Overview | Video

The preferred configuration is to set your NIC to DHCP so that your NIC gets automatically configured by negotiating the IP lease with your DHCP server (the router in your case).

This configuration should include the DNS server that you need to point to, to resolve hostnames to IP addresses.

How DNS Works | Tutorial

Hope that helps you get started.

Member Avatar for johhny-marshal

Try resetting the Internet properties and settings.

Member Avatar for linn.cole.5

Hi guys,

I was just able to open your video, JorgeM, but now it seems that my computer isn't even recognizing the device, so I can't change the network adapter settings. I installed Motorola's Device Manager but it was having errors and closing every few seconds so I disabled it. Help me!

Member Avatar for c-tech

Hi linn,
Are you able to ping a host on the internet (not the hostname but its I.P), for example, can you ping 8.8.8.8?

Member Avatar for linn.cole.5

Yes I can, but as you can see from my earlier post, my computer no longer even recognizes the device.

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