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Solved: "Limited or No Internet Connectivity" on my laptop?

Discussion in 'Networking' started by theant4, Dec 11, 2011.

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  1. theant4

    theant4 Thread Starter

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2010
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    So yesterday afternoon I got this message on my laptop, complete with the little yellow triangle hovering over my little internet icon at the bottom of my screen. The weird part is that my desktop computer and my mom's laptop (both of which are using wireless from the same router) can both successfully connect -- I'm using my mom's laptop to type this. I tried unplugging the router and plugging it back in and it didn't help... my laptop still won't connect.

    Here's a few of the facts:

    - From the bit of research I've done I see that this problem often coincides with a recent installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2, which I have not done.

    - I'm using Windows 7, just FYI

    - My big desktop computer already has an Ethernet cable connecting its built-in modem directly to the router. Someone on another site suggested using an Ethernet cable to connect my laptop directly to the router, but my laptop is a little bit of a junkpile and doesn't have anywhere to plug one in.

    - When running Windows Network Diagnostic it tells me that there's a "problem with the wireless adapter or access point" which would be the router. I've tried resetting the router, but it didn't help.

    I'm not sure how much it matters but I first noticed this problem when I was running a virus scan on my laptop. About halfway through the scan it had picked up 3 infected objects. I was using a different computer while I waited for the scan to finish and when I came back in my laptop had mysteriously shut itself down. I rebooted it and got the whole "Windows was not properly shut down" thing with the options to restart in Safe Mode and such. I just restarted it regularly and when I got back on that's when I noticed that I had no internet. I re-ran the virus scan and got rid of all of them. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with my lack of internet, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

    While attempting to research solutions for the problem I've seen a lot of stuff about IP addresses and a bunch of acronyms I'm not familiar with. I really don't have a clue about all this networking stuff. Does anyone have any suggestions that could help me out?? :eek:
     
    theant4, Dec 11, 2011
    #1
  3. etaf

    etaf Moderator

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2003
    Messages:
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    First Name:
    Wayne
    it maybe the virus - we can move to the virus section later if necessary

    but can you post back a couple of things here - you will need to copy from / to the laptop -

    make and model of the laptop

    There is usually a switch for the wireless - physical or one of the F keys in combination with the FN key - is that switch enabled for wireless ?

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ipconfig /all
    If you cannot access the internet with this PC, then you will need to paste the results into something like notepad and then copy onto a machine that can access the internet and post results here

    We would like to see the results from ipconfig /all post back the results in a reply here

    Hold the Windows key and press R, then type CMD then press Enter to open a command prompt box (A new dialogue box - black with white font, will appear on screen ):

    In the command prompt window that opens, type the following command:

    Note that there is a space before the /ALL, but there is NOT a space after the / in the following command.

    ipconfig /all > network.txt & network.txt

    It will export the results to notepad and then automatically open notepad.

    Now all you need to do is copy and paste those results to a reply here
    to do that:
    From the notepad menu - choose Edit - Select all
    all the text will be highlighted
    Next
    From the notepad menu - choose Edit - Copy
    Now go back to the forum - reply and then right click in the reply box and paste
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Run Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector
    Download and install
    If you cannot access the internet with this PC, then you will need to copy the program across to the faulty PC

    http://www.xirrus.com/Products/Wi-Fi-Inspector.aspx
    Direct link to the program is here http://wpc.475a.edgecastcdn.net/00475A/XirrusWiFiInspectorSetup.1.2.0.exe

    {If the above link does not work heres another link http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download/fid,77196-order,4/download.html}

    Then run and install the program - on a wireless enabled PC/Laptop
    if you get an error - You need NET Framework installed for the WiFi Inspector to function.

