Cannot Connect to the Internet
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Symptoms: Simply that when you try to connect to the internet, you are unable to either get a dial tone (for dial-up) or your modem otherwise does not connect or you are unable to browse.

Tested Solutions:

Common Solutions:

  • Are you trying to connect from a network?

  • If your modem connects, are you unable to browse?

Are you trying to connect from a network?

If you are trying to connect from a network, you need to make sure that your internet connection settings are set up properly so that it does not try to connect from a device on your computer. To do this, in Windows XP, you must do the following:

  1. Ensure that your network adapter is connected and installed correctly.

  2. Go to "My Network Places". This will normally be accessible from your desktop or start menu if your network devices are installed correctly.

  3. On the left of the window there is a small menu called "Network Tasks". In this menu, you must click on "Set up a home or small office network" or "Set up a wireless network for a home or small office", whichever applies to your setup.

  4. Follow the prompts until it asks you how you want to access the internet. In this screen, you must select to connect from the network rather than you computer.

  5. Follow the prompts until the wizard is finished, you may need to restart your computer.

If after completing this you are still having troubles accessing the internet from your second computer (the one without the modem) then try restarting the computer with the modem to re-establish the network connection. This should solve your problem if your main computer can connect.

If your modem connects, are you unable to browse?

If you are unable to browse, but are still connected to the internet, there are a few possible reasons:

  • You are using a downloading utility or downloading from a website normally. This will take most of your bandwidth (the ability to download/browse on the internet) and slow down your browsing capabilities to allow you to download as fast as possible.

  • Your browser settings are incorrect. Ways to fix this vary from browser to browser, but most of the time, reinstalling the browser itself will solve the problem. If you are using something other than Internet Explorer, there should be an option to import settings from IE. Check the documentation from your browser.
   
 

Disclaimer: WE DO NOT SUGGEST IN ANY WAY THAT THE SOLUTIONS LISTED HERE WILL BE SAFE OR WORKING IN ALL CASES. THIS IS JUST A GUIDELINE, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.