i am hoping that you guys in your infinite wisdom could help me with a problem. I usually use internet explorer and i just moved into a new apartment, but when i plug in my ethernet cord into my laptop i can't surf the internet. it's strange because i have an ISP address and am sending information to the internet, but I am not receiving any packets. when i open internet explorer, it says "this page cannot be displayed", and that's for every website i go to. does anyone know what the problem could be?
thanks in advance for any help.
Posts: 3 | Registered: Jan 2005
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I'm assuming this is a windows box. If so what IP address are you getting. If it's a 169.____ address then you are actually not grabbing an IP. Also, exactly what type of service are you using? Is it cable provided by the apartment complex?
If you could describe more of the things you've tried it would be helpful. What OS are you using?
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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I live in an apartment complex, and we get internet through Comcast. It is a 169. address, but I am sending information to the Internet, and it also keeps tracks of how long I have been online. When I disable and re-enable LAN, it still does not work, or when I repair it. I am currently using Windows XP Home.
Could it just be an Internet Explorer problem or does my system just not recognize that I should be connected?
Posts: 3 | Registered: Jan 2005
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"I live in an apartment complex, and we get internet through Comcast. It is a 169. address, but I am sending information to the Internet, and it also keeps tracks of how long I have been online."
If you're getting a 169.x address, you're almost certainly NOT actually sending data to the Internet. I assume that you're not using a router, and are drawing an IP directly from an attached cable modem...?
If you go to a command prompt and type IPCONFIG /ALL, you'll see what gateway and DHCP servers are being used. If something looks off -- and I suspect it will -- that most likely means that you aren't getting DHCP from Comcast.
First off, have you checked to make sure that your machine is set to use DHCP, and not a static IP?
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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It doesn't sould like you're are getting an IP address. It might know that you're connected but it's not giving you an unique address. Do you have to tell your apartment complex anything about your computer?
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Indeed. If your IP address starts with anything 169.254, it usually means your computer can't find a DHCP server, which means it can't requiest an IP address.
Were you given a manual IP address, or some special DHCP hostname to look for? Is it your entire apartment building? Perhaps asking a neighbor?
Posts: 903 | Registered: May 2003
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There needs to be some sort of standard form to fill out for tech-help questions.
Operating System, basic system information, what browser/version used, etc.
Have you asked a neighbor whether their connection is working or whether they had to do anything special to get it to work.
Also, have you checked to see if your connection is physically good. (Check the status of the connection to see how many packets sent/received, and check the little status light on your ethernet port to see if it's on/the right color.)
Posts: 1592 | Registered: Jan 2001
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I know this may sound like a really dumb question, but when you moved you did get your service switched over to the new apartment?
Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998
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The only real way to figure out the nature of the problem is to find out if anyone else is having the same problem. If everyone's having the same problem, your managers need to know about it. If some are having problems and others aren't, still talk to the managers. If you're the only person with a problem, check your computer on another port to make sure that's not the problem, and have someone hook their computer up to the port you're using. If things work for them, see if you can get ahold of a different PCMCIA Network card and hook up through that. If it still isn't working after that you'll have to dig a little deeper into your operating system. If you use Windows XP, there probably won't be too many issues to fix, but Windows 98 & 95 can get a little hairy with networking. I have a hard time fixing networking problems without actually being there to see what's going on, though, so I can't really tell you what to do.
Edit: All of this is assuming your apartment complex provides Internet for you, if you get it individually, you'll need to talk to your ISP and get everything worked out with their system, since more often than not, broadband tech support operators are capable of doing things with your connection that we just can't.
[ January 03, 2005, 10:57 PM: Message edited by: Boris ]
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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thank you for trying to help out. i'm sorry that i wasn't more clear earlier, but i am using Windows XP, with Internet Explorer 6.0 with no other browser currently. A couple of months ago, I went abroad for a couple of months and my friend had taught me how to surf the Internet by using a proxy. This had worked for a week or so, and then suddenly it stopped working. I thought that it was a proxy-related issue and thought that once I returned home and used dsl, it would be fine. Since I returned home, I use AOL, which works perfectly well and Internet Explorer works as well. However, since I am starting school again, I moved into an apartment with my friends.
They use Comcast high-speed dsl, with a router since there are four of us. It has nothing really to do with the apartment complex, and all of my roommates have working Internet currently with the router. I think the problem is the DHCP that was mentioned since it seems to make sense especially since I do have a 169.- IP, but I am sending packets online. Also, when my ethernet cord is plugged in, the timer records how long I have been online, or I guess it's really a "mock" online.
Any suggestions on how to fix this? I have already tried ipconfig/renew and ipconfig/all in start/run as well as command prompt, but neither is working. Thanks so much!!!
Posts: 3 | Registered: Jan 2005
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The timer and the "sending packets" bits, sadly, don't matter. You can always SEND packets; if you don't get packets back, you aren't really online.
I would see if you can ping the router to which you're connected. All routers have an IP. If you can't ping that IP when your cable is physically plugged into it, then something horrible has happened to the fabric of the universe -- or, more likely, your network connection.
The problem, if it's there, lies in either a) your network cable; b) your network card; or c) your router. I'd start by switching out the cable.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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quote:I have already tried ipconfig/renew and ipconfig/all in start/run as well as command prompt, but neither is working.
When you say that neither is working, what do you mean? Are you putting a space between "ipconfig" and "/all"?
Posts: 15 | Registered: Dec 2004
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You should be able to go to the run box and type ipconfig and have it work. *ponder* What does it say when it doesn't work?
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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You should also go to the device tab for your ethernet card and go to the advanced properties you should make sure that the firewall is off or make sure it is set up properly. Apparently updating to service pack 2 could screw that up.
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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