laptop won't connect to internet

[pops1a]

I've got an old siemens laptop and when I try to connect to the internet it comes up with a blank white page and then after a while it just disappears. I've done scans and it comes up clear, I just can't understand why it has started doing this, any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm only able to do basic tasks on computers so would need simple instructions which I could perform. Thanks in advance.

 

[techquest]

Are you trying to connect wireless or wired.

Do you know if you are connected to web at all? Try Run, type in cmd, in the window that opens type ipconfig /all (rememeber the space after g). you should get your IP addy etc reported back.

What OS are you on?

What browser are you using?

 

[pops1a]

Thanks for the response. I am connected through a wired modem. I use a PC and that connects fine to the net. I'm using XP and Internet explorer.

 

[oneman]

As techquest asked, does the laptop even get a IP address, that would be the first thing to check. It sounds like your wireless connection is the problem if the PC or laptop work through wired connection.

Do you have your ADSL modem plugged in through USB or are you using a router and tried connecting through the ethernet port.

 

[pops1a]

I tried to run cmd ipconfig /all, but as soon as the black screen appears it disappears again and I'm unable to read it.

 

[oneman]

I tried to run cmd ipconfig /all, but as soon as the black screen appears it disappears again and I'm unable to read it.

You don't type the ipconfig /all in the run prompt.

You need to type cmd.exe in the run prompt. This will open a new black screen with most likely c:\windows\system32 and a flashing cursor. You need to type ipconfig /all at this cursor.

 

[j1mgg]

Qickest thing to do is take the wired connection from the pc and plug into the laptop.

Where you plug the network cable into the laptop you should see constant green light to say you have a connection and then a flashing light to show data transfer. If you cant see any of these then you Network card is gone or disabled.

If you get both of these you can do what the others have said and state the ip address displayed.

You could also try ping 127.0.0.1 to see if this works

In the black dos box just type ping 127.0.0.1

 

[pops1a]

Thanks I'll try that and see what happens.

 

[pops1a]

this is the result of the ipconfig command.

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : mine
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Network Bridge (Network Bridge) 5:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : MAC Bridge Miniport
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : E2-30-73-07-29-8C
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.1.253
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>

Any ideas and help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[oneman]

Some good news in that the laptop thinks there is a network connection here however your laptop is not getting an IP address from the router and using a default windows assigned one. Possible the reasons are,

- duff network cable
- You are using MAC filtering on the router
- The router is out of IP address in its DHCP range
- You have a firewall on the laptop blocking DHCP requests

 

[techquest]

There's your problem right there 169.254 etc is a public network being assigned by MS to your system.

Open your network conjection bring up the properties and under TCPIP settings change the Obtain the following IP address to Use the following IP address. Change it to what ever you should be using i.e. 192.168.0.1 or whatever it should be. Also change DNS to Use the following DNS Server. Click ok and you should now be connected to the net.

Once you are you should be able to switch them both back top Automatic and the system will then remember them.

Any problems let us know.

 

[oneman]

There's your problem right there 169.254 etc is a public network being assigned by MS to your system.

Open your network conjection bring up the properties and under TCPIP settings change the Obtain the following IP address to Use the following IP address. Change it to what ever you should be using i.e. 192.168.0.1 or whatever it should be. Also change DNS to Use the following DNS Server. Click ok and you should now be connected to the net.

Once you are you should be able to switch them both back top Automatic and the system will then remember them.

Any problems let us know.

169 address is a one given to you by O/S when a DHCP server cannot be found. The address has short renewal time plus a renew is attempted on every reboot.

The alternative is as you suggest to switch to static IP.

You will need to find out which subnet to use, most likely 192.168.0.x or 192.168.1.x

You can find this by going to another PC that is connecting to the router and checking its IP details using the ipconfig /all command.

While you are at the other machine, make a note of the subnet mask (should be 255.255.255.0), the gateway address and the DNS servers.

Technically you should also find out the IP range used by the server but we can assume that most routers go from .2 to .100. Thus using something .201 should be fine. So use address 192.168.0.200 or 192.168.1.201

Go into Network Properties and double click the card that does not have a red cross over it. Change to manual IP and end the IP address, subnet mask, gateway address and DNS addresses.

Real question is why the DHCP function of the router is not working.

