[ducatisto]

Hey Guys,

I shut off my computer and went on a business trip for a week. Came back, turned on my computer and all I get is the local area connection is "Local Access Only". Internet connection was working fine before I left. I have Time Warner cable service through a RCA DCM425 modem provided by Time Warner. I had TW come out and replace the box and check service. No change. Rebooted system, no change. Flushed DNS, no change. Did the TCP/IP stack repairs suggested by JohnWill and TerryNet on other posts, no change. I have a HP 8047 media center desktop running Vista SP1 with IE7 connected directly to the modem via ethernet. IP Config right after the TCP/IP stack repairs is posted below. Any insights? Connecting through my cell phone as a modem is getting old! Thanks in advance for any help.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Users\Admin>ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : HPDesktop-8047
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : socal.rr.com
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : socal.rr.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1A-92-D1-6D-3C
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::31c8:459c:7507:824a%14(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 76.167.166.133(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.248.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, March 13, 2009 11:23:38 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, March 14, 2009 10:32:01 AM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 76.167.160.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.225.64.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 66.75.160.63
66.75.160.64
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : HP 802.11b/g Wireless Network Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-C0-A8-D7-B7-B6
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{89B3C177-8FFF-47DD-8F49-02BBA5510
716}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 9:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : socal.rr.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.socal.rr.com
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 12:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : socal.rr.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft 6to4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2002:4ca7:a685::4ca7:a685(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 66.75.160.63
66.75.160.64
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled
C:\Users\Admin>ping 76.167.166.133
Pinging 76.167.166.133 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 76.167.166.133: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 76.167.166.133: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 76.167.166.133: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 76.167.166.133: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Ping statistics for 76.167.166.133:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms
C:\Users\Admin>ping 76.167.160.1
Pinging 76.167.160.1 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 76.167.160.1: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=255
Reply from 76.167.160.1: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=255
Reply from 76.167.160.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=255
Reply from 76.167.160.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=255
Ping statistics for 76.167.160.1:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 8ms, Maximum = 10ms, Average = 8ms
C:\Users\Admin>ping 206.190.60.37
Pinging 206.190.60.37 with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Ping statistics for 206.190.60.37:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),
C:\Users\Admin>ping yahoo.com
Ping request could not find host yahoo.com. Please check the name and try again.

C:\Users\Admin>

[TerryNet]

I'm hoping that it's a corrupted driver ...

In Device Manager uninstall the ethernet adapter; reboot the PC and let Windows find the adapter and reinstall the driver.

[ducatisto]

Hey TerryNet,

Thanks for your help. I uninstalled the Intel ethernet adapter and rebooted. Same response fom the system. Local access only and Cannot Communicate with Primary DNS. Anything else I can try before complete reinstall (which I would want to avoid at all costs)?

Thanks!

[TerryNet]

When you connect through your cell phone as a modem the connection to the computer is USB or bluetooth or something else other than ethernet, right?

Maybe there was a not-noticed-by-you update to the ethernet driver right before you left or after you got back and it was directly from Intel. So, get the latest driver from HP's web site.

Run those 3 Vista stack repairs again, just because a few times people have had success with the similar XP repairs the 2nd time.

Have you tried pings several times and found it to be consistent that you can ping the Gateway OK, but not the DNS server or any other web address? If you get inconsistent results it could be the cable between modem and computer

How about $20 to avoid a reinstall of Windows? Clearly I can't promise that, but I think that while that may be the fix needed it's just as probable that the fix will be a PCI or USB ethernet adapter. In other words I'm out of ideas and think that the defect may be hardware.

[ducatisto]

Hey TerryNet,

Thanks for your additional suggestions. I changed the ethernet cable and still no change. I unplugged everything, cycled the power and still no change. This one is really starting to annoy me. Any last suggestions before I start the reinstall?

Thanks.

[ducatisto]

I forgot to mention that Yes, the cell phone modem is connected by a USB connection. Should I try a USB/Ethernet adapter and see what happens?

Thanks.

[TerryNet]

Did you make sure you have the latest driver from HP's web site? And run the repairs again?

There is no way to predict for sure, but I think the cause is more likely hardware than operating system. So, yes, I would next try another ethernet adapter, either PCI or USB, before installing Windows.

[ducatisto]

Hey TerryNet,

You were correct all along. It seems it was hardware. Maybe the NIC is bad. I bought the ethernet/USB 2.0 adapter and it worked fine once I rebooted everything. It seems to be just fine now. Thanks for all your help!

[TerryNet]

Glad you got it working.