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Wireless only works after cable plugged in

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DanielUK

DanielUK

IS-IT--Management
Jul 22, 2003
343
GB
My partner works for a school and recently got a new school laptop. Her old school laptops have worked fine with her router at home but this one, although it:

-sees the wireless connection with excellent signal strength
-gets an ip address
-will ping external ips/domains

IE8 won't connect to any website saying the "page cannot be displayed". Once the cable to the router is plugged in, however, IE8 browses fine. She can then disconnect the cable and carry on browsing wirelessly! This is with the same IPCONFIG information i.e. nothing has changed apart from simply plugging the cable in and then disconnecting that cable.

Her laptop works fine on other people's home wireless. I have a couple of Win XP laptops I use on her connection that don't suffer from this either so I don't think the router has just started to play up.

Any ideas what this might be? The school IT are a bit perplexed and are saying it's something to do with IE8, although no specifics.

Thanks

Dan
 
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Thanks, yes as with her other school laptops, there is a proxy setting that she unticks the "Use a proxy server for you LAN etc" settings in Internet Properties | Connections whenever she wants to use her laptop at home.

She can't install firefox unfortunately as she doesn't have enough priveleges. The school IT aren't that concerned at this problem as there is a workaround i.e. plugging the cable in. From my pojnt of view I'm just seeing if there's anything we could be overlooking.

Thanks

Dan
 
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So, wireless will connect, give you an ip address, allow you to ping sites on the internet, but will NOT let you browse using IE until you connect an ethernet cable between the router and the laptop.

You can then UNPLUG the ethernet cable and browse the internet or are you leaving it plugged in.

Please give us the results of the IPCONFIG /ALL when connected to the wireless after booting up (not able to surf) and then another one after you have plugged the cable in and then unplugged it (able to surf the internet).

I'm suspecting DNS, but I want to see what has changed. Obviously, if you LEAVE THE CABLE PLUGGED IN, you aren't using the wireless, so that's why I was asking that question.

Also, what operating system, just to verify - XP???

No MAC address filtering is going on on the router is it??
 
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Hi, yes XP and we can unplug the cable and resume surfing wirelessly.

Here's the output of the IPCONFIG /ALL for the three states as it were:

BEFORE PLUGGING CABLE IN (WIRELESS NETWORK CONNECTED):

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Laptop-72
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : School.internal
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : School.internal
home

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8102E Family PCI-E Fast E
thernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-23-5A-F1-22-C6

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) WiFi Link 5300 AGN
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-6A-15-F4-BC
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.4
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 29 May 2010 15:30:15
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 30 May 2010 15:30:15

AFTER PLUGGING CABLE IN AND BROWSING:

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Laptop-72
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : School.internal
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : School.internal
home
home

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8102E Family PCI-E Fast E
thernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-23-5A-F1-22-C6
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.3
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 29 May 2010 15:37:58
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 30 May 2010 15:37:58

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) WiFi Link 5300 AGN
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-6A-15-F4-BC
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.4
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 29 May 2010 15:30:15
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 30 May 2010 15:30:15


AFTER DISCONNECTING CABLE AND CONTINUING TO BROWSE:

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Laptop-72
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : School.internal
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : School.internal
home

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8102E Family PCI-E Fast E
thernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-23-5A-F1-22-C6

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) WiFi Link 5300 AGN
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-6A-15-F4-BC
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.4
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 29 May 2010 15:30:15
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 30 May 2010 15:30:15

It all looks as it should be to me....

Dan
 
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That's really strange. I'm thinking it's a DNS issue, but WHY I don't know, especially if other wireless will work on that router without any plugging in.

1. There's nothing in the hosts file???
2. How about a Winsock reset if you have the "authority" to run this utility:


3. Can you try to hard code the DNS servers on the PC and then connect wirelessly and see if you can browse using IE WITHOUT having to plug the cable in????

The DNS servers should be visible on one of your router's administrative pages or you can you use some other DNS.
 
