My Windows 7 RC x64 test machine is quite prone to going into this "No Internet Access" mode. Does anyone know what tests Windows is actually carrying out to make this state change? I'm on a wireless LAN and sometimes the wireless link may be a little flakey, but the symptoms I'm speaking about persist sometimes while the wireless is up and solid, IP addressing and DNS settings are all correct, and the Internet is actually perfectly reachable. Sometimes it stays up solidly if I leave a "ping -t" running in a command window.Tonight it got stuck on "No Internet" for quite a while, during which time I could ping for example www.cisco.com, nslookup had no problem with name res on the ISP's name servers. In fact every low-level test said that everything was fine. Anyone have any information on the underlying principles?

I had the same problem. My connection, though, is wired. Did you happen to do a clean install? I think my mistake was doing the upgrade. I did a clean install on my laptop and haven't had any issues with it. That one, however, is 32-bit. My big puter is 64-bit. I plan on trying again on this one with a clean install after I do a transfer of the files and settings.

Clean install of Build 7100, 64 bit.I can see from comments all over the web that problems of this nature are more common on (1) wireless, and (2) where multiple network connections exist (in my case there are some virtual NICs for VMware).What I can't find is any explanation as to what low-level signals Windows actually uses to make this pass/fail decision. It doesn't seem rational, thatI can be continuously pinging the Internet, getting name res etc, but Windows sits there stupidly saying "No Internet Access".Extreme solution is to disable the Network Location Awareness service.

All versions of Windows have had problems with multiple NICs and multiple gateways. To determine if this is the cause try temporarily disabling all the NICs (and virtual switches) or removing the default gateways except for the one you are actually using.Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

I hate to say this, but the wireless problem has nothing to do with a wireless or wired connection. I Originally installed as an upgrade using a wired connection and I subsequently entered the no internet zone. Tried to allow Win 7 to diagnose the problem but it was useless and couldn't find a problem. I then tried the completely new installed and about 6 hours later lost my connection again. It sounds stupid but when I go through this, the only way that I can get it back is by reinstalling Win 7. 6 Reinstalls so far to date. I am using Verizon FIOS. I have 2 computers running XP with no problems. My Apple has no problems. My TIVO, XBox, PS3 and portable gaming system also do not have this problem. I thought that perhaps I was running too many devices so I removed my other devices and reset my network. Even when it was the only device using my FIOS, I got the same problem. I have done this using a wired connection as well as wireless. Same problem. My neighbor a few blocks away is also having the same problem.

As I said this problem is often caused by having multile connections with multiple default gateways. The way to troubleshoot it is to disable all connections except one or remove the default gateway on all connections except one. This will confirm if this is the cause of the problem. If it is then the solution is disable connections not in use or remove the default gateway from them. If it's not then it's time to start troubleshhoting drivers, firewalls, etc.Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

I too have the "No Internet Access" issue with two systems, my HP Laptop and my desktop based on an MSI K9A2 Platinum mobo. Both were clean installs of Win 7 build 7100 (64bit), both initially had internet access, both still see all other local network resources; and both get the "no internet access" on start up. I've found that the desktop will get internet access on the 2nd or 3rd reboot (this one only has the home network set up). The laptop had multiple network locations and removing all of them, including the local network, then resetting the local network connection allowed for internet connection without a reboot. Both computers are set to get IP, DNS and gateway automatically from the DSL modem/router, which is being done correctly at startup. Prior to Win 7 (7100) both machines had Vista 64 installed and had no connectivity issues. Others have reported intermitant or dropped internet connectivity, I've never experienced this, once internet acces is established it reamains, until I reboot. My problems are on startup not getting connectivity. Very curious and irritating. Steve

As I said this problem is often caused by having multile connections with multiple default gateways. The way to troubleshoot it is to disable all connections except one or remove the default gateway on all connections except one. This will confirm if this is the cause of the problem. If it is then the solution is disable connections not in use or remove the default gateway from them. If it's not then it's time to start troubleshhoting drivers, firewalls, etc. Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience Only one of the connections has a default gateway, or ever has had. As I said, I wasn't really after trouble-shooting suggestions. I know my wireless network could be improved, and I know thatstopping the Network Location Awareness fixes the problem for me.What I was trying to do is understand the underlying mechanism. Does anyone know what activity, or lack of activity Windows monitors to decide whether a network does or does not have Internet access? Its not the presence of Internet traffic per-se, since it can sit there saying "No Internet Access" while simultaneously pinging different Internet hosts.

I installed windows 7 rc and I have problems with the Internet, It show "no internet access", mention that in "safe mode" it work.What is the problem?

