That sounds very much like a security/IE problem from the details as usually if it can ping a site it should be able to connect to it with no trouble.
But if it was an IE security problem - why would it behave exactly the same way when I tried Firefox on the PC? That was the reason that I tried Firefox - although I admit I have not yet checked the IE security settings. I will do that and re-set them to default if that is not how they are currently set for the Internet zone. Again, I will report back once I have had a chance to do that.
But if it was an IE security problem - why would it behave exactly the same way when I tried Firefox on the PC? That was the reason that I tried Firefox - although I admit I have not yet checked the IE security settings.
Well I actually mean't other security software not IE's security itself. Firewalls/anti-virus etc, just incase one of those has updated and is blocking something it shouldn't.
But if it was an IE security problem - why would it behave exactly the same way when I tried Firefox on the PC? That was the reason that I tried Firefox - although I admit I have not yet checked the IE security settings.
Well I actually mean't other security software not IE's security itself. Firewalls/anti-virus etc, just incase one of those has updated and is blocking something it shouldn't.
Again, thanks for the suggestion - but I don't see that as a possibility. All the traffic from web sites generally travels over TCP port 80 (for HTTP) and port 443 (for HTTPS). There certainly is no stateful packet inspection firewall on the PC - so nothing that would block particular content. All the traffic is just packets on ports which are allowed, so if one web site works all web site should work. (At least that's my understanding of how things work).
Having said that, I will try to check it out and I will report back if I find anything interesting.
Having said that, I will try to check it out and I will report back if I find anything interesting.
OK - I have now spent some time looking at some more details. Unfortunately the situation is no clearer, because nothing I did made the slightest bit of difference.
There is no firewall software running on the PC at all.
An old version of Grisoft AVG Free edition is installed. I tried disabling it - no change.
I re-set Internet Explorer (version 6.0.2800 SP1, btw) security options for the Internet zone to the Medium default settings - no change.
I tried disabling the Sun JVM (just in case that version - 1.4.1 - does not work on Windows ME. I later checked on the Sun site and found out that it should be OK) - no change.
At the weekend, I am heading down there with my own (Windows XP) machine and I will see if that works (as per nepcs001's similar test at one of his troublesome sites). If it works, then I think it's time for my mum to get a new lap-top. If it doesn't, then I won't be able to report back until after the weekend and, by that time, I guarantee I will be pulling my hair out - I just haven't ever seen anything like this before.
Wish me luck. (Oh - and if anyone has any other suggestions for me to try, please post them before Friday evening so I can give them a go when I am down there).
At the weekend, I am heading down there with my own (Windows XP) machine and I will see if that works (as per nepcs001's similar test at one of his troublesome sites).
I am in Cardiff. I installed the Speedtouch drivers on my XP machine, connected first time and everything seems to work perfectly. So it's something to do with my Mum's PC. I will now try installing the latest Speedtouch drivers on that and/or re-installing TCP/IP and see if it makes a difference. Stand-by for more news - although I am not particularly hopeful.
At the weekend, I am heading down there with my own (Windows XP) machine and I will see if that works (as per nepcs001's similar test at one of his troublesome sites).
I am in Cardiff. I installed the Speedtouch drivers on my XP machine, connected first time and everything seems to work perfectly. So it's something to do with my Mum's PC. I will now try installing the latest Speedtouch drivers on that and/or re-installing TCP/IP and see if it makes a difference. Stand-by for more news - although I am not particularly hopeful.
I HAVE FOUND A FIX. (Sorry to shout - but this has been driving me nuts).
To fix this problem, download a free product called Tweakmaster from http://www.tweakmaster.com/dow...nload.php (Note there is a professional version and a free version - the free version worked for me).
When you run the program, choose the Connection Optimization Wizard. Click Next on the introductory screen. On the next screen, choose the DSL or Cable Modem option. On the Broadband Connection screen check the box for "I need a username and password to connect". On the Network Interface screen, choose All Interfaces. On the Optimization Strategy screen, choose Strategy #1.
On the final screen, click Apply (and allow the program to re-boot the system for you).
That's what I did and when it re-booted, all web access was restored.
I don't know in detail what values it has set in the registry behind the scenes. But whatever they are, they seem to work for this PC. It might be that other optimisation strategies would work on other PCs.
I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was causing this problem. Given that some pages worked and others didn't, it must be something to do with the content of the page. Since the whole system doesn't really care WHAT is in the network traffic, it must be something to do with the SIZE of the data. One thing I noticed was that the pages which could be successfully accessed (see the earlier post from nepcs001) all had very lightweight content. Maybe it only worked on web pages for which the whole of the content fits into a single network packet.
I would be interested to hear if anyone else manages to fix the problem in the way I have described above.