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This seems a really odd one. I'm thinking it's either some weird driver issue and connecting the cable somehow wakes up the wireless. Or .... and I feel this is more likely, the wireless is just being really slow for some reason. I wonder if you have tried just doing nothing for five minutes after connecting wirelessly and seeing if it then all works?
If you can ping google.com from within cmd shell then it's not a DNS issue.
I guess you can't try a different browser, such as Chrome? That would possibly eliminate IE as being the issue.

[navy]When I married "Miss Right" I didn't realise her first name was 'always'. LOL[/navy]
 
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The wireless already had to be "woken up" because she could ping wirelessly.
 
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I don't see how your link relates. What is your recommendation within that article? The OP seems to have given up or fixed it and didn't tell us.
 
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Hi, not given up just not had chance to look at it lately. Nothing in the hosts file and cannot load another browser.

Dan
 
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Are there any other Wireless equipment that starts up at the same time as IE and might be causing interference?

At Startup if you type 192.168.1.1 in the Browser's Address Bar does it connect to the Router via Wireless? Or does it say Page Cannot be displayed?

Have you booted into "Safe Mode with Networking" and tried from there?

Do other users have the same problem?

Repair IE8 (IE7)


Have you tried uninstalling IE 8 and testing from IE7, or 6? Afterward you can download IE 8 again.
How do I uninstall or remove Internet Explorer 8?

Internet Explorer stops responding, stops working, or restarts [Guided help]:

How to use Reset Internet Explorer Settings (RIES)

Tips for solving problems with Internet Explorer


310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP

316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP

310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP
 
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The link provides information on how to set up two networks, one for the Home and one for the School/Work, and that it may be the key to the problem...

but rereading the posts, I see that her laptop works with other peoples wireless APs but just not at her home, other laptops work correctly, leads me to believe that there may be a false setting on either the Wireless NIC or the Router itself...

seeing that the OP cannot do anything administrative wise, since he does not have Admin rights, he may not be able to fix anything except on the Router...


Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"
 
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This is a great test per above:
At Startup if you type 192.168.1.1 in the Browser's Address Bar does it connect to the Router via Wireless? Or does it say Page Cannot be displayed?

 
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Try just resetting internet explorer to Default, its on the last tab at the bottom.
 
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No - that's NOT the issue for sure. It's something network related as opposed to browser-related. Bet you 10 of your currency.
 
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The user can ping a website by name and receive a response showing the IP address. If there was a problem with the DNS or some other generic network setting, then that wouldn't work. Instead, one must assume that it's either the browser or a firewall setting on the laptop with a slight chance that there's something goofy set on the router (doubtful since you can ping).

So we know that the laptop works on other wireless networks without an issue. So you would think that eliminates the browser as the problem. However, I would definitely recommend this fact be tested further by having the laptop connect to a public WI-FI hotspot that it has NEVER connected to before. I would have to witness this for myself instead of taking someone else's word that it will work.

Is there local firewall software running on the laptop besides the built-in XP firewall?

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.
 
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They can't install Firefox so THAT test is not possible. Would be nice to have someone witness IE working on a NEW wireless network just to prove IE is okay.
 
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Just tested going to 192.168.1.1 when it's just been booted up (cable not plugged in at this point). I get HTPP 400 Bad Request "The webpage cannot be found".

Have tried resetting IE default IE settings but nothing changes.

Put cable in, everything works! One thing I forgot to mention is that it can go some time with the cable plugged in then pulled out but it can "forget" the wireless (yet the connection is still there with excellent signal strength) and the cable needs plugging in again.

My own XP laptop does not have this problem on her router so I'm thinking that it could be a driver issue that has problems seemingly only with her router!

Dan
 
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So there isn't any local firewall software running on her laptop that might have some kind of trust relationship with that wireless network messed up?

If not, then the next thing I would do is rename her wireless network. Give it a name that is sure to be unique. The thinking here is that the current name (SSID) is similar to another wireless network that might be in range (and you might not have noticed that if the other network has its SSID broadcast turned off).

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.
 
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