Connecting to network as "local only" - can't connect to internet for some reason

[elcalebo]

Hi, I'm having trouble connecting to the the wireless internet my flatmate has set up. All other computers seem to work, just not mine.

I can connect to the network just fine - however, it connects as "local only", no internet. It also sees it as an unidentified public network rather than an identified home network. But i don't see why that should be the problem anyway - people connect to internet on public networks all the time, surely.

I've been trying to fix it for weeks - I've tried disabling/enabling, disconnecting/reconnecting, setting up my settings to automatically get IP/DNS addresses, and I've even tried all of Windows' useless diagnosis suggestions. Still nothing. I even got a computer programmer friend to check it out and he couldn't work it out - he just said maybe the firewall is being too wall-y. But the same problem happens whether the firewall is off or on.

The strange thing is that I got it working last night, but I don't know how. I thought all my internet-Christmases had come at once. Then I turn on the computer this morning, and back to square one.

As i said I'm not sure how i got it to work last night - I was fiddling with so many things and windows vista is very confusing and illogical with its network/internet/firewall/etc settings - menus all over the place with overlapping/contradictory settings and not always easy to access them or even know about them - it's a nightmare. Anyway, I have two theories as to why it started working last night (might be wrong but this is all i got):

- At one point, a menu popped up allowing me to choose whether the network ("Thompson" it is called) was a home, work or private network. This was unexpected as I had never seen this menu in all of my weeks-long battle, and it just popped up seemingly out of nowhere. I chose "home".

- Also at one point i found the "view network computers and devices" area, which showed my computer, my flatmate's computer, and two items labelled "thompson", i guess one is the router, not sure what the other one was. Anyway, i right-clicked one of these Thompson doohickies and there was the option "enable". "Strange", i thought. "Why wouldn't it already be enabled?" So i enabled it. And I think the very next time i opened up my browser, the net was working.

"Hallelujah" i cried, and did some happy internetting, but then this morning when i turned the computer back on, it was back to the same old problem. Worse still, neither of the above two options are available to me anymore:

- I can't seem to get the "home/work/public" option window to come up. This is annoying, because it keeps thinking that the network is an unidentified public network, and i want it to understand that it's actually a private home network with internet that i'm paying hard-earned money for every week. I can go "customise" and change it to a private network, but that doesn't seem to change much, it's still unidentified, and each time i disconnect and reconnect from the network it defaults back to unidentified public.

- In the "view computers and devices" area, all I can see is my own computer. Even though it claims I'm connected to the Thompson network (local only, no internet) I can't see any of the other computers or devices on said network, just my own lonely PC.

So there's the problem as far as I can see it - I tried to be as detailed as possible. Any advice on how to fix this permanently (or at least correct it every time it screws up) would be very much appreciated, as my flatmate is getting sick of me borrowing his computer every time i want to use the internet (such as right now) and I'm getting pretty over it too!

Cheers,
- Caleb

[JeKyL]

First of all, make sure you don't have it plugged in the wall at all. If you have a wired connection and a wireless connection there will be conflicts. Second, open the command prompt and type: ipconfig /all then post the results.

[JeKyL]

next open the command prompt up again and type in: ping google.com exactly how i typed it. if you get replies then either your firewall or browser is the issue. If you get "request timed out" then try typing this next, while in the command prompt: ping 74.125.45.100 (Those numbers are the actual address of google.com). if you get replies this time then you have a DNS problem. If still no replies, then it may be a problem with your router blocking the connection to your PC. Try these suggestion and let me know what happens.

JeKyL

[elcalebo]

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name: Caleb-PC
Primary Dns Suffix:
Node Type: Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled: No
WINS Proxy Enabled: No

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix:
Description: Atheros AR5007EG Wireless Network Adapter
Physical Address: 00-1F-E2-83-AD-86
DHCP Enabled: Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled: Yes
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address: 169.254.77.7(Preferred)
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway:
NetBIOS over Tcpip: Enabled

[elcalebo]

Couldn't get any loving from either of those pings...

[JeKyL]

I see your problem right off the back. your IPv4 address 169.254.77.7 is not a valid IP address. Your not connected at all to the internet! Your computer automatically gives your computer that 169.254.x.x address as a default. Try navigating to the network sharing center and make sure your card is enabled and also if you have a radio/antenna button on the pc itself make sure your antenna is enable.

[JeKyL]

also, if security is enabled on the router disable all the security(i.e. wep, TKIP etc) and then try to connect. If you can connect while no security is enable then it is a problem with your computer authenticating.

[jcalton88]

I had the same problem when first setting up my network. All other computers and even my TV would connect just fine but mine would not.

I did a little digging and found out that Vista sometimes has a problem automatically getting an IP. I fixed this by going into Control Panel\Manage Wireless Networks. Then choose Adapter Properties. Choose "Internet Protocol Version 4", Then "Properties". Now choose "Use the following IP Address" and enter this in.

IP Address: 192.168.1.65
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway:Your gateway(router or modem) address

I noticed when you posted your ipconfig that you had no gateway. When you did the ipconfig were you connected to the network at all?
Sometimes the Gateway address is on the side of the modem or router. Try looking there if you can't figure it out.

If you do this and reset your connection it works, great! If not go back in the Adapter properties and set it back to automatic. Just thought I'd let you know what worked for me. I also have the same wireless card you have.

[War623]

I am also having the same problem as elcalebo. I have followed all the instructions that you have gave him and I still get "Local Only" Is there anything else I might try?

