[SOLVED] Ping but Can't Browse!

Status
Not open for further replies.

curtistoms

Honorable
Jul 17, 2013
3
0
10,510
Hi all,

I have a very frustrating issue: I can successfully "ping" website names from the command line, but all of my internet browsers say "page cannot be displayed" or "Server not found."

Machine:
Win7 x64
Dell Inspiron 15

I have tried everything I can think of:

  1. Basics: WiFi switch, network cables.
  2. Repair Adapter.
  3. Reinstall Drivers.
  4. Boot in Safe Mode w/ Networking.
  5. Virus/Malware/Rootkit/Adware Scans.
  6. Ran Norton Removal Tool (even though I didn't have Norton).
  7. ipconfig /release /renew.
  8. Flush DNS.
  9. netsh winsock reset.
  10. No proxies set -> all default obtain automatically.
  11. Uninstall all 3rd Party Firewalls/Antivirus, turn off Windows Firewall.
  12. Check hosts.ini has 127.0.0.1 localhost.

I think it must be a Windows setting since it still happens in Safe Mode with Networking, but that's just my hunch.

I'm really stuck on this one and would appreciate any help.

Thank you very much!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Solution
Same problem here!

Solved!

My problem was Avast bloking internet access, after disabling internte active protection, it worked again...

Using MSE now!!

Almost two days around this problem!
Ohh God!!

Thx for this post


If you can ping a host but not open it in a browser, then I suspect that your browser settings have been compromised. Check for any proxy settings that may have been configured by malware. Furthermore, try using a different browser.
 

curtistoms

Honorable
Jul 17, 2013
3
0
10,510
Thank you for your suggestions so far! I really just want to get it figured out...

So far I can confirm:

The computer shows this behavior when on a network alone or with other PCs.

IPv4 & 6 are installed.

All IP/DNS settings are set to "Auto".

I have tried both IE and Mozilla Firefox. Even the interactive internet help pages in Safe Mode will not display due the connection issue and windows updates do not work.

Router is set as DNS server and DNS is working as I can ping www.yahoo.com with successful replies.

My next steps I will try is to uninstall & re-install the browsers. And then maybe re-set up the router.

Keep any new suggestions coming! :)

Thanks
 

curtistoms

Honorable
Jul 17, 2013
3
0
10,510
Hi all, just wanted to post an update, as I've found some more information that is "hopefully" useful:

In the Command Prompt:

a) ping www.google.com - Works
b) ping 74.125.237.83 - Works
c) nslookup www.google.com - Works. Gives a list of Google IP addresses.

In Firefox's URL bar:

d) www.google.com - Does not work. Server not found.
e) 74.125.237.83 - WORKS and takes me to Google page!

Soooo....this may indeed be a DNS issue. I had initially ruled it out because of (a) above, but now (e) makes me think its DNS. I will contact my ISP to figure out my correct DNS settings and then get back with results...

Thanks and if anyone knows anything else here that would be great!

PS - smorizio Thank you for your suggestion; I have already covered this in #(5) from the initial post.
 


If you can ping google.com in the command prompt then your ISP settings are fine and your TCP stack is fine. The problem is definitely with your browser configuration.
 

EdSec

Honorable
Jan 20, 2014
8
0
10,520
Curtis,

I don't have a solution. But, I'd like to know what worked for you if you got it going again in the end.

I have the exact same issue on the same type of machine (Dell laptop Win7 64bit). I too have tried everything I can thing of, including:

  • re-booted my router.
  • re-booted my laptop.
  • uninstalled and re-installed all 3 driver updates Sujay gave me (which has caused wireless connection to need fixing too).
  • checked DNS server IP address is the same on good and bad computers.
  • checked that DNS server and DNS settings for IPv4 are set to "Obtain DNS server automatically" and "Obtain an IP address automatically”.
  • Checked these same settings work fine on the other computer.
  • Flushed the DMS cache.
  • Tried both IE and Chrome.
  • Cleared all history form both browsers.
  • re-set winsock using: netsh winsock reset catalog (resets winsock entries).
  • re-set TCPIP stack using: netsh int ip reset reset.log hit (resets TCP/IP stack).
  • Done a full virus scan with Trend micro.
  • checked that a numeric IP address typed into Chrome address bar does work (IE doesn’t allow this as always adds “http/” which messes it up).
  • Did a system restore to before it happened.

Chrome can display a web page if I type its IP address directly into the browser but anything with a URL-type address fails. Hence, my Outlook email also fails.

