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Unable to connect to Internet via router

Ryan Frost

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Posted January 2, 2011 at 12:17PM

Hi,

There are two computers in our house, connected to the same router, one a desktop that has a wired connection to the router, the other a laptop connected wirelessly via a dongle. The router is a NETGEAR DG834PN.

For some reason, the Laptop is unable to open web pages (I've tried IE, Firefox and Safari). There seems to be no problem with the connection - according to all status indicators the laptop has a healthy connection and is connected to the router fine.

When opening a web browser, I'm getting the following messages:

In Firefox: "Proxy Server Refusing Connection"

In Safari "There was a problem communication with the web proxy server (HTTP). CFURLErrorDomain:306"

I was using the laptop a couple of days ago and it was fine then. The only time it's been used in the interim is to install new antiviurs software (Kaspersky). Manybe the antivirus is blocking it somehow?

Any help would be much appreciated; if you need any more ino, please ask and I'll be happy to oblige.

Thanks in advance,

Ryan.

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mrwoowoo

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Posted January 2, 2011 at 4:08PM

Just to test your theory, try disabling your anti virus, then see if you can connect.
Depending on results you can then progress from there.

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Bris

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Posted January 2, 2011 at 5:30PM

Hi Ryan

A proxy server is something that sits between your PC and the Internet and filters requests to and from the same. In the case of a home network there is no need for one, however, there are a number of possibilities.

1. your browsers are configured to use a proxy server.

2. you have picked up some malware that has inserted itself between your PC and the internet and is acting as a proxy server.

3 your security software is filtering requests and is therefore acting as a proxy server.

For option 1 and using Firefox click on Tools->Options->Advanced->Network tab->Connection/Settings->Direct connection to the internet. Play around with this setting to see if it cures the problem.

2. What was your reason for installing Kapersky? Did you have a previous infection? Its worth running a full scan anyway.

3. You will need to investigate the settings in Kapersky as its likely it is acting as a proxy server and filtering some requests that it shouldnt. Suggest you browse the Kapersky site using search "proxy server".

Hope this helps.

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onthelimit

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Posted January 3, 2011 at 9:09AM

Also, before Kaspersky, did you have a different antivirus prog? If so, if you didn't remove it completely (many of them need a tool downloaded from the maker's site), the two may be conflicting and causing this problem.

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Ryan Frost

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Posted January 3, 2011 at 11:06AM

Hi guys, thanks for the responses.

It seems that, for some reason, the settings on all three browsers were set to use a proxy server, and by altering the setting to a direct connection, the problem has been solved.

How or why the settings got changed in the first place, I have no idea!

It's a bit embarrassing to be honest, that I was fretting about this problem when all it took to solve everything was a little tick-box in the tools menu!!!

Thanks again, much appreciated!

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Bris

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Posted January 3, 2011 at 5:56PM

Hi Ryan

Glad its sorted.

Just a word of caution, a bit of malware may have altered your browser settings so if its still around it may alter them back again. Same applies to your security software.

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