Failed Network Diagnostic
Help!!! I recently setup a wireless network, and at first my laptop could not connect to my network...it would just say "Acquiring IP Address" and then do nothing. I manually entered the IP address, and now my laptop connects to the network. Problem is, when you try to open a web browser...nothing. It won't display a web page. Of course, I can connect through the ethernet without issues, and my brother's laptop connected from the start without issues. Any ideas? I ran the network diagnostic and the Internet Explorer Web Proxy 127.0.0.1 failed...but when you open up the tab, it says "PASSED." Any help on this would be much appreciated!!!1 person needs an answerI do too
May 14th, 2010 11:23am

The 127.0.0.1 IP address belongs to your localhost; i.e., the local machine. There is no reason it would be used as a proxy since that would prevent the computer from ever reaching the Internet. I don't know how you have set up your wireless network but obviously it is wrong. You left out how you connect to the Internet (DSL/cable/satellite) and what type of router you're using so all I can do is give you these general instructions for setting up a wireless network. If you need further help after that, please post back and clarify your situation. Also make sure you have set your wireless network adapter to get its IP and DNS addresses automatically. Unless you have a special situation that you didn't mention, you would not want to be using a proxy server. Setting up a router is quite simple. Normally you run the CD that came with the router and follow the instructions. But you can set up the router without a CD. Note that if you have cable Internet, for the connection you just set the router to do DHCP (or there may even be a choice of cable for you to select). If you have DSL Internet, you usually select PPoe and enter the username and password which you chose when originally setting up the DSL connection. So: 1. Turn off the power to your cable modem. 2. Attach a cat5e ethernet cable (usually provided with the router) going from the router's Internet/WAN port to the cable modem's ethernet port. 3. Attach a cat5e ethernet cable going from your computer's network adapter to one of the ports on the router. If you don't have an ethernet cable (because you were using USB), you will need to go to the store and buy one. 4. Turn on the cable modem. After all the lights are on, turn on the router. To configure the router: Have a computer connected to the router with an ethernet cable. Examples given are for a Linksys router. Refer to your router manual or the router mftr.'s website for default settings if you don't have a Linksys. Open a browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox and in the addressbar type: http://192.168.1.1 [enter] (this is the router's default IP address, which varies from router to router so check your manual) This will bring you to router's login screen. The default username is left blank and the Linksys default password is "admin" without the quotes. Enter that information. You are now in the router's configuration utility. Your configuration utility may differ slightly from mine. The first thing to do is change the default password because *everyone* knows the default passwords for various routers. Click on the Administration link at the top of the page. Enter your new password. WRITE IT DOWN SOMEWHERE YOU WILL NOT LOSE IT . Re-enter the password to confirm it and click the Save Settings button at the bottom of the page. The router will restart and present you with the login box again. Leave the username blank and put in your new password to get back into the configuration utility. Now click on the Wireless link at the top of the page. Change the Wireless Network Name (SSID) from the default to something you will recognize. I suggest that my clients not use their family name as the SSID. For example, you might wish to name your wireless network "CastleAnthrax" or the like. ;-) Click the Save Settings and when you get the prompt that your changes were successful, click on the Wireless Security link which is right next to the Basic Wireless Settings link (where you changed your SSID). Most computers purchased within the last 4 years have wireless hardware that will support WPA2-Personal (also called WPA2-PSK). This is the encryption level you want. If your wireless hardware is older, use WPA. Do not use WEP as that is easily cracked within minutes. So go ahead and set the Security Mode to WPA2-Personal. Do that and enter a passphrase. For example, you might use the passphrase, "Here be dragons, beware you scurvy dogs!". The passphrase is what you will enter on any computers that are allowed to connect to the wireless network. WRITE IT DOWN SOMEWHERE YOU WILL NOT LOSE IT . At this point, your router is configured and if the computer you were using to configure the router is normally going to connect wirelessly, disconnect the ethernet cable and the computer's wireless feature should see your new network. Enter the passphrase you created (exactly as you wrote it with all capitalization and punctuation) to join the network and start surfing. Excellent guide to setting up a wireless network, with pictures - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/wireless.mspx MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
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May 14th, 2010 3:27pm

Thanks for the reply! I'm definitely not an expert in networking, but I have setup a quite a few. I've never been stumped like this before. Here's a little bit more info. I have: 1. Cable internet/Motorola modem 2. Linksys Dual-band N router I set the network up like you would any wireless network...exactly how you stated above. I have disconnected/reconnected, and powered up/down several times to reset/setup the new router. No good. When I type the default IP address in the URL this is what I get: "The connection has timed out. The server at 192.168.1.1 is taking too long to respond." The network is setup to automatically to obtain both IP and DNS addresses, and DHCP is enabled. I used the IP/DNS address from a computer that will connect to the network, and when I manually entered the info. I can connect...no more getting stuck on "Acquiring network address." However, I cannot get a webpage to load (Explorer or Firefox) with the manual config. There is no reason why I shouldn't be able to connect...it finds and connects to other networks no problem!
May 17th, 2010 7:35am

If you are able to connect to the LAN when assigning an IP address but not the Internet, then you aren't getting DNS. Make sure you can connect to the Internet (get an IP and DNS) when directly connected to the cable modem. If you can't, then the fault is with the cable modem and/or on the ISP's side. If you can, try a different router; however, if other computers on the LAN successfully connect to the Internet wirelessly using that router you need to check whether a proxy server is set up on the troubled computer. Look in Control Panel>Internet Options>Connections tab>LAN button. Nothing should be in the proxy server section. Review what antivirus/security program(s) are in use on that machine. If you are using a third-party firewall, uninstall it. Don't just disable it, actually uninstall it. If your antivirus has a firewall component, disable it and also check to see if that program uses a proxy server for malware filtering. Make sure the target computer is virus/malware-free because quite a few varieties of malware set up a proxy server on the infected machine. http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware Another point which you haven't mentioned is whether this is a home or small company network using a Workgroup or whether this is a domain. That makes a difference since in a domain the server only looks to itself for DNS with forward lookup zones for Internet connectivity and the domain member workstations should only look to the server for DNS. Also look at the Linksys' settings. A dual-band N router is a newish one (although hardware can certainly fail out of the box). I've noticed that many of the newer routers have a wireless PIN number feature and you should disable that and use your own passphrase. If you are using a passphrase and haven't disabled the PIN number (or whatever Linksys calls their version of this feature), that could also cause the issue.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
May 17th, 2010 2:08pm

OK...good advice! My problem lies with the driver. My older Broadcom driver does not support newer N network...b/g only! I have an buddy in IT whom stated that older network cards are inconsistent with hooking up to N networks. I still want the fastest router for my network (home), so I kept the N router and now run a ethernet connection through my powerline. Faster than wireless...it works throughout house. Still need wireless for PS3 and family/friends with better laptops than my own! When leave home, I still can connect to outside networks. Thanks for all you help...spot on info.!
May 25th, 2010 1:38am

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