T42 internet can skype but cannot use browser - please help

[Rahula]

My T42 was connecting perfectly with the internet for surfing when suddenly it acted strangely, and I need your help if you had such experience before.

The wireless and ethernet boxes still show strong signal connections. Whether by wireless or ethernet, I am unable to make the browsers (both Firefox and IE) connect. But I manage to connect Skype to the internet, both wireless and ethernet, and managed to talk to people many miles away!

Can you tell me why my Skype can connect to the internet but not the browsers?

I am writing this with my T23 laptop connected wirelessly to the same router.

Thank you in advance for any help.

[davidspalding]

Sounds like you installed/started using Skype recently? Check proxy settings, either on your Internet Connections, or in IE. Access Connections also has an option to set proxy use on specific connection profiles.

Also: is this happening at home, or public wifi hotspots? I don't know the specifics, but many hotspots now use browser-based proxy setting to let on their LAN and out on the 'Net.

[poshgeordie]

I found this post:

http://www.disruptivetelephony.com/2007 ... skype.html

which showed that skype was due to

"the bizillion connections that Skype was making out into the P2P cloud"

It doesn't solve your problem as such, but what about installing Skype on the Internet browser you use least and then using the other one for general browsing.

[Rahula]

Thanks for your quick replies.

I use my two Thinkpads only at home, and they connect to one router about 40 ft away. My T42 is dual booted with Linux Mint, and in Linux the T42 connects both thru wireless and ethernet to the internet using Linux Firefox/Thunderbird. When I found that while in Windows XP, Firefox and IE couldn't connect to the internet (wireless and ethernet), I tried the XP Skype and found that Skype connects wirelessly. I have now uninstalled Skype and my browsers still cannot connect to the internet.

As another test, I used my T23 which connects perfectly wired and wireless to the router. Therefore, it seems that the hardware in the T42 and the router are not at fault..

Perhaps my configuration in the XP Firefox and IE in my T42 may be at fault. But I don't remember reconfiguring the FF or IE in the last few months.

David - I'm intrigues by the "proxy" possibility but I couldn't find any proxy feature in IE or FF. Would you kindly guide me step-by-step to diagnose this problem.

One final thought, this connection problem seemed to happen after MS automatically updated my XP to the SP3. Maybe just a coincidence; just a thought..

Any suggestions from other forum Thinkpadders would also be greatly appreciated.

[poshgeordie]

I'm wondering if your TCP/IP stack is corrupted.

Have a look at this MS document on identifying and troubleshooting problem:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314067

and this one on resetting the Internet Protocol:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357

Proxy settings for Firefox (Linux but will be similar for XP):

Edit (think XP is Tools) > Preferences > Advanced > Network > Connection - Settings > manual Proxy Configuration

HTTP Proxy will be the IP of your router or proxy server; port 80 usually but could be different depending on the proxy server settings.

I don't think this is your problem if you connect at home via a straightforward modem router setup.

<EDIT> Since the problems started when you instaled SP3 & I guess IE7 at the same time, then you could try uninstalling SP3 as per this MS article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950249