Elhana - it looks like there is still some life left in Windows ME yet....not that I am a fan of it in any way, shape or form.
I am a PC engineer and now have 4 customers with the same problem. They all have an ADSL connection and can use Email (OE) and MSN but they cannot access web pages correctly. Google will display OK and you can search BUT you cannot then click on the search results - the page just hangs. 3 of them are using Windows ME with USB modem, the other XP with router. All were working fine until about 10 days ago. They have all contacted Orange Support to be told there is no problem. I have checked settings against those published by Orange and all seem OK. I have changed DNS to their suggested alternatives - all to no avail.
Any similar experiences? any suggestions.
Regards,
I am helping a friend who has exactly the same problem. They are in Boldon (not far from you) and the problem started around 15th December.
The DSL connection is stable however the PC can only access certain websites (www.google.co.uk and a few others). I can PING locations that I know will respond.
What I have worked out is that it affects the HTTP protocol the however other protocols such as ICMP, POP, SMTP are less affected. I can retrieve websites hosted in the UK (note .co.uk does not guarantee it is hosted in the UK). The size and content of the website does not matter, I have downloaded video and flash animations (from a UK server).
My friend has an XP machine with a WiFi router. I have swapped out the router (3 different ones) used my laptop (different software setup), swapped all of the filters and recabled the BT wiring. All without completely solving the problem.
I get different levels of service dependant on the router a BT Voyager 205 (non WiFi) works best. All of the routers work fine on BT and on Tiscali connections.
I am going to try :-
1. Running a TRACEROUTE with a linux machine
2. Spoofing the MAC address of the router match the supplied modem
3. Test a number of protocols to see which ones work
I will post the results
The two most credible theories I have read on the web are (1) Local Loop Unbundelling and (2) MAC address range blocking.
My line was upgraded last thursday 18th jan to 8 Mbps - since then I have had very similar problems to those described
I am running XP and Opera on this machine - no problems but I haven`t been able to browse properly on my win98se machine on the same line with the modem swapped over.
Basically I cant get out of the Google site, I can play Google videos and browse google groups etc but cannot link to any other site via hyperlink bookmark or address bar - all I get is a blank window
At the weekend, I am heading down there with my own (Windows XP) machine and I will see if that works (as per nepcs001's similar test at one of his troublesome sites).
I am in Cardiff. I installed the Speedtouch drivers on my XP machine, connected first time and everything seems to work perfectly. So it's something to do with my Mum's PC. I will now try installing the latest Speedtouch drivers on that and/or re-installing TCP/IP and see if it makes a difference. Stand-by for more news - although I am not particularly hopeful.
I HAVE FOUND A FIX. (Sorry to shout - but this has been driving me nuts).
To fix this problem, download a free product called Tweakmaster from http://www.tweakmaster.com/dow...nload.php (Note there is a professional version and a free version - the free version worked for me).
When you run the program, choose the Connection Optimization Wizard. Click Next on the introductory screen. On the next screen, choose the DSL or Cable Modem option. On the Broadband Connection screen check the box for "I need a username and password to connect". On the Network Interface screen, choose All Interfaces. On the Optimization Strategy screen, choose Strategy #1.
On the final screen, click Apply (and allow the program to re-boot the system for you).
That's what I did and when it re-booted, all web access was restored.
I don't know in detail what values it has set in the registry behind the scenes. But whatever they are, they seem to work for this PC. It might be that other optimisation strategies would work on other PCs.
I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was causing this problem. Given that some pages worked and others didn't, it must be something to do with the content of the page. Since the whole system doesn't really care WHAT is in the network traffic, it must be something to do with the SIZE of the data. One thing I noticed was that the pages which could be successfully accessed (see the earlier post from nepcs001) all had very lightweight content. Maybe it only worked on web pages for which the whole of the content fits into a single network packet.
I would be interested to hear if anyone else manages to fix the problem in the way I have described above.
Elhana - it looks like there is still some life left in Windows ME yet....not that I am a fan of it in any way, shape or form.
EXCELLENT! Fiexed 2 of the problem PCs so far using Tweakmaster as described above. Many thanks for your assistance.
Joined: 23 Jan 2007Posts: 3Location: Banstead, Surrey
I have just spent the last hour or two on the phone to my mother and running VNC to try to sort out what sounds like exactly the same problem.
She's on the Whitley Bay exchange and able to use email, but has either no access or very slow access to the web. It's the same on IE6 and Firefox. www.orange.co.uk loads the top ad banner, the Orange logo and the date and that's about all. news.bbc.co.uk gets nowhere. Like most of the others in this thread she's running Win 98SE.
She rarely surfs the web, but uses email a lot so the problem could have started any time in the last Three weeks or so. I'll try the Tweakmaster fix tomorrow and see if that works.
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