Any ideas?
Thanks a bunch
Ed
 
Last edited by a moderator:

acos

Honorable
Feb 3, 2014
1
0
10,510


Hello,
I have experienced the same issue and managed track down the problem. It was the system-wide proxy. The reason that ping and tracert are working correctly is because they bypass the system-wide proxy. Internet Explorer and Chrome use the system wide-proxy when making their requests. Open Firefox instead and configure it not to use a proxy or obtain the proxy automatically, and check each time if that fixed it. If you have used a network profiling tool, that needs to change your proxy, which crashed on you and was forcefully closed, it might not have had the change to revert your system-wide proxy, like I have with Fiddler. Next you have to configure your system-wide proxy, http://answers.oreilly.com/topic/675-how-to-configure-proxy-settings-in-windows-7.

Hope this helps,
Cos
 

EdSec

Honorable
Jan 20, 2014
8
0
10,520


Cos, thanks for that.
Unfortunately Firefox doesn't work either. I've tried all the possible settings, vis:
no proxy
Auto-detect
Use system proxy settings

When I check in Internet Options the LAN settings have the proxy option un-ticked
I don't use dial up of vpn to connect to the internet

If I select "set up" a new internet connection it tells me I'm already connected (but of course it still can't actually resolve urls) so in practice I have no internet or email on this machine.
Looks like I'll have to remove everything, reformat and start re-building the whole thing from scratch.
I should have stuck to XP SP3 which was at least stable!
 

Daif

Honorable
Feb 9, 2014
2
0
10,510
hello everyone, have you figure out something? i'm having the same problem with: my.kaspersky.com only...
can ping it from cmd but no browser would open it
ps: - strange enough that i can open it on my smart phone but not on the tow laptop and two pc's that i have
- i've tried every idea mentioned in the post
- i even formatted one pc to roll out malware or virus case
thanks for your help
Daif
 

EdSec

Honorable
Jan 20, 2014
8
0
10,520
Daif,
I finally resolved my problem by re-installing Windows (actually 'upgrading' it so as to avoid having to re-install all my applications). So it was definitely a windows corruption in my case. Yours is different I think. Could it be your laptop and smartphone are set to use a different DNS servers? If so it might be that the laptop DNS server just has a bad entry for Kaspersky? Only thing I can think of I'm afraid.
Regards
Ed
 

Daif

Honorable
Feb 9, 2014
2
0
10,510
Ed
first of all, thanks for your respond.
then don't let me talking about ping and cmd fool you that i'm a geek :p
taking that in consideration and the fact that after all the search and reading that i did, your idea about the DNS sounds the most likely my issue, how can i check that?
thanks in advance
Daif
 

EdSec

Honorable
Jan 20, 2014
8
0
10,520
Daif

On a PC or laptop in Win 7 go to control Panel and,
Network and Internet
Right-click your connection to open the properties
Select TCP/IP v4
Properties

There you can select either “Obtain DNS server automatically” or specify an address.
The default is “obtain automatically” so likely that’s what you have.
You can change it to 8.8.8.8. which Goggle’s DNS service
Then see if that makes any difference

You can likely find out what DNS youe smartphone is using somewhere in it’s menus but I can’t help you with that one.

Good luck
Ed
 

IELC Lab

Reputable
Feb 21, 2014
1
0
4,510
In addition to flushing the DNS, etc. I tried this:

1) I manually put Google's DNS service in the TCP/IPv4 IP address -not the DNS- and let it choose a default Subnet. Of course, when I tested it NOTHING worked, not even the websites that previously displayed.

2) I reset the the TCP/IPv4 to automatic, restarted IE, and it's working fine. I think this indirectly reflushed some other settings

Hardly orthodox, but it fixed the problem. Be sure to close the Internet settings dialog boxes after each switch.

Good luck to all of you and thanks for the suggestions.

IELC Lab
 

BeRniTo

Reputable
Mar 16, 2014
1
0
4,510
Hi everybody!

I'm having this same issue but occasionally, and had it using a Mac and a Windows laptop too.
I think it's my modem/router (all in one; my ISP gave it to me) but the only way I found to fix it when the problem starts is to disconnect from the network and connect again.

I didn't try to write the IP directly to the browser but ping works OK. I will try next time I have the issue.

I'm thinking in buying a router and use my ISP modem/router just as a modem. I'm pretty sure that's the problem but I can't find a reason yet.

Cheers!

