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HCHTech

HCHTech

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Went to a new residential customer's home today - pretty standard problem description - "I can't browse the internet even though Windows says I have an internet connection."

Here is some background and the actual symptoms I observed, along with what actions I took:

MSI desktop computer, 8 or 9 months old. Running Windows 2004. FIOS internet, router/gateway is right next to the computer.
Problem started about a week ago. Computer is wired to the router, but also has a wifi card, and problem is the same when connected to wifi instead of ethernet.
If you reboot the computer and immediately open a browser, you can bring up a web page but it only works for about 10 seconds. After that time, you can't browse.

  • Before calling for help, customer tried rebooting the FIOS router, and even resetting it with a paperclip. I did this as well.
  • The problem persists across different browsers - IE, Chrome, Edge & Firefox are installed
  • From a command line, I can ping websites even though we can't browse
  • From a command line, I can nslookup which means DNS is working
  • I reset the firewall, reset winsock and reset the TCP/IP stack
  • I deleted the NIC from device manager and let it re-detect - didn't help
  • Customer previously had BitDefender, but uninstalled it before calling for help. I went through and removed leftover directories
  • When I plugged my laptop into the router (also tried wifi) it works fine. So the router is fine and the problem is clearly with the computer
  • When I turn on my phone's hotspot and connect the computer to it, everything works - so the computer is fine and the problem is clearly with the router
  • All other devices in the house work fine - so the router is fine and the problem is clearly with the computer
  • I tried switching from DHCP to a static IP and tried using public DNS servers - didn't help
  • When I used a USB ethernet adapter and connected the computer to the router that way, it didn't help, so the NIC isn't the problem
  • No software or Windows update was installed before the problem started.
The FIOS modem is older, so I suggested he have that replaced before we go to the expense of a Windows reload, which I'm not confident is needed since the computer works fine connected to a hotspot. It just doesn't make sense that other computers work fine with the router. My head hurts.
 
Last edited:
I don't know if it'll help, but I'd hit it with Tweaking.com Windows Repair's networking repairs. But maybe someone else knows exactly what the problem is.
 
Odd one. Sorta a Windows bug I've seen a few times, eventually sorts out, often related to DNS, and I forget which network service in services.msc (someone help me out here?)...sometimes restarting that service fixes it....for the duration of that boot. Needs to resolve certain Microsoft servers via some phone home heartbeat.

Anyways, try one of the MTU adjusting (tweaking) tools, like Philips from Speedguide.Net

SpeedGuide.net :: TCP Optimizer / Downloads

www.speedguide.net www.speedguide.net

Oddball like an MSI..with who knows what weird NIC drivers...may need some help.

Maybe run the Analyzer first to see what info you get from it

I'm partial to Speedguide.net cuz I've known Philip and others there for decades.

SpeedGuide.net :: About

www.speedguide.net www.speedguide.net
 
I've in the past noted odd issues like this using OEM supplied drivers. You could try removing the drivers (noting to tell windows to "delete" files for it, and re-install from Vendor drivers or, perhaps an updated driver is out that fixes the issue.

I know years ago there was a big "scam" industry over outdated drivers, but occasionally, drivers can and will cause many headaches. So it's worth looking at.
 
I didn't think to check the MTU - that one might bear some fruit. It seems to me that if I connect to my phone's hotspot and it works, then the computer is fine - although a different MTU would be in play there, so that's worth checking. the "works for 10 seconds" thing is baffling though - I thought for sure the only thing that might cause that symptom is an infection, but I scanned with MBAM and Defender, nothing detected on either scan.

The computer did have a 2.5GbE NIC, so that was unusual as well...
 
Also, I wish I had booted to Linux and tried it - unfortunately, I had left my parted magic CD in some random computer (again) in the past couple of weeks and didn't have a USB version with me...
 
Based on other comments and reading initial post it sounds like maybe something at the router or gateway is perhaps blocking the MAC. I also saw mention of DNS so any attempt to flush DNS?
 
Nothing enlightening in the event logs - browser would not resolve a site via IP either, although I could ping that same IP successfully. It didn't work over wifi either, so I don't think the ISP is blocking by MAC. We reset the router to factory defaults, so I don't think the router is blocking either - It is a standard FIOS Actiontec modem/router. I looked in the firewall and advanced sections for anything suspicious. Also resetting the networking cleared the DNS cache. The only thing that worked was connecting it by wifi to my phone's hotspot, so that points to the router/ISP, but other computers work just fine when connected to the router, so that points to the computer.

Reminds me of this - haha.
 
HCHTech said:
Nothing enlightening in the event logs - browser would not resolve a site via IP either, although I could ping that same IP successfully. It didn't work over wifi either, so I don't think the ISP is blocking by MAC. We reset the router to factory defaults, so I don't think the router is blocking either - It is a standard FIOS Actiontec modem/router. I looked in the firewall and advanced sections for anything suspicious. Also resetting the networking cleared the DNS cache. The only thing that worked was connecting it by wifi to my phone's hotspot, so that points to the router/ISP, but other computers work just fine when connected to the router, so that points to the computer.

Reminds me of this - haha.
Click to expand...
We had a computer with exactly the same issue you are experiencing last week. When the customer called us we told them to call Suddenlink - sounded like a problem either with the modem/router or the cable or their field equipment. Suddenlink came out, tested everything, no problem. They hooked their laptop up and it worked perfectly. We told her to bring her computer in. Worked fine on our bench. We went ahead and repalced the NIC card. She took it home and same thing. We had her bring it back and we reimaged it. She took it home - still not connecting except for a few minutes. We gave her one of our refurbished Dell Optiplexs. She took it home and wahla - it worked perfectly. Can't explain it. We, like you, also ran every test we had - couldn't find anything.
 
Actiontec leaves a lot to be desired in my book. If it's VZ I'll do everything I can to use another router. If the Actiontec is getting fed from a NIC on the ONT stick another router in there to test with.
 
River Valley Computer said:
Can't explain it. We, like you, also ran every test we had - couldn't find a
Click to expand...
Wow, that's disheartening - we'll see how it goes with a new Verizon router - it sounded to me like if they didn't agree to replace it he was going to make sure they had to - ha.

Markverhyden said:
Actiontec leaves a lot to be desired in my book. If it's VZ I'll do everything I can to use another router. If the Actiontec is getting fed from a NIC on the ONT stick another router in there to test with.
Click to expand...

It's fed by coax, unfortunately. If I end up going back, I'm going to bring a router and put it in there anyway - double NATing. That would isolate the computer from Verizon.
 
HCHTech said:
It's fed by coax, unfortunately. If I end up going back, I'm going to bring a router and put it in there anyway - double NATing. That would isolate the computer from Verizon.
Click to expand...
If it's the traditional ONT there should be NIC ports if you can access it. Technically coax is only needed for TV. And I have been to sites where the NIC port was live even though they had an Actiontek using coax. But you still want to talk to support to make sure they don't turn the NIC off. Or have them turn it on.

But, as @River Valley Computer said, it could be a bizarre computer problem. Over the years I acquired several computers, different makes and models, who couldn't run an M$ OS, but ran Linux just fine. You know, poo happens.
 
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