[JeKyL]

Try this, Reset the router back to default and call the support line for the manufacturer of the router and get them to help you set it up. If still no luck maybe you can try a new router. It might have went bad. We just had a whole set of linksys go bad over the span of 3 or more years. Just a suggestion.

JeKyL

[War623]

Originally Posted by JeKyL

Try this, Reset the router back to default and call the support line for the manufacturer of the router and get them to help you set it up. If still no luck maybe you can try a new router. It might have went bad. We just had a whole set of linksys go bad over the span of 3 or more years. Just a suggestion.

JeKyL

I have another laptop with XP installed on it and it connects okay so it must not be the router.

[elcalebo]

Thanks Jekyl and Jcalton, i have followed your advice about the IP address and default gateway (yeah jcalton that was weird that gateway was blank - must not have been connected at all at that point in time - most of the time when i do ipconfig the gateway is there so that's sweet.)

However the only difference is that it doesn't say "Unidentified network (Thompson)" anymore, it says "Thompson". but either way it's still local only! grrr

I'm with War on this one: i've tried other computers (another PC with Vista as well as a Mac) and they work fine, so I don't think the router can be blamed, i think it's an ish with my computer.

[War623]

It has to be an issue with the router and Vista as I can hook my laptop up directly to the linksys modem and it connects fine. (I have to unplug my modem and then reconnect it) but it does connect that way. I'm about ready to throw this thing into the cement pond.

[wickedcid]

Originally Posted by War623

It has to be an issue with the router and Vista as I can hook my laptop up directly to the linksys modem and it connects fine. (I have to unplug my modem and then reconnect it) but it does connect that way. I'm about ready to throw this thing into the cement pond.

Well i am not a pc guy but if you can connect hard wired and not wireless it is a setting or a faulty wireless card on the client side(laptop). I just had the opposite problem here, router would work fine but nothing i could do to connect wireless...D-link replaced it as they could not configure or fix it over the phone(2 hours later).

Cid

[War623]

Originally Posted by wickedcid

Well i am not a pc guy but if you can connect hard wired and not wireless it is a setting or a faulty wireless card on the client side(laptop). I just had the opposite problem here, router would work fine but nothing i could do to connect wireless...D-link replaced it as they could not configure or fix it over the phone(2 hours later).

Cid

I considered that also but I see so many others having the same problem and I don't think they all could be the wireless card. It must be the settings. It's got something to do with Vista on my laptop. Just need to find the right settings or the cement pond.

[War623]

I did not intend to hi-jack elcalebo's thread. I just figured any help he could get that I would be able to use it to and maybe some of the information that I may receive could help him also. Seems like we have the same problem.

Like I said, I can hard wire my laptop directly to the modem and I can connect to the internet but if I hard wire it to the router, it's back to "Local Only" just as my wireless connection does.

This is my ipconfig read out with my laptop connected both wireless and hard wired to my router. I have a Belkin router and a linksys modem.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6000]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Wayne>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Waynes-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : Waynes-Pc
Maries-PC

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 802.11g Network Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-19-7E-8F-F1-2A
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.247.151(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8168/8111 Family PCI-E Gigabit
Ethernet NIC (NDIS 6.0)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-16-D3-5B-2B-66
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.153.42(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{2AD5D09C-35B3-48E7-BF8F-A67275CC4
1C4}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5efe:169.254.247.151%15(Preferred)

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 9:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{0B445639-B454-43BF-A2FB-49D9E835E
9DB}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5efe:169.254.153.42%14(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 6TO4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

C:\Users\Wayne>



Any and all help is appreciated!!!!

[jcalton88]

I know it may be something obvious. But have you tried to make sure your drivers are up to date for your wireless cards? Or possibly even for your router. And like Jekyl said, try resetting the router and getting a tech to help set it back up. It may not be allowing you through the firewall for some reason. And what version of Vista do you have? 32 or 64 bit?

[War623]

Originally Posted by jcalton88

I know it may be something obvious. But have you tried to make sure your drivers are up to date for your wireless cards? Or possibly even for your router. And like Jekyl said, try resetting the router and getting a tech to help set it back up. It may not be allowing you through the firewall for some reason. And what version of Vista do you have? 32 or 64 bit?

I have checked and my drivers are all up to date. My router works okay because my other laptop running Windows XP recognizes it. I even disabled my firewall but no luck. I am running vista 32 bit.
Thanks

[jcalton88]

Also, try going a step further and setting your DNS. It should be easily done by going to a computer that can connect and ipconfig/all. find the DNS info and put it into your adapter properties. I have a laptop with Vista 64bit and from my researching it seems there are problems with it connecting wirelessly. My fiancee has a laptop with 32bit and it connected just fine. I also have two ipods, a PSP, Wii, and DS that all connect with no problem, just my computer before I put in all the info. Hopefully this helps. Also, connect with your laptop, and type this in: ipconfig / renew Wireless* . It may work, has for others. If you get an error message saying it cannot renew, then disable 1pv6. I've read some Vista owners have had a problem with that. My computer itself connect local with the IPv6, but local and internet with IPv4

[jcalton88]

Just checking back in, I'm trying to help because I had the same problem when first setting up my network and I understand how frustrating it can be. I have researched a little more and it seems others have had the problem and if its not driver related the most common fix was manually setting up the network like I had stated above. Again, I would recommend going to a computer that will connect to the network, ipconfig/all and see what info comes up. Copy the information into the computer that will not connect, changing the IP address by a few numbers. Note to only change the last set of numbers, if it is 168.172.254.74 on the one that works, put in something like 168.172.254.78. Also, verify your SSID and passkey, just as an extra precaution. If you can connect locally than you should have it right but it never hurts to double check. Hopefully this helps.