This might be a DNS-problem or a proxy server problem(DNS is the system used to translate an URL to an IP-address). This explains all problems (DNS is used also to find the pop3-server at your ISP, for example).
So instead of pinging and browsing to reviews.cnet.com, ping and browse to 216.16.0.198, which is the same.
Then go to the TCP-IP-options (of your dial-up connection), and the Internet-Options of IE, and check if DNS-settings and proxy-settings still are what they should be at the moment with your current provider. Their helpdesk will help.
If this doesn't help, please quote the exact error message of Outlook Explorer (and the other programs), and post your OS, the version of IE/OE and the connection options of IE. Not being connected to the mail server is quite another message than not being connected to internet, as you loosely describe it.
Kees
Maybe someone can help me with a very frustrating problem.
I recently had to change my hard drive. The hard drive I use now is an old one that I had for about a year it was stored in it's box and was running perfectly before I stopped using it.
When I installed it I insalled my AOL software and connected to the internet. I went into the chat rooms and sent and recieved emails using their features but when I tried to visit web sites I was blocked.
I tried using Outlook Express, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and ICQ Messenger and none of these would work, they all stated that I was not connected to the internet even though I clearly was.
I disconnected and connected to the internet using my BT Openworld pay-as-you-go dialer. It dialed normally but it refused to load any web sites or run any of the above mentioned programs, stating that I was not connected to the internet.
On the bottom right hand corner of my screen is an icon of two computers to symbolise that I am connected to the internet. After spending about 5 minutes online using BT Openworld's pay-as-you-go dialer I double clicked the icon and this is what came up:
Bytes Recieved: 2,233
Bytes Sent: 2,396
I kept the connection active and then checked it after ten minutes and received this:
Bytes Recieved: 3,208
Bytes Sent: 2,748
I even tried using the ping option and kept getting "unknown host" even with big web sites like BBC, BT Openworld, etc.
When I got the modem I was given a CD which I used to install the drivers for the modem and it worked perfectly on my old hard drive but not this one.
I have no peer-2-peer programs on my computer, I have no firewall and I have scanned the computer thoroughly for viruses, spyware and trojans and have found none. In fact the only programs I have running are "Explorer".
I have got no idea what is wrong. Could someone offer me some advice? I am getting a new computer which is coming in April but I really need this one working until then.
Could anyone offer any help?

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