hello,

I have a client who is very computer illiterate and is having a problem with her computer.

Please read all before responding.

She is running W2K pro vrs. 5.0 build 2195 SP 4 installed, she is able to connect to AOL but when she tries to get IE (vs.6.0.2800.1106IS) to connect it comes back after a few moments and says "can't find server." No matter what URL you type in it constantly comes back with that.

I am able to run nslookup which comes back with the name of the server and IP address, I am then able to "ping" that IP address. Which tells me that I am able to connect to the Internet.

I then connected to my ISP (not AOL) and installed Netscape 4.75 (yep its old but for a test its a goody) and got the same results - that it wasn't able to "browse" for any pages.

Again I did nslookup and was told that I am connected to the "net."

Norton systemworks 2004 installed and working - even though I downloaded (on another computer) a trial version of the same product and had it do a scan for viruses and it came back clean.

Zone Alarm is installed and has given persmission for IE and Netscape to get out through the firewall.

I have also tried running a copy of LSP-fix (http://cexx.org/lspfix.htm) which did nothing.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

J

Look at the Hosts/LMhosts file, improper/wrong loopback entry will cause this problem. the fact that you can ping a address and get a reply imply's a DNS issue.

The LHMOSTS File for TCP/IP in Windows NT/2000 is a local text file (located in %SystemRoot%\System32\Drivers\Etc) that maps IP addresses to NetBIOS names of remote servers with which you want to communicate over the TCP/IP protocol

for hosts file (no extension!!! just hosts) all that you should see is:

127.0.0.1 localhost

if you see something like 127.0.0.1 23.45.15.22 remove or comment it out with "#"

for LMhosts, all entry's should be commented out with # at the begining of the line(s)

can you ping a ip address using reverse lookup?
Example: 64.22.33.2 -a
if not then it is DNS related.

does the system have the correct DNS server entry's from the isp entered?
this is found in the network card setup properties and if not set for DHCP needs to be entered manually.

if using a router, is the router set for correct DNS? and is the gateway address correct?

Look at the Hosts/LMhosts file, improper/wrong loopback entry will cause this problem. the fact that you can ping a address and get a reply imply's a DNS issue.

The LHMOSTS File for TCP/IP in Windows NT/2000 is a local text file (located in %SystemRoot%\System32\Drivers\Etc) that maps IP addresses to NetBIOS names of remote servers with which you want to communicate over the TCP/IP protocol

for hosts file (no extension!!! just hosts) all that you should see is:

127.0.0.1 localhost

if you see something like 127.0.0.1 23.45.15.22 remove or comment it out with "#"

*for LMhosts, all entry's should be commented out with # at the begining of *the line(s)

*What I have listed under Winnt\system32\drivers\etc\ - is a "sample" hosts *and LMhosts files set up by MS. The listing in the "hosts" file is:
*127.0.0.1 localhosts


can you ping a ip address using reverse lookup?
Example: 64.22.33.2 -a
if not then it is DNS related.

*When I try this (using either ping or no ping) I get "unrecognized command"


does the system have the correct DNS server entry's from the isp entered?
this is found in the network card setup properties and if not set for DHCP needs to be entered manually.

*I am currently using my ISP to test it and the setting match my computer - *which is not having any difficulty- and yet the customer's computer's *broswers still can't connect.

if using a router, is the router set for correct DNS? and is the gateway address correct?

*No router just Zone Alarm as firewall. And everything looks good (and *matches my computer) there.

J

Current versions (4.5, 5.0) of Zone Labs Zone Alarm are extremely buggy, try Sygate.
"Disable Windows DNS Cache for Unresolved Names"
http://modemsite.com/56k/backbone2n2.asp

If that does not work, Reset winsock:
http://www.tntmax.com/Download/Software/WinsockXPFix.exe/view
Should work in Win 2000.

Reinstall TCP/IP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;817571
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=285034

The version of zone alarm is 3.7.02.

O.k. followed the directions on the
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;817571
Page - and nothing has changed. The browsers still can't connect, or "search" as they say.

Last solutions before I reformat?

J

BTW-if I do ping intel.com
it comes back saying "unknown host" but it takes about 30 seconds before that comes back.

If I do ipconfig I get all of the info I would normally expect to see.

j

I saw you are running zonealarm from zonelabs???

Then this is your big problem!!!
This socalled firewall is not letting AOL connections, no matter if it is standing in the program group of zone alarm.

If u are able to shut down zone alarm, try angain to connect with AOL.
If u are getting a connection u know that it is zone alarm who is blocking ip adresses an servers from AOL

good luck !!! ;)