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General discussion

Can't display internet pages ("The page can not be displayed")

Mar 15, 2004 11:32PM PST

I am in the process of installing a D-Link wireless USB port connection (on a WIndows 98SE machine). Now that I have installed the D-Link software (drivers) I can't connect to the internet. When I say that I can't connect to the internet, I mean that I have attempted to connect via both wireless and a traditional wired modem connection. When dialing out I seem to connect to my ISP, but I can't ping any websites and any site I attempt to get to via any browser gives me "The page can not be displayed" message. I suspect that something in my networking was changed when installing the D-Link software, but the vendor can't seem to help me and I have run out of ideas.

What are some basic connection / networking things I can check, so that I can get back on the internet?

Yes, I can connect to the intnet just fine on my other PC (which is wired via a D-Link router giving me access to my DSL connection).

Discussion is locked

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Re:Can't display internet pages (
Mar 15, 2004 11:58PM PST

Is there some sort of setup configuration?
username and password?

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Re:Re:Can't display internet pages (
Mar 16, 2004 12:11AM PST

Yes, within the D-Link wireless app. However, I am not sure how that would effect my ability to display internet pages even when connected via traditional dial-up to my ISP (but there could be something that I am not thinking of).

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Re:Can't display internet pages (
Mar 16, 2004 12:51AM PST

You probably want to check your IP configuration first. The router should be getting an IP address from your ISP, and the router should then in turn be assigning an IP address to your computer. Both the router and computer should be configured to "automatically obtain an IP address," as opposed to using a predetermined IP address.

To check your computer's IP address, go to Start\Run and type WINIPCFG. To check the means by which an IP address is obtained, check your network settings in the Control Panel. You'll need to check your router's documentation to see how to check these things there.

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Consolation (part 1)?
Mar 16, 2004 12:53AM PST

These are the really sad stories. Just a few points to check and try, without any guarantee they will help. Fresh ideas, so to say.

To start on the bright side: does the wireless connection to the other computer work. If not, try the Network Troubleshooter in the help), if it works (which is doubtful in Windows 9Cool.

Then these Internet problems. Personally, I use to make a backup of WHOLE windows folder, before doing things like this. It takes 5 to 10 minutes (unattended, time for a coffee break) and it can save you days of work if you can just go back by a simple MS-DOS-command.

First: delete your dial-up connection, and make a new one. There is no reason why it should help, of course, but - as long as you know the passwords, and have the recommended settings at hand - it shouldn't hurt either.
Then: run winipcfg and note the details (that's IP-number, gateway, DNS-server etc) when connected. If only to use them later on for a compare. By the way: does ping to a numeric Ip-address work? Or did you only try ping to an url? 'ping a website' is not very clear about the matter.
Then: from Control Panel/Network, delete everything related to dialup, and reinstall it. It's a mystery why it helps so often, but it does.
Then: from Device Manager, delete the newly installed D-link drivers. This might make a change.

See next post (this one would be too long).

Kees

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Consolation (part 2)?
Mar 16, 2004 12:59AM PST

If all of the above (part 1) fails, it's time to take a few days off.

Start with booting into MS-DOS and run a scanreg /restore. Choose a date prior to the onset of the problem, when everything was still working. Alas, 5 days at most! So it's utterly important you do part 1 as fast as possible.

Almost everything that is possibly related to this problem is in the registry, and restoring that gives you a very good change to reach the old situation again (with Internet, without D-Link).
Then, while connected, again run winipcfg and see what it should have said the first time.

Carefully document your experiences, and post them in the forum. They might contain clues for smarter people then you and me. In the meantime: study the activation and interpretation of the ppplog.

There isn't a single reason why the combination of a LAN and a dial-up connection wouldn't work. I've got it on two computers at home. So the situation is not hopeless.

Hope this helps.

Kees