Connectivity Mystery XP Media and Linksys Router HELP PLEASE

hmharris · #1 September 5th, 2007, 06:32 AM

I have a Dell Dimension 4700 desktop computer wired to a linksys WRT54G router. I have two hp laptops that have wireless cards that connect to this router. The dell computer had a problem with connecting to the internet so I
replaced the linksys router. We had a lightening storm and I figured it had hit the router. The slowness continued and I couldn't even get microsoft updates. I backed up my drive and reformatted it and reloaded the dell XP professional w/media center and all the drivers. The internet connection was still slow and sometimes non-existent. The laptops connect fine to the router. Just the desktop is affected.

I replaced the ethernet cables with no luck. Dell replaced the system board with no luck.

I called comcast today. They had me unplug the router and connect directly to the modem. I could get an ip address but I still could not connect to the internet even in safe mode with networking. They say there's something in the computer blocking the internet access. I have all the protocols set just like my laptops.

I am at wit's end. I have cloned the mac address and that didn't work. I have plugged and unplugged the cable modem and router at least 50 times. I don't know what to do next.

I have tried changing the routers security with no luck. I have disabled the windows firewall and used the safe mode with no luck. It just doesn't make any sense. It seems like it's a setting somewhere in the dell desktop.

Can anyone help me with this?

Thanks.
hh

Archangel122184 · #2 September 5th, 2007, 04:07 PM

Has comcast tried replacing the modem?

As a side note: if you have recently formatted and reinstalled windows on your computer, then there is nothing "in the computer blocking the internet access" (in fact, a comment like that just shows their ignorance of computers). There is a possibility that the ethernet port on the computer was damaged by the storm, however, if the ehternet was attached to the system board, that was also replaced by Dell so the only other option is that the problem is with the cable modem or something more upstream... no your PC or router.

hmharris · #3 September 5th, 2007, 04:47 PM

My laptops get excellent connectivity from the router and cable modem. And Dell replaced the system board which included the network adapter.

Another thought I had was perhaps there was something in Windows xp media edition since I restored it from an original cd and haven't gotten updates to it because of the internet connection. But then again, when I got the PC the internet worked fine.

I have tried everything I can think of and don't know where else to look.
Thanks.

Archangel122184 · #4 September 6th, 2007, 03:11 PM

Have you noticed any other performance problems with this computer? Perhaps slower program loading/longer boot time?

hmharris · #5 September 6th, 2007, 05:34 PM

No I haven't. Everything else seems fine. The Dell technician said there wasn't anything wrong with the computer - it is something else. (????)

hmharris · #6 September 7th, 2007, 09:03 AM

I found the problem. I booted with a linux CD and it went to the internet just fine. So I searched internet explorer. The adapters had TCP and UDP turned off.

Thanks for all of the help.

Archangel122184 · #7 September 7th, 2007, 03:17 PM

If the adapters had tcp and udp turned off (although I'm not entirely sure how you would turn off those specific protocols in windows) you wouldn't have been able to connect to anything.

I'm glad what ever you did worked.