Ping yes, ftp yes, http no.

March 23, 2009 3:12 PM

I can ping, I can ftp, I can do dns lookups, but I can't display web pages or anything else involving http, and I don't know what to do about it.

I have a Lenovo T-61 laptop (I think), Linksys WRT54G router, and DSL modem provided by Verizon. A few days ago my browser stopped loading pages. Not dropping the connection, just apparently refusing (or not receiving) any incoming packets. My wife's laptop, connected to the router by wire, is fine. I tried connecting by wire as well: no luck. I also tried connecting at a local internet cafe, and the results were the same.

The weird thing is that I can successfully ping, do dns lookups, and ftp. But browsers won't display any web pages. I can telnet to outside sites, but not receive any responses when I ask for a page. I can't even get a response from the router when I put "192.168.x.x" in the address bar. It waits and waits for a response that never comes.

A computery friend says that it's as though I have a firewall-like bit of software that's blocking any activity on Port 80. I've turned off every firewall I know about. I've cycled the power on the modem and router plenty of times. I've disabled and reenabled both the wireless and wired connections in XP. I don't know what to do next.

There's a probably separate problem, which is that I can no longer connect wirelessly at home. Because I am a doofus, I disconnected from it, to try to "refresh" the connection, without remembering that I don't know the password for logging back in. I connected to the wireless at the cafe, and did some pings and ftp, so this seems like a separate problem, offered here only by way of confession of doofusness and repentance for same, in hopes that some divine malice may be placated.

Unfortunately for all of us, my education in computers comes the hard way, ie, usually through situations like this, where something isn't working right: thanks in advance for your help and instruction.

posted by sleevener to computers & internet (11 comments total)

Do you have AVG anti-virus installed? if so, try uninstalling it and see if that fixes the issue.
posted by ijoyner at 3:25 PM on March 23 [1 favorite]

that's a tough one...

Try this from the command line:

netsh int ip reset log.txt

Also try going to your network connection's properties, uncheck tcp/ip, click ok, recheck it, click ok.

Try uninstalling and reinstalling your device from device manager.

Try booting with hiren's boot CD and see if its network utility will work properly...

Go into start > run > services.msc
Stop the windows firewall service and restart the wireless zero config (for your wireless issue)
posted by PowerCat at 3:26 PM on March 23

ijoyner, I do have AVG installed. Why would uninstalling it fix this?
posted by sleevener at 3:31 PM on March 23

My wife's laptop also has AVG installed, with no problems.
posted by sleevener at 3:32 PM on March 23

There was a version of AVG that when attempted to update, screwed up the program and made workstations not able to access web pages (but addresses were pingable). I came across an AVG knowledge base article concerning this once, when I wasn't looking for it, but cannot find it at this moment. I had this issue occur at an office a few times on a networked version of AVG. Usually only one pc was affected by this at a time.

Uninstalling and reinstalling the latest version fixed it when I've come across the issue.
posted by ijoyner at 3:39 PM on March 23 [1 favorite]

AVG (along with many other firewalls and internet security producs) do various horrible things to the TCP/IP stack, or interfere with specific applications or protocols. If you have a product like AVG, Norton or McAfee, it's one of the first things I'd look at to.
posted by Rendus at 3:39 PM on March 23

Okay, thanks, I'll try uninstalling AVG. More/other answers are still appreciated. I'm going to disappear for the night (unless of course uninstalling AVG fixes my problem).
posted by sleevener at 3:51 PM on March 23

Check your web-proxy settings. See if they've changed from what they are supposed to be. Which is probably nothing.
posted by gjc at 4:09 PM on March 23

Any proxy settings get turned on? This is also behavior that happens when your internet settings get turned to use a proxy that doesn't exist on the network you're on. Check a different browser, also.

Finally, check the HOSTS file and make sure nothing wonky is in there:
C:\Windows\system32\hosts (Drag it into notepad; very little should be in that file)
posted by disillusioned at 5:42 PM on March 23

Looks like it was AVG. I'm posting from my laptop, connected by wire. I still need to figure out how to reconnect to my router wirelessly, but that seems like an easier thing. Thanks, everyone, for your help.
posted by sleevener at 5:45 PM on March 23

Odds are it was the firewall in AVG. It was probably configured to block certain programs or certain types of traffic. Try a newer version and spend some time configuring it when you get it up.

Or, do as I do and use Avast and Zone Alarm for a firewall/anti-virus solution. They work great together.
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 8:45 PM on March 23