 

[pops1a]

Thanks guys. This is what I get from ipconfig /all command from my PC. Does the answer lie in this information ?

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Connexions WY>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : cwy500049
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : cable.virginmedia.net

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Cont
roller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-43-7C-7C-61

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : cable.virginmedia.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Scientific Atlanta WebSTAR 2000 seri
es Cable Modem
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-21-DA-7C-E2
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 82.47.162.30
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.254.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 82.47.162.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 62.30.240.177
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 194.168.4.100
194.168.8.100
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 19 March 2010 21:58:02
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 26 March 2010 20:09:04

C:\Documents and Settings\Connexions WY>

 

[oneman]

What this is telling me that you have your PC connected directly to the internet using virgin cable modem, no router.

So I am going to assume that when you try to use your laptop that you are unplugging the modem from the PC and plugging it in to the laptop instead ?

Are you rebooting your modem are switching it from the PC to the laptop ?

 

[techquest]

You will need to find out which subnet to use, most likely 192.168.0.x or 192.168.1.x

.

192.168.0.x or 192.168.1.x are IP addresses 255.255.255.x are the subnets. It would'nt help to get them confused.

In all else oneman is correct and now that we know you have no router that might narrow it down a bit.

Have you installed the modem and any drivers it requires on the lappy properly?

Is your firewall set to allow the connection?

 

[oneman]

192.168.0.x or 192.168.1.x are IP addresses 255.255.255.x are the subnets. It would'nt help to get them confused.

In all else oneman is correct and now that we know you have no router that might narrow it down a bit.

Have you installed the modem and any drivers it requires on the lappy properly?

Is your firewall set to allow the connection?

255.255.255.0 is a subnet mask
255.255.255.x would generally indicate a subnet mask in the range 255.255.255.0 to 255.255.255.254

192.168.0.x is a generally used to indicate a subnet with mask 255.255.255.0 though technically it should be written as 192.168.0.0/24 in MS speak but that really is confusing.


Anyway,

There used to be two ways to connect the modem, either USB or Ethernet. I don't know if USB is supported these days, the last few cable modems have been ethernet only.

If the modem is USB then yes you will need modem drivers. But then I think the modem shows up as a dial-up device not a network device (this is years ago, back in 96 or 97 that I had a USB modem so I could well be wrong).

If the connection to the router is Ethernet then no drivers should be required for the modem, only for the ethernet card and from the laptop ipconfig looks like the drivers are installed.

Also back in the dark distance back, blueyonder and NTL used to lock down the connection by MAC address so you have to register which computer was connected to the modem. So if you switched between laptop and desktop you would need to call them. Again I think they dropped that years ago.


pops1a any change you can take your laptop to a friends or neighbours house and plug it in there. It will at show your ethernet port and drivers are working.

Also have you called virgin, there may be a simple solution to this.

 

[pops1a]

Thanks guys. I've just been on to virgin and they suggested getting a jack for my usb connection lead or getting the drivers for my webstar 200 series modem. I've got the CD but everytime I try to download the drivers it ask to connect to the internet and then it just crashes with an error message. I've been on the internet to look for drivers but can't seem to find any. The one I found came up as infected. Any ideas where I can get the drivers off the net and slap them on the usb memory stick and then load them on to the lappy that way, which could solve the problem.

 

[oneman]

Does the modem support ethernet option, you won't need any drivers then.

 

[pops1a]

Some good news in that the laptop thinks there is a network connection here however your laptop is not getting an IP address from the router and using a default windows assigned one. Possible the reasons are,

- duff network cable
- You are using MAC filtering on the router
- The router is out of IP address in its DHCP range
- You have a firewall on the laptop blocking DHCP requests

Thanks, now then how can I resolve this issue and how do I find out which of these is the culprit. When I spoke to the virgin guy he said it was a simple problem and that the laptop just needed the modem drivers installing or getting a usb cable jack adapter, as this would mean I didn't need to install the drivers. What do you think, is he bulls..tting me or what.

 

[DoomedEarl]

Does your modem connect to you pc via usb or ethernet?
When using ethernet, if you are taking the cable out of the pc and sticking it in the laptop it wont work unless you then reboot the modem as Oneman suggested earlier because you are connecting using a different mac address. I think that is your problem; just resart the modem.