connected, but not connected

[ssahl]

Ok, after using the same setup for months, now for some reason after double clicking on my DUN account icon in Win98, it connects ok, but when I open up my browser I cant open up any URL's. Now I have a dual boot setup on my system (lucky for me) so I have been booting to XP since this happened two days ago. Using the same modem, modem driver, DUN account, and still the same thing, I can connect but not surf, but in WinXP I can connect and surf. I have tried uninstalling & deleting my modem, DUN account then putting them back. Tried Netscape and Internet Explorer. I even tried Net2Phone without any browser, that didnt work either. I can only think of 3 things I did to of possibly caused this problem.
1. I had downloaded the program 'mIRC' & while connected to this program I, um downloaded or accepted a 700k file (saved to disk) thought I knew what it was, they were not apps I know that. I dont ever get a virus, being as I use hotmail exclusively, but this would be the first time in a long while that I have used any type of ICQ or IRC type program, I did run norton anti-virus 2001 and didnt find not 1 virus, but since I cant surf on 98 the virus definitions are just about 3 weeks old. It did tell me though that the boot sector of the drive had been changed, but since I hardly ever get a virus, and thus use anti-virus software maybe 1 time every other week I thought it was something I did, cant remember, but I had norton change it back. (made copys of master boot record first) Even after changing it back I still had the same problem.

2. Just the other day I downloaded the program 'Dr salamans windows power tools' and used the 'hyper net' utility thats on there, but I set everything back to default and still the same problem.

3. The first time I noticed this was when I was checking out another modem, this one was an ISA internal one, it installed just fine diagnostics on it (and my own) all show to be ok, I also had put in a NIC card too, installation seemed to go good on this too. Now since this started happening I have removed both the internal modem and the NIC card. I ruled out IRQ conflick since the modem I use is an external serial modem

I have installed this modem on windows of every kind so many times I cant count, not to mention that it's a US Robotics Sportster 56k data fax modem, I used the same driver I always use. One bit of info that may be usefull, when I try and go to a favorite or bookmark, or type in a URL, in internat explorer the unable to view site (something like that) anyway, this comes up right away, and even when I hit refresh it pops right up without waiting, so what I'm getting at is internet explorer is not even making an attempt to look for the URL so something is wrong with the connection I guess. I also tried my mothers ISP account still same thing.

ok now unless I am over looking something (this is what I'm hoping for) I guess I have a virus? If so, can I download virus definitions for norton (in winXP) without installing them or using live update? then just reboot to win98 and apply them to the norton thats installed there?

Any, and all help is appriciated as usual. thanks

[ktkendall]

Sounds like it may be as simple as going into IE settings>connections tab and putting the settings back to what they were. Is your ISP perhaps using a proxy and your proxy settings got wiped out with the modem changes!! Just a thought!

[ssahl]

Never used a proxy with my ISP, always used dicect dial up, not to disagree but I have set this same account up on so many computers so many times, I know the DNS #'s phone # by heart, it has been burned into my brain, when working on other computers I always use this account to check modems because someone will tell me that they cant connect to the internet and they think there modem is broke. One thing I have not tried yet is to uninstall the 'dialup adaptor' then install it back on windows again, cant hurt.

[glc]

With XP, download The Cleaner from www.moosoft.com and install it in 98 and run it. I'm betting the file you "accepted" on IRC contained a Trojan. NEVER accept a DCC on IRC unless you know who you are getting it from and exactly what it is, and scan it for viruses and trojans before you open it!

[ssahl]

Ok, will do. I knew when I did it to that I shouldnt of. Will let you know if I find a Trojan.