    Run the program

    A user guide is available here http://www.xirrus.com/Products/Wi-Fi-Inspector/xirruswifiinspectorguide1-2-0.aspx

    post a screen shot of the program running - if there are a lot of networks showing can you click on "networks" top lefthand area - so we can see all the network information, and also post which network "Adapter Name" (1st column) is yours on the list

    To post a screen shot of the active window, hold the Alt key and press the PrtScn key. Open the Windows PAINT application and Paste the screen shot. You can then use PAINT to trim to suit, and save it as a JPG format file.
    To upload it to the forum, open the full reply window and use the Manage Attachments button to upload it here.
    Full details are here http://library.techguy.org/wiki/TSG_Posting_a_Screenshot

    Note:
    For a reliable (or robust as the Xirrus user guide says) wireless connection you need a signal of about -70 dBm or better.

    If you are using the Mac OS then use http://www.istumbler.net/
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
    etaf, Dec 11, 2011
    #2
  4. theant4

    theant4 Thread Starter

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2010
    Messages:
    40
    First off, yes the wireless is turned on for my laptop. That was one of the first things I checked. I even switched it off then on again to see if it would help and it didn't.

    Here's the stuff from the command prompt...

    Windows IP Configuration
    Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Owner-PC
    Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
    Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
    IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
    WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
    DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : domain.actdsltmp

    Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:
    Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : domain.actdsltmp
    Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Atheros AR5007EG Wireless Network Adapter
    Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-63-D7-D4-97
    DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
    Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
    Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::9924:403f:b014:f69a%12(Preferred)
    Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.246.154(Preferred)
    Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
    Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
    DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
    205.171.3.25
    NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

    Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
    Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
    Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
    Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller
    Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1E-33-90-E3-01
    DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
    Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

    Tunnel adapter isatap.{8221F7AD-818F-4EE6-BCA9-DA492F959BAE}:
    Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
    Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
    Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
    Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
    DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
    Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

    Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:
    Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
    Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
    Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
    Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
    DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
    Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

    Tunnel adapter isatap.domain.actdsltmp:
    Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
    Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
    Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
    Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
    DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
    Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes



    And as far as the whole virus thing goes, I started all the scans in the first place because I had one of those stupid fake "scareware" viruses ("Win 7 Security 2012" I believe was the name) so I was getting rid of it with Rkill and Malwarebytes like I have the other times I've had to deal with them. This morning I ran Rkill again just out of curiosity and it actually found some malware processes that remained even after I'd run Malwarebytes. So I ran Malwarebytes again but it couldn't find them. I'm currently running a full scan with Microsoft Security Essentials to see if it can find something. During my research I found somewhere that said that viruses can indeed cause this problem, but I would have thought Malwarebytes would have taken care of that. I'll finish running this scan and we'll see what happens.

    And then I tried downloading the Wi-Fi Inspector and it gave me an error saying that "there was another installation already in progress." I don't have anything else installing, so I thought maybe this was the error you were talking about and went to download the .NET thing but when I went to install it it told me it was already installed as part of the OS. So I'm not sure what the problem is...
     
    theant4, Dec 11, 2011
    #3
  5. etaf

    etaf Moderator

    Joined:
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    Messages:
    65,409
    First Name:
    Wayne
    we usually have issues with this adapter Atheros AR5007EG on windows Vista - 7 however, has been OK so far - i will post the info at the end , just as a record - but i'm not sure thats the issue

    lets try a tcp/ip reset

    also what firewall is on or has ever been on the PC - like Norton or mcafee etc


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Vista/Windows 7

    Start, Programs\Accessories and right click on Command Prompt, select "Run as Administrator" to open a command prompt.

    Note: Type only the text in bold for the following commands.

    Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults: netsh winsock reset catalog

    Reset IPv4 TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log
    and press enter

    Reset IPv6 TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log
    and press enter

    Reboot the machine.

    If you receive the message
    The requested operation requires elevation.
    Then please open the command prompt as administrator - as requested above
    Start, Programs\Accessories and right click on Command Prompt, select "Run as Administrator" to open a command prompt.

