[ThereThere]

Strange problem here: my laptop (running WinXP) has suddenly become unable to transfer data through one particular wifi router/connection only (my neighbor's), but this same laptop has no problem with any other routers (it does fine when I connect to routers at any other location). When the laptop is having this problem (which is anytime I'm at home and try to connect to that one particular router), it shows that it's "connected" in the view wireless connections window, but web pages (in Firefox) won't load and any autoupdates of other programs that try to start in the background all fail. I first thought that maybe it was just my neighbor's router having problems, but then I discovered that my son's computer (a different computer) has no problem transferring data to/from this same neighbor's router (my son's computer can load webpages, also with Firefox, and so forth), so it is something about my computer in particular connecting with that router in particular.

The only other clues I know of are that I did recently have a malware infection on my laptop that I cleaned up with Microsoft Security Essentials and I also recently uninstalled Internet Explorer 8 and started using Firefox instead (I have an audio production program that was conflicting with IE8). I'm pretty sure, though, that I was not having this problem at first after switching to Firefox and after cleaning up that malware. I've also been getting an error message from time to time recently that the msls31.dll could not be found (which I understand to be associated with IE, so I figure that may have something to do with my uninstalling IE8), but I don't know if that has anything to do with this connection problem.

After the problem started last weekend, I did run the quick scan option with Auslogics Registry Cleaner, but that didn't solve this problem.

Thanks for any suggestions you may have. My internet access will be somewhat intermittent because I can only connect at coffeeshops right now (not from home), but I'll be checking for a reply at least once and usually more times per day. I appreciate your help,

Bob

Edited by ThereThere, 11 May 2010 - 06:48 PM.

[Advertisements]

Has your neighbor blocked your computer's WiFi MAC address in his router?

[SpywareDr]

Has your neighbor blocked your computer's WiFi MAC address in his router?

[ThereThere]

Hey Doc,
Thanks for replying. Well, this morning I got up and the [bleep] thing is working again! (obviously, after I posted this message yesterday, and after 4-5 days of not working). So I guess my problem is solved, though your question makes me wonder .... I don't know the answer to that, but if the neighbor had blocked my particular computer's address, would that have allowed my computer to show it as "connected" but then not transfer data, or would it not even be able to "connect" in the first place?

Regardless, if they did block me, perhaps they've had a change of heart since it's working today ...

Sorry to have troubled you about this. I appreciate your help.

[SpywareDr]

... if the neighbor had blocked my particular computer's address, would that have allowed my computer to show it as "connected" but then not transfer data

Yes.

Regardless, if they did block me, perhaps they've had a change of heart since it's working today ...

Pirating your neighbor's Wi-Fi may seem like a good, 'free' idea but, you may end up feeling pretty stupid if your favorite Web sites are the topic of conversation at a neighborhood party or, if you get a summons.

[ThereThere]

hey, thanks. I think I'm ready to take your advice on that.

Thanks again for the help.

[SpywareDr]

You're welcome, and good luck.