What To Do When . . .You Can’t Get Online

Getting online is fast becoming the main reason people use computers these days. Sure, we still do our taxes, write letters to loved ones in Microsoft Word, and play computer games occasionally Still, perhaps the most interesting activity on a PC is browsing the Web, finding unusual news stories, chatting over instant messaging, or just checking our email. Perhaps that’s what makes a dead connection so frustrating. You double-click your browser’s icon on your Desktop, wait a few seconds, and nothing. For some unknown reason, you can’t tap into your favorite shopping Web site or search Google.com. What do you do when you can’t get online? Often, the easiest fix involves rebooting your hardware. You may also have to reboot your PC. Resetting these hardware devices works in many cases because in most cases the Internet connection has a conflict on your network or with your PC, and resetting your equipment can resolve these issues. Of course, this solution doesn’t always work. In this problem-solving guide, we’ll cover some of the common problems that prevent you from getting online, including how to reset hardware. Most of these instructions apply to Windows XP, but the concept can apply broadly to Macs and will work with most makes and models of modems and routers, such as those from Belkin, Netgear, and Linksys.

Hardware Trouble
If a problem with your system’s hardware prevents you from accessing the Internet, rebooting hardware will reset the device and may correct any problems. Modem and router fixes. Whether you have a cable or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem or a home router, you’ll want to unplug the power cable, wait at least 15 seconds or up to a minute, and then reinsert the cable. The device will refresh itself and the IP (Internet Protocol) address (a unique number the device uses for the Internet) will reset. An IP address is almost like a home mailing address or telephone number; the hardware might get occasionally confused about which address to use. Some hardware, such as the Belkin Pre-N Wireless Router, requires that you leave the device unplugged for as much as a minute for the refresh. If you are having trouble accessing the Internet and you recently configured your home router, you may need to perform a hard reset, which returns the router back to its factory default state. For many models, this means unplugging the power cable from the router, holding down the reset button (located on the back of the router), and plugging in the power cable as you hold down and release the reset button. Consult your router manual for the specific steps because some routers require that you press the reset button for a few seconds to perform a reset. Also, some cable modems, such as those made by Belkin, come with a button on the modem that disables Internet access; make sure that button is not activated so you can get online. If you tried resetting your hardware and the device is still not working, you may need to call technical support and send the unit in for repairs. It’s a good idea to inquire about warranties (many routers have a two- or three-year warranty) or repair costs, especially because you may be able to spend less on a new model than to pay for shipping and repair. Cable issues. Another common reason you may not be able to make an Internet connection is because your network cable is unplugged or it isn’t firmly seated in the LAN (localarea network) port. Check the back of your desktop or the LAN port on your laptop and make sure the cable is connected. On most computers, if the network cable is inserted correctly, you will see a green light indicating an active connection. After you confirm the cable is secure and that you have an active connection, try your browser again.

Often, the easiest fix involves rebooting your hardware.

Issues Specific To The Internet
If your troubles stem from the Internet or specific Web sites, read on for possible explanations and fixes that will have you surfing again in no time. Unavailable Web site. Occasionally, you may be unable to access a Website that you visited previously without any troubles. This can happen if the Website’s ISP (Internet service provider) temporarily disabled the site, if the administrator failed to renew the Web registry data, or if too many people try accessing the site at the same time. Often when a site you access is unavailable, you will receive the “HTTP 404 Not Found” error message.

One way to know if a site is temporarily down is to check another commercial site to see if your Internet connection is active. If you can access some sites but not one particular site, you may simply need to try accessing the site at a later time. You can also try deleting your Internet temporary files. To do this in Internet Explorer 7, for instance, open the Tools menu and select Internet Options. Next, click the Delete button under the Browsing History section and click Delete All. When you delete these temporary files, IE can access Websites instead of using possibly outdated local files on your computer for a particular site. Contact your ISP. If you checked the common causes of Internet connection problems, such as a loose network cable or a disabled LAN card, consider contacting your ISP for technical support and ask about possible outages. Some ISPs experience occasional problems in certain areas. In fact, when you call for technical support, you may hear a recording that will list the affected cities and estimate timeframes for when the ISP will have the problem resolved. If there is a connection problem between your modem and the ISP, your provider may need to send out a technician to inspect the line. Before you request a technician, be sure to turn off the modem and wait a few minutes to refresh the settings and then turn the modem on again to see if you still experience problems. Also, try rebooting your computer and router (if you are using one). Trouble with IE and Firefox. If you experience frequent system crashes while surfing the Internet using IE or Mozilla Firefox, it is possible that the person responsible for designing the site didn’t use the correct coding when building the site. This also may be the cause if you only see a few graphics load, before your browser closes suddenly or displays an error message. The solution: Either avoid the site or try using a different browser. If you are using IE, for example, try downloading and running Firefox instead. A second common reason for crashes has to do with Windows XP. If other programs you use, such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop, also tend to crash, you may have spyware or a virus loaded on your PC. It is also possible that your system has become unstable due to corrupted files or memory problems. If programs you use frequently tend to crash just as often as a Web browser, consider rebuilding the system by reinstalling WinXP or upgrading to Windows Vista. If your troubles are primarily with your browser crashing, you may need to reinstall IE. (You can download IE from Microsoft [www.microsoft.com/windows/ie] and download Firefox from Mozilla [www.mozilla.com].)

If you see “HTTP 404” in your browser, it’s likely a sign that your computer can’t connect to a specific Web site because the site is temporarily unavailable.

