One laptop works on the internet, the other does not.

Canonshots · Jun 18, 2014

I have two laptops, a Compaq Presario running 32-bit Windows 7 and an Asus running the 64-bit version. For various reasons, the Asus has not been used for some months and needs some updates to Windows and AVG. Both machines connect to a Netgear wireless router accessing Virgin Media over a BT line.

The Asus shows Internet Access is OK, but actually accessing the internet is a problem. Neither AVG nor Windows can download their updates. Access to other sites is virtually impossible. For example, I can sometimes reach the BBC weather site but trying to get a forecast for my area results in an error message. No search engines can be accessed and no sites offering antivirus or anti-spyware products work either.

I have done all the standard things; proxy servers are disabled, the hosts file is not corrupted. sfc finds no problems and releasing and renewing the ip configuration has no effect. I am suspicious that I may have a malware infection but the anti-malware programs I have been able to run have found nothing. I have tried downloading more anti-malware stuff on the Compaq and transferring it via a memory stick, but that is no good, since none of these products can get at their updates once installed on the Asus.

Meanwhile, the Compaq is working fine and so is my Android tablet.

Any advice would be welcome.

LostAlone · Jun 18, 2014

I'd suggest you look at a few things -

First go into the (hilariously named) network and sharing center, head to 'change adapter settings', right click on your wireless adapter and go to properties. Inside that menu click on TCP/IPv4 and go to properties again. What you are looking for here is if the device is set to 'Obtain an IP address automatically' or not. If it's not set to do that, then click back to that. Similarly check the bottom panel for it's DNS settings. Set it to automatic if it's not already. In this case my guess is that the device might be set to use a bad gateway or a incorrect/old DNS. Either of those would stop you actually getting any internet but would allow you to connect.

Second, go into the routers settings. I can't guide you totally, I don't use Netgear but it shouldn't be too hard to do by yourself. If you don't know how to get to the settings screen then you'll have to look in the manual and easily googleable, but in general you'll be putting in the routers IP address from a device that connects properly. Once you are inside the router you want to reset your DHCP, which will cancel all your present intranet IP addresses and reassign them. In that case if there is a conflict between your old device and your newer ones then that will clear it up.

Next up you can connect the non-working device by Ethernet or perhaps even USB (my router allows that, I'm not sure about yours) to get it updated, which will at least allow you to rule out malware. I think that's unlikely myself, because malware wants to steal your internet secrets not stop you going online, but it's worth checking.

Failing anything else, consider power cycling your router a few times. I know thats a bit low tech, but routers are just... They sometimes decide not to work. Back when wifi was a critical part of my home network (we moved to powerlines for all desktops) sometimes it just... Stopped. For no reason. Just didn't work, for no reason. And it restarted when I restarted the router

It's hard to be very helpful without being there in person, but hopefully these get your where you need to be.

humangod · Jun 18, 2014

run ipconfig on the non-working machine and post your results.

Canonshots · Jun 19, 2014

LostAlone :

I'd suggest you look at a few things -

First go into the (hilariously named) network and sharing center, head to 'change adapter settings', right click on your wireless adapter and go to properties. Inside that menu click on TCP/IPv4 and go to properties again. What you are looking for here is if the device is set to 'Obtain an IP address automatically' or not. If it's not set to do that, then click back to that. Similarly check the bottom panel for it's DNS settings. Set it to automatic if it's not already. In this case my guess is that the device might be set to use a bad gateway or a incorrect/old DNS. Either of those would stop you actually getting any internet but would allow you to connect.

Second, go into the routers settings. I can't guide you totally, I don't use Netgear but it shouldn't be too hard to do by yourself. If you don't know how to get to the settings screen then you'll have to look in the manual and easily googleable, but in general you'll be putting in the routers IP address from a device that connects properly. Once you are inside the router you want to reset your DHCP, which will cancel all your present intranet IP addresses and reassign them. In that case if there is a conflict between your old device and your newer ones then that will clear it up.

Next up you can connect the non-working device by Ethernet or perhaps even USB (my router allows that, I'm not sure about yours) to get it updated, which will at least allow you to rule out malware. I think that's unlikely myself, because malware wants to steal your internet secrets not stop you going online, but it's worth checking.

Failing anything else, consider power cycling your router a few times. I know thats a bit low tech, but routers are just... They sometimes decide not to work. Back when wifi was a critical part of my home network (we moved to powerlines for all desktops) sometimes it just... Stopped. For no reason. Just didn't work, for no reason. And it restarted when I restarted the router

It's hard to be very helpful without being there in person, but hopefully these get your where you need to be.

Thanks for this. Setting automatic IP address seems to have worked. The AVG updates have now gone on and 77 windows updates are downloading as I write.

Many thanks to both responders.

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