UPDATE: ping works fine, but entering the IP in the browser does nothing... same problem... more weird is that I can still browse Facebook, having it opened before the issue started... :??:
 

mark_2_1

Reputable
Apr 12, 2014
1
0
4,510
I believe the problem causes by either of two reasons:
1.) TCP stack corrupted.
for this netsh reset int ip logfile or netsh reset winsock
should do it.
If that does not work,
2.) Some antivirus software blocked access.
In my case it was McAfee HIPS (Host intrusion prevention service)
deinstall McAfee Host intrusion prevention worked.
It is tricky to deinstall the HIPS.
You need to disable the service first. Go to regedit
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
Find service and change the "start" DWORD to 4
restart computer.
Now in register find GUID of your HIPS
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurentVersion\Uninstall\
you might have to search displayname to find the HIPS.
And copy the string value of ModifyPath
in command prompt paste there with
MsiExec.exe /X{GUID} REMOVE=ALL
That will do it.
It took me good 4 hours on google to find that.

The interesting part of the story is I have HIPS on for years, I never has that problem before. Could it cause by Win 95 de-supported recently?
 

rickwo

Reputable
Apr 13, 2014
1
0
4,510
Sorry - no sol'n, just another bump of the question...

I had this problem turn on immediately after running SlimCleaner on my registry and file system. It didn't seem to find much, other than a few FireFox plugins I'd installed and a couple of suspect files in the cache. But when I rebooted and opened FF, every link returned "Server Not Found". Same thing in IE-8. Like curtistoms, I can get a page in FF if I enter its IP address but not if I use its URL. (This doesn't work in IE.) At a command prompt I can use ping and nslookup with either an IP or URL and it works. Other apps and services, like updaters, that connect using an IP address work; those that use a URL, like my Thunderbird mail client, fail in a way consistent with not finding a server.

The environments is:
- Platforms: Lenovo E530 Thinkpad running Win7 Home with all updates; homebrew desktop running XP-sp3 with all updates.
- Browsers: FireFox v23.0.1; IE v11.0.96; MozillaThunderbird mail client v24.4.0.
- Network: ASUS RT-N66U router, set up as a WAP in pass-through mode, behind a Cisco/TELUS cable box. The ASUS is at 172.16.0.1 and provides DHCP to both computers.

The desktop and my iPhone both connect and browse successfully.

Here's what I've tried so far:
- scan with Malwarebytes, BitDefender and Ad-Aware (files and registry)
- ipconfig /release /renew
- flush the DNS cache
- check for a system proxy - set to 'Auto' (Control Panel>Internet Options>Networking)
- check for browser proxies - set to 'Auto' (Tools>Options>Network in FF)
- check HOSTS for anything that shouldn't be there
- boot into Safe Mode w/ networking
- disable all virus/malware scanners and all firewalls except the Cisco NAT
- reset the IP stack (netsh reset int ip resetlog.log)
- reset Winsock (netsh reset winsock)

The only things I can think of now are to re-install drivers, then Win7 (update/repair if possible).
Does anybody have any other ideas?



 

edioilha

Reputable
Apr 23, 2014
1
0
4,510
Same problem here!

Solved!

My problem was Avast bloking internet access, after disabling internte active protection, it worked again...

Using MSE now!!

Almost two days around this problem!
Ohh God!!

Thx for this post
 
Solution

hliufai

Reputable
May 3, 2014
1
0
4,510


--------

Thanks Edsec . It worked for me. I typed 8.8.8.8 for DNS server and it worked. I then returned it to automatically and still works
best Regds
Hliu
 

BijanEg

Reputable
May 30, 2014
2
0
4,510
I still have the problem! :(

The dns thing didn't work for me. My story is that I was able to browser with only chrome, but not ie and firefox. Then I uninstall Constantgaurd, from xfinity, now none of the browsers work but I can ping Google.
 

BijanEg

Reputable
May 30, 2014
2
0
4,510
Oh my god! why should I find the solution right after my last comment, but after 1 year of having this issue?!
Ok, so I opened the Norton security suite, installed as part of an xfinity subscription, and in Security section it has somewhere saying "Block all network access". It was unblocked! I then Blocked it and Unblocked it again!
Now all the browsers work and life seems different! full of opportunities..
 

narora

Reputable
Jun 6, 2014
1
0
4,510


Yes it comes out option 2 for me : McAfee Firewall , just turned off all works well. Thanks Everyone
 

Kiyrl

Reputable
Jul 5, 2014
1
0
4,510
Resolved. Thanks everyone.

In my case, it appears that the .NET framework is corrupted. Once windows 7 is upgraded, all browsers were able to load pages.

It took 6 hours for the upgrade though.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.