Web site comes up blank. When you visit a Web site that appears to be working but only shows minimal text and no graphics, it’s possible that the entire site runs as a pop-up. If your browser automatically blocks pop-ups, then you won’t see the Website. To disable pop-ups in Internet Explorer, just type the URL, hold down the CTRL and ALT keys, and press ENTER. For Firefox, type the URL, hold down CTRL and press ENTER. Holding down the CTRL key will temporarily disable pop-up blocking. Of course, you can disable pop-up blocking for most Web sites (which will also display banner ads) permanently. In IE 7, open the Tools menu, select Internet Options, and click the Privacy tab. Under Pop-up Blocker, click Settings and change the Filter Level to Low. Then click OK twice. In Firefox, go to the Tools menu, select Options, and click the Content tab. Deselect the Block Popup Windows checkbox and click OK Now, all pop-ups will appear for most sites. A site takes an inordinate amount of time to display. If you get online and the Internet is running slow, your surfing experience might not be enjoyable. Sometimes all the connections, cables, and hardware work properly, but there are other reasons for the slowdown. One reason may be that you are accessing a popular Web site that may be experiencing high traffic at the time you visit. Another cause for a slower Internet could be because many people in your neighborhood are accessing the Internet at the same time. A cable modem, for example, will run slower if numerous visitors connect at the same time.

To resolve these issues, you can choose to access popular Web sites or browse the Web at different times of the day (such as late at night) or call your ISP and request a faster throughput speed. If you upgrade from 3Mbps (megabits per second) to 5Mbps, you’ll notice that even popular sites load faster. Using a Web accelerator can also help. Google offers a free Web accelerator at webaccelerator.google.com. However, accelerators are known to cause problems with some Web sites and can actually cause slowdowns. You can easily check the speed of your connection by visiting a site such as www.testmy.net. Click the Download Test link to perform the test. A plug-in is necessary. Some sites won’t load because they use a plugin, such as Adobe Flash or Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format), or because they require ActiveX (a Microsoft add-on for applicationrich Web sites). Often the best solution for loading plug-ins is to just let your browser download the plug-in and follow the on-screen prompts. For example, Firefox will prompt you to download Adobe Flash when it visits a site that uses Flash. You can also install plug-ins manually. For example, if you visit Adobe.com, you will see a link for Flash.

Other Adjustments
If you ruled out hardware issues and still have problems connecting to the Internet, don’t despair. There are a few more things you can check. Check firewall settings. A firewall is useful for making sure a virus or a spyware client doesn’t invade your computer while you’re online. However, sometimes a firewall can also prevent you from accessing the Internet. A firewall blocks Internet ports that control the flow of information from your PC to the Internet. Some firewalls might be too aggressive in blocking ports, especially if you decide to use a file-transfer program or swap photos over an instant messaging client. In WinXP, a common firewall problem is that the system is configured to not allow firewall exceptions. To change this, right-click the Local Area Connection icon in the System Tray and select Change Windows Firewall Settings. Deselect the Don’t Allow Exceptions checkbox and click OK. Try accessing the Web again. If you use a different firewall, such as Zone Alarm or the Symantec Internet Security Suite 2007, consult the manual for advanced firewall options that might block unknown sites. Check the IP address. It is possible that your computer is set to use a static IP address. For example, if you bought a Web cam that runs on a wireless or wired network, the setup may have instructed you to configure a static IP address Most computers are configured to use a dynamic IP address, but a static IP forms a direct connection between your PC and another device for installation purposes. To see whether your system is using a static or dynamic IP address, begin by opening the Control Panel and doubleclicking Network Connections. Next, right-click Local Area Connection and click Status. In the resulting dialog box, double-click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), select the Obtain An IP Address Automatically Radio button, and click OK. Click OK again and then reboot your PC. Your computer LAN adapter is disabled. A common issue that prevents some people from connecting to the Internet is a disabled LAN. In some instances, if you or another user decided to use a wireless connection, someone may have disabled the LAN card. Another reason your LAN card may be disabled is because your laptop may be configured to save power by disabling devices that use extra power. To enable the LAN card, open the Control Panel, double-click Network Connections, right-click Local Area Connection, and select Enable. If the card fails to enable, there may be a physical problem with the card or the network cable may be disconnected. Check the cable connection. If you continue to have trouble with your LAN card, contact technical support. The wireless connection on your laptop is not configured properly. You may have trouble connecting to the Internet because your system isn’t connected wirelessly to a router. In this situation, your laptop connects to the router, which itself connects to a cable or DSL modem and then connects to the Internet. So, if your laptop can’t make the connection, the Internet will be unavailable to you. Often, a wireless connection configured incorrectly is the cause of this type of problem. For example, you may be connecting to the wrong SSID (Service Set Identifier; the wireless network name that the router uses) or attempting to connect to an 802.11g network with an 802.11b client adapter. The solutions: Connect to a wireless router that provides Internet access or configure the router to allow clients to connect over 802.11b. Router configuration is an advanced process but usually involves enabling or disabling options. You can access your router by typing its IP address into Internet Explorer. To find the router’s IP address, consult the router’s manual.

Often the best solution for loading plug-ins is to just let your browser download the plug-in and follow the on-screen prompts.

Get Back Online
For many of us, getting online is something we do every day without any trouble. When problems do arise, such as a loose cable or a Web site that is temporarily unavailable, the fix is usually quick and solves the problem completely. Some pesky problems do persist, but you can resolve those issues with a repair or by replacing the device. And then it’s back to Web surfing, instant messaging, and all the other activities we rely on during our online escapades.