Ok, after fighting with a friend’s computer this weekend already with a dead internet connection I have a couple words of advice to some out there that might have similar problems and may feel helpless in this area.
So what was the problem that she was having? About a week ago the downloaded and installed Service Pack, yes I have my friends trained well at times. Whether or not this had anything to do directly with the problem or I am not sure. They said it did, but I wasn't there though. Anyways their NIC card was running in Limited Connection mode which typically means that the device is not working correctly or it can't get an IP address from the Cable or DSL modem. So what to do:
1.) Contact your ISP to make sure they are not having problems or if someone can help you in their technical support department. Often they can see if your modem is seeing the internet or not from their end. Often the problem is on your end from what I have been seeing lately, which often makes sense in a way.
2.) Check your connections to and from the modem and computer or router. This might sound silly but more times than not it can be as simple as a loose or missing connection. Try and replace the cables if you can as well.
3.) Make sure that your NIC card is working correctly and Windows sees it. You can check to see if your NIC card is in your Hardware configuration my right-clicking on My Computer and selecting Properties. Access the Hardware tab and then the Device Manager. A category of Network Adapters should be listed with your NIC card under it. If it is missing or has a red "X" on the device there is most likely a hardware problem.
You can also check the back of the network card if all your cables are properly plugged in and the leds are lit up. If not the card is not properly functioning or this is still a problem with the connections from the router or modem.
Finally, you can also check to see if the NIC card can be pinged by using the IP address 127.0.0.1 . This can be done my going to Start>>Run type in CMD. Then when the Command console comes up type in "PING 127.0.0.1" at the prompt, don't enter the double quote marks. If it is working correct, a reply will be received.
4.) If the NIC card is properly working and you are using a router you might want to see if you can ping the router at IP address 192.168.1.1 . You don't get a response from the router then it could be related to faulty hardware or a Firewall issue if you are running a software Firewall on your machine.
5.) If everything seems to be correct so far. You can check your IP address for the current machine by going to Start>>Run type in CMD. Then type in "IPCONFIG" to see what your IP address is, don't enter the double quote marks. If it has a value starting with 168.n.n.n then it isn't getting an IP address from the router or modem.
You can try using the switches of the IPCONFIG command /release and /renew in that order to see if you can get it to obtain a new IP address from the device(s).
6.) If you have more than one computer in the house Goggle is your friend. Typically, if you enter the exact error message you are sure to find something on the Internet to resolve your problem.
7.) An application like WinSock XP Fix can help in the process as well. This is what I need to run to clear all the settings out of the machine and then it rebuilt the connection for me.
These are simply suggestions to attempt to fix the problem yourself if technical support from ISP won't help or tells you it is your problem. Like with anything these items may help resolve the problem and must be used at your own risk. If you are uncomfortable with doing these type of things yourself it is best to contact a locate computer shop.
Sincerely,
Lee
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