Win98 Internet Explorer 6 web site restrictions on broadband

[Mr T 2007]

Hi all I have a very strange problem: I am running win98 (first edition) and internet explorer 6 on a PC. After having no problems for a few years, I suddenly find that I now cannot access certain web sites using Orange broadband. I can access Google, two of my bank accounts, the Answer Bank, and several other sites, but I cannot access hotmail, yahoo, my creditcard sites, my main bank account, uk street map and many more - the web pages will not open. However, if I switch from broadband to dial up, then all web pages can be accessed, and the problem has gone! I have connected my Orange broadband modem to my Mac, and the Mac can access all sites with no problems, so I'm pretty sure that it is not my broadband modem that is at fault. If I go to "internet options" - "security", I cannot adjust any settings, as the "custom levels" and Default Levels" are greyed out, is this normal? Could this be part of the problem? Also, I am running AVG free edition anti-virus, there seems to be a limited amount of settings on it, but even if I quit the whole programme the problem is still there. I upgraded from IE 5.5 to IE 6 to see if this would solve the problem, and also tried using Firefox web browser, but the problem is still there. I tried accessing hotmail through the megaproxy web site, and (after a short while) it came up with this message: "JavaScript required to sign in Windows Live ID requires JavaScript to sign in. This web browser either does not support JavaScript, or scripts are being blocked. To find out whether your browser supports JavaScript, or to allow scripts, see the browser's online help." Sadly, this doesn't mean anything to me, as my technicle knowledge is not great. But is this my problem? If so, what can I do? I would appreciate any help or advice that anyone has to offer. Many thanks.

[ACtheTROLL]

It sounds a little as if the DNS servers may be playing up.

If it was settings ....
look at both connection's LAN settings ....
they should be the same.

You don't say how you connect to broadband ... router or USB (in 98???)

if router ... check that the network settings either
ar both set to auto ... or if you see numbers ... that you have a DNS entry

if no joy
using the broadband
go to dos ... type winipcfg
copy and paste the results in your next reply

[Mr T 2007]

Hi ACtheTROLL

Yes both connections are the same, and I am using USB to connect to broadband. The broadband is working absolutely fine on my other (Mac) computer.

I went to a friend's house and viewed IE 6 on his computer. In the "security" tab, both the "Custom level" and "default level" were not greyed out, and when I looked in "Custom Level" there were serval options for java - one being to enable it . But the "Custom level" and "default level" buttons are greyed out on my PC, so there is no way I can check the java settings. Would you know how I could ungrey these buttons?

I'm having to send this reply from my other computer, but I will post another reply shortly with the winipcfg results. Thanks.

[Mr T 2007]

I went to dos and types winipcfg, this opened a new menu "IP Configuration", sadly I cannnot copy and paste the results - and there is too much to copy it all manualy (Host Information and Ethernet Adapter Information). Is there anything specific you would like to know from the results? Thanks

[ACtheTROLL]

Sorry - forget the ipconfig
I think it's unlikely that avg or malware whatever would create an either / or internet access situation - same for hijackers.
and if the mac works it's not port problems either

Back to ie6
In security settings is the reset to default option there?

do you have the option to uninstall the 5.5 to 6 upgrade?


That leaves the USB thingy
98 doesn't have native usb support (it's a sort of bolt on patch) and requires extra drivers.
you could try uninstalling/reinstalling the ISP software
and if necessary removing the USB entries in control panel

Only other I can think of.... if the bindings are kaput
I hate to use this as an answer (it's a cowards way out .... but 98 is a dim and distant memory ......)
it will at least prove a point.....

If you can go to
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
download firefox and install on your 98 machine
It's a large download (5.8mb) ... and I know you have difficulties d/l ....
but it would be interesting to see if this does the trick

[Mr T 2007]

Thanks for the response:

I think this is part (or maybe ALL) of the problem: in the security settings on IE6, both the "custom level" and "default level" buttons are greyed out so I cannot select either. If I do have a javascript problem I need to be able to get into the "custom level" to adjust. Any thoughts on how to un-grey this?

I did try going back to 5.5 but this didn't help.

I re-installed the ISP software, but it was over the exsisting software, as I couldn't find how to uninstall the software first - can't find it in programmes or control panel.

I doubt it is the USB - this is a very recent problem, the broadband has been working fine for the passed few years. Everything else on USB is still working fine. I have 2 USB ports and have tried them both.