As I said this problem is often caused by having multile connections with multiple default gateways. The way to troubleshoot it is to disable all connections except one or remove the default gateway on all connections except one. This will confirm if this is the cause of the problem. If it is then the solution is disable connections not in use or remove the default gateway from them. If it's not then it's time to start troubleshhoting drivers, firewalls, etc. Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience I have great respect for MS MVPs, since they spend so much time involved with aspects of Microsoft programs that they know more than I do about most issues. However, "often caused" leaves quite a gap for situations where it's not one of the 'often' causes. Presently I have no multiple connections and only one default gateway and I'm getting the same problem. There is no wireless network - it's all wired. When Win7 starts, sometimes there is immediate Internet connection and sometimes there is not and it does not connect - until I start Network Diagnostics. Then it goes through the routine checks and, actually whilst this is happening, the Internet connection starts and the troubleshooter says it can't find a problem, do I want to try something else.I have cut out the modem and connected to the modem directly but it seems to make no difference What interests me is, with all the same hardware, software, drivers and logon, how come sometimes it connects at logon and sometimes it won't connect at all until I run the troubleshooter. As to the system, I have an Intel Quad Core Q6600 2.4GHz, with Win7, build 7100, clean install onto an OCZ60Gb SSD, main storage on 1Tb Hitachi HDD. My firewall is Norton IS 2009 and the Windows firewall is disabled. With the earlier versions of 7100, and the Beta, there was a lot of problems with 'Not Responding' errors, which seem to have been addressed by the updates. Maybe the same will happen with this .... ;-)

As an extra observation, it appears that others on Technet haveproblems that may or may not be related, buthave similar symptoms -http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itproinstall/thread/36ff5b67-52fe-429b-ace0-eedc2525b942The range of systems, firewalls on/off, wired/wireless, but most seem to be 64-bit.Anybody getting this problem with the32-bit version?Birchyboy

Have you tried uninstalling Norton? Note that disabling Norton doesn't work. The only way to eliminate it as a possible cause is to uninstall it. I haven't tried any Norton programs with win7 as I gave up on them back when XP was current. I have seen many customers with both XP and Vista with almost exactly the same problem as you describe. The fix was uninstalling all Norton security products.Even though I don't like Norton products, uninstalling any software that may affect the connection is always the first step in troubleshooting.As for "often caused", yes that means that it's not always caused by multiple gateways. Multiple gateways is the most common cause so it's the first thing to check and test.Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Thanks for that - I have altered some of the settings Program Control settings for Internet Explorer in NIS and some other settings viaa services.msc and the problem seems to have gone for now. Still, it never was everytime anyway.My work AV is F-Secure and they gave me a licensed copy, but it pretty much soaked up resources to the point of being silly (at least on a mildly overclocked Quad Core Pentium). NIS presently is taking 4,318kb out of a nominal 4Gb, so that slows down nothing (much better than previous versions of Norton). I still can't find anyone with the problem on a 32-bit system, but maybe they haven't spoken up yet. One of the reasons that I mentioned it was that I ran Win XP Pro 64-bit for a while and had so much trouble with drivers that I went back to the 32-bit version. Anyway, thanks for your advice so far ;-) birchyboy (although that description is 20 years out of date, it's still my nickname!)

I've heard the 2009 version of Norton is much improved. I dislike all security suites and software firewalls. I run an anti-virus (currently Eset Nod32), Windows Defender, and the Windows firewall. I have found 3rd party firewalls to be the cause of many connectivity problems.Kerry Brown MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

If you got here and haven't found any other solution you might read my post in the thread on No Internet access in Win 7 RC Steve

To all running windows 7 I installed it on harddrive D and Vista on C. Had to load driver for the usb wirlessadapter. Used the cd couldnt load driver. Yet In device manager was able to load driver by using the browse for best driver by directing it to where the driver was on the cd. Now when ever the computer sleeps it loses the internet. Have found how to get it back but need a better fix than I have. I go to Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Devices and Printers and run troubleshooting on the wireless adapter and presto the internet is up and working.

Tag on to my earler post found a common problem. Was downloading files from Quild Wars 6k worth and watching a movie on vidio player wile I was surfing the web and sending emails. When the media player started to drag and get distorted. As soon as that ocurred I paused it tryed to start it over again when Ilost internet again. The driver seems itwas lost tryedtrouble shooting the way I did before didnt work had to reboot so all the files could be put back in place. Upon restart no internet connecting again, Ran trouble shooting as I did before it started working. Im not heavy into working with register files but leaning that the problem is in their?

The "no internet access" means that it cannot reach www.msft.ncsi.com. See this link for what it is looking for : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732049(WS.10).aspx#BKMK_Controlling