    Please note and post back - if you receive the message
    Access is Denied

    Post back the results here - we need to know these commands worked correctly
    rightclick in the box
    select all
    enter
    control key + C key - to copy
    then reply here and
    control key + V to paste

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------


    JUST for the record here - DO NOT ACTION YET, as this is for VISTA ONLY

     
    etaf, Dec 11, 2011
    #4
  6. theant4

    theant4 Thread Starter

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2010
    Messages:
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    To be honest I'm not sure what firewall I have... I know for sure I don't have Norton, but there's a McAfee thing that checks websites and stuff for me so maybe that's it. My antivirus is Avira and then I also have Microsoft Security Essentials.

    Here are the results from the TCP/IP reset: the reset itself seemed to work but even after rebooting my computer it didn't fix my problem.


    C:\Windows\system32>netsh winsock reset catalog

    Sucessfully reset the Winsock Catalog.
    You must restart the computer in order to complete the reset.

    C:\Windows\system32>netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log
    Resetting Interface, OK!
    Restart the computer to complete this action.

    C:\Windows\system32>netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log
    There's no user specified settings to be reset.
     
    theant4, Dec 11, 2011
    #5
  7. etaf

    etaf Moderator

    Joined:
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    Wayne
    i think we need to establish if you do have mcafee or other security suite on the PC
    goto
    control panel >
    programs >
    uninstall a programs >

    then look at the list and see if mcafee is there - I assume , you do not have a subscription to mcafee and with Avira on the PC - you dont want two antivirus running
    mcafee recommend running the removal tool after you uninstall - see here


    --------------------------------------------------------------
    Mcafee RemovalTool
    http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=TS100507
    --------------------------------------------------------------
     
    etaf, Dec 12, 2011
    #6
  8. theant4

    theant4 Thread Starter

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2010
    Messages:
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    Okay I checked and the McAfee is just the "Security Scan Plus" so it's not the actual antivirus software, it's just a scan. I've been meaning to get rid of it anyway because whenever the little scan comes up it yells at me because I have the other real antivirus programs. I'll go ahead and uninstall it.

    Any more thoughts on the internet problem?
     
    theant4, Dec 12, 2011
    #7
  9. etaf

    etaf Moderator

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    can we see the xirrus screen shot
     
    etaf, Dec 12, 2011
    #8
  10. theant4

    theant4 Thread Starter

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2010
    Messages:
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    I could never get it installed. I'm getting an error that says "Error 1500. Another installation is in progress. You must complete that installation before continuing this one."

    I thought maybe this was the error you were talking about so I went to install the .NET Framework but it's already on the computer so I don't know what the problem is. I don't have any other installations in progress...

    You said to install all of that on a computer with working internet right? Or was I supposed to do it on my laptop?


    Just out of curiosity, do you think a system restore would at least be worth a try? Since I haven't had internet I've barely used my laptop in the last couple days so I wouldn't be losing anything important. However, if I restored my system to a point before I started running those virus scans would that mean the viruses would still be on the computer? I wouldn't think they would be, but then again like I said before I don't know a whole lot about this stuff...
     
    theant4, Dec 12, 2011
    #9
  11. etaf

    etaf Moderator

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    yes
     
    etaf, Dec 12, 2011
    #10
  12. theant4

    theant4 Thread Starter

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2010
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    Okay I've got internet back!!! :D I honestly don't even know what I did... I was installing a few updates just now and was waiting for those to finish before trying the system restore (looking back on it I'm not sure why -- it would have been pointless) and I had to restart the computer to finish the updates and when I got back on my internet was back!

    Thanks so much for the time you've put into helping me -- I really do appreciate it (y)
     
    theant4, Dec 12, 2011
    #11
  13. etaf

    etaf Moderator

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    your welcome (y) thanks for letting us know
    You can mark your own threads solved using the [​IMG] button at the top of the page of the thread in the upper left corner. :)
     
    etaf, Dec 12, 2011
    #12

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