[ssahl]

Ok, I downloaded the Cleaner and installed in on win98 but didnt find anything. I even had it set to scan for compressed files and scanned everything. I was thinking I may need to update the Cleaner but since I still cant get online with win98 I'm not sure how to do this. Can the updated files be downloaded by themselves so I can then boot to 98 and apply them that way? Or can I install the Cleaner on winXP download the updates and run it there scanning the C:\ drive where win98 is would it be able to detect it that way? I never thought that I would be wanting to find a Trojan on my computer but in this case, if there is not one on my computer I'm at a loss as to whats wrong with win98.

[glc]

http://www.moosoft.com/thecleaner/updates.php

[ktkendall]

Was just giving something to look at, I have used ISP's which are dial up but they use a proxy to get you out on the net, and I had to have the proper proxy settings under internet options>connections tab. What about over in Network>properties>dial-up adaptor>properties. Could something have somehow gotten changed that should not be???

[ssahl]

I have setup a new DUN account 5 or 6 times with no luck, if somethings been changed I think it would be in the registry. Thats kind of what it acts like. Everything goes just like it should till I try to open a URL, I then get the message cant find... check your spelling. I have checked all drives with the newest version of the Cleaner still didnt find anything. I have been backing up what I needed and making room on another drive so I can ghost it. I will then start to make some big time registry changes. However, the best I could do is probably make the win98 partition unbootable. I used to be really good at that, when it comes to making changes in the registry I dought that I have lost my touch.

[ktkendall]

Have you tried going to a website via the actual IP address?? What about pinging also with the name then with the IP address?

http://209.68.45.231/

There is PCMECH's

Maybe you can see where I am leading with this, possible DNS problem. One other thing I would do is to connect, then run winipcfg and see if that can not at least get you on the track to what the prob is. I'm still leaning towards some setting got changed under RightClick: NetworkNeighborhood>Properties>TCP/IP Dial Up Adapter>Properties
Maybe one of those utilities did something there. You don't normally change anything there as you want the dial-up networking properties be the controlling ones, but if something got changed to the tcp/ip dial up adapter then it will override the dial up connection settings!

[glc]

If it hasn't already been mentioned, you have to look in the LAN settings under the Connection tab in the Internet Options - there might be a proxy in there that should not be, I run all boxes unchecked on that page. You also might search for a "hosts" file in your Windows folder - something may have put an entry in there that will act just like a proxy, just delete the whole hosts file (NOT hosts.sam, thats a legit sample file), a standard DUN connection doesn't need one. For example, Ad-Subtract will install a proxy on port 4444 and if you do not uninstall it correctly it will do exactly what you describe.

[Miz]

Don't forget to go to File in IE and make sure "Work Offline" is NOT checked. Once IE tries to get online and can't (for whatever reason) it likes to put itself in Work Offline mode and stay there until told otherwise.

[ssahl]

It actually doesnt matter if I use IE or netscape, or mozilla, it still does the same thing, and I have made sure that I was in online mode on all three browsers.

[ktkendall]

That is why I suspect your TCP/IP properties of your dial up adapter. Why not uninstall your dial up adapter and TCP/IP for that dial up adapter and reinstall them????

[Sgt_Zeke]

I am having the same problem on a new machine with no chance of a virus. With the onboard lan it worked great while I was setting up and downloading updates. With dial up networking I get connected but no way on the browsers un less I use IP. Got to be something in dial up networking its not the browsers.

[Sgt_Zeke]

See my post Browsers not working under Novell and Networking. There is a post from GLC that might help.

[ssahl]

kt I did do that once, but it probably wouldnt hurt to try it again. Sgt You were able to get it to work when you added an IP? That was one of the other things I did aside from the download I accepted, was put in a NIC card, I wonder if it made some sort of change, I have looked everywhere though.

[Sgt_Zeke]

:p Yes I got it to work. I enabled the DNS and put in the adresses and it worked fine. I know you are not supposed to have to do it this way but I need a quick fix. It may be something the nic did or it my be my constant companion the PC Gremlin. In my case this machine will only be on dail temporarily so hence the quick fix. Try unistalling the dial up Adapter and the TCP/IP rebooting and then reinstalling