I actually think that a friend of mine has downloaded something that he shouldn't of without realising. I say this beacuse the follwoing day (after he had used it) when I booted up the computer a message came up something on the lines of "please wait while win 98 updates your computer" - it would only normally do this if some thing had been downloaded or changed. I can't seem to find either :-(

I did download firefox, it didn't make any difference.

What are bindings?

I really appreciate all your help.

[ACtheTROLL]

Oh boy - you got problems!

first clear out the browser's cache
Tools | options | (I forget ... but you know what I mean!)

easy one first ... bindings are links between the network and the software that has access to it.
It's low level so problems are rare ...
however ... if dialup works and BB not ... my thought was that the modem drivers have somehow lost their link with your network (in this case USB)

both your connections emulate network hardware and so rely on drivers talking to the modem rather than a "real" network card doing the job.

Drivers do get corrupted ... and stay in memory ... so you only see the disaster on the next boot (which is what you say happened).

1 last test(s)
connect to broadband
fire up a dos prompt ... type the following lines .... 1-by-1
<ignore the brackets and contents>

winipcfg
<take note of the gateway address - ie 192.168.0.1>.
<and the DNS server address>

<now we can use ping to test each leg of your connection>

like this
C:\>ping www.demon.net
<you should see something like this>
Pinging www.demon.net [194.159.246.194] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 194.159.246.194: bytes=32 time=19ms TTL=51
Reply from 194.159.246.194: bytes=32 time=18ms TTL=51
Reply from 194.159.246.194: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=51
Reply from 194.159.246.194: bytes=32 time=18ms TTL=51

Ping statistics for 194.159.246.194:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 17ms, Maximum = 19ms, Average = 18ms

So start here
ping 127.0.0.1
<this is your network "card">

<now ping the gateway (use the real address) >
ping 192.168

[ACtheTROLL]

each ping should reply something like example above - if there is a problem you'll see

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 213.219.36.207:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

I'm starting to think that a rebuild is in order ... even with the most careful use win98 will eventually just give up and die

make sure you can find all the CDs first though!

[Mr T 2007]

Thanks for the test info,
I did ping my gateway address in dos and the results were as you suspected
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

I'm still not sure what this all means, but do you suspect that it is my usb that is somehow corrupt? If so, do you think it would help if I re-install the usb drivers? Or do you think this problem could be overcome by not using the usb port? ie maybe installing a wireless PCI card for the broadband?

I really want to avaoid a rebuild - have 9 years of my life on my PC.
Thanks for your help.

[Mr T 2007]

BRAINWAVE!!:

I had a thought:
I have a website that has a number of moving gif images and music etc, this is one of the sites that I cannot open with braodband. I went into the web design and stripped it down to just plain background and text, and posted back to my site. Hey presto! I can access the site and read the text. But as soon as I add a Gif or JPeg photo, or music, then it will not open.

Now Ithat know this info, I can see that the sites I can access on broadband appear to be basic text only sites: ie google and 2 of my bank accouts.
Does this info help at all with trying to get a diagnosis? Please let me know.

Many thanks

[Mr T 2007]

I finally know what the problem is!

Yesterday I took my PC to a friends house, hooked up to his talktalk broadband using my USB modem, connected no problem, and could access ALL web sites. So I know my problem has nothing to do with my PC and the way I have it set up.

After several calls to Orange (my braodband ISP) they finally did a check on the line coming to my house and detected a fault! They said that they will try to have it sorted out in 5 working days.

Although this fault doesn't explain why I was able to access all the interent on my G4 Mac and not on my PC, I am relieved that it is not my PC playing up, and am confident that it is a line problem, and will be sorted.

Many thanks for all your help, and I'll let you know in 5 days if I am back to normal.

[ACtheTROLL]

Now that's wierd!

If you can't ping the gateway (esp a usb modem) generally speaking - 9/10 - 99% you'd suspect that the gateway is the culprit.... you live and learn.

Something I would suggest is to take this as a hint ... 9 years of your life ... sounds like it's stored on a vintage machine ... and with the best will in the world ... they don't live forever.

A usb hard drive is quite cheap ... and would work on the replacement should you need to get one

(just make sure that the drive has 98 drivers before you buy)

glad you got to the bottom of the prob