Strange internet issues

[Mike92]

Ever since Sunday, I've been browsing the internet, and then the next second, FireFox says "Server Not Found", and I can't go anywhere else on the internet. It's fine after a while, and then acts up again. My mom thought this was because I have too much stuff on the computer, causing the RAM to be low, and thus making the computer very slow and unresponsive on the internet. But I don't know how RAM could be contributing to a "Server Not Found" issue. What does RAM have to do with an internet server? Today, it's worse. I couldn't get on either IE7 or FireFox for the whole day. My mom managed to get online once a few hours ago, but then when I went on, it did it again, and hasn't been working since.

This started happening on Sunday after my mom and I cleaned out the tons of dust inside the computer (hasn't been cleaned in several years). I don't think the dust could be contributing to this internet issue, but the computer has never experienced these internet issues prior to the cleansing of the computer tower.

Another peculiar issue that came about was when my mom tried to do a System Restore, it said there were no restore points available, which is weird because it should have a lot. So we can't restore the computer to one week ago when it was fine.

My mom thought I had a virus, but AVG said there were none found. She then speculated it could be because of the attacking of the web browsers that have just recently happened, but then why is my mom able to get on FireFox and not I?

@_@

Specs:

• OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
• Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600
• OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
• System Name
• System Manufacturer HP Pavilion 05
• System Model P9921A-ABA 743c
• System Type X86-based PC
• Processor x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 7 GenuineIntel ~2399 Mhz
• BIOS Version/Date Phoenix Technologies, LTD 3.02, 8/12/2002
• SMBIOS Version 2.3
• Locale United States
• Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"
• User Name
• Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
• Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
• Available Physical Memory 140.02 MB
• Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
• Available Virtual Memory 1.93 GB
• Page File Space 1.22 GB
• Page File C:\pagefile.sys

 

[SirCyber]

A: your computer is experiencing a lack of internet. that's what causes it to give that error. it simply lost connection. now, you know what the problem really is. how to fix it. do you use wireless? is it physically connected to a modem? do you use a wireless or ethernet card? if you use either, make sure that they are seated properly. also ensure that your ethernet cord is connected properly, if you use physical. if you use wireless, something that can sometimes jumpstart regaining connection is going into your hardware settings and disabling/enabling your wireless or network card
TBH, it could be a virus, but I really doubt this to be the case. it's not due to the amount of stuff you have on the computer either, rest assured

 

[Trotter]

Go with the basics...

Reboot your modem and router (if you have a router).

Unplug your ethernet cable and blow out the socket, as well as blow off the connector. The dust could very easily have gotten inside and is messing up the connection.

 

[Mike92]

A: your computer is experiencing a lack of internet. that's what causes it to give that error. it simply lost connection. now, you know what the problem really is. how to fix it. do you use wireless? is it physically connected to a modem? do you use a wireless or ethernet card? if you use either, make sure that they are seated properly. also ensure that your ethernet cord is connected properly, if you use physical. if you use wireless, something that can sometimes jumpstart regaining connection is going into your hardware settings and disabling/enabling your wireless or network card
TBH, it could be a virus, but I really doubt this to be the case. it's not due to the amount of stuff you have on the computer either, rest assured

Well, the downstairs computer uses a Touchstone Telephony Modem and has Comcast, but the computer that is having these problems, the upstairs one which has been designated for use of my step-brother and I, uses a router (Linksys WRT54G). The router is seated properly; just the way it's always been sitting before these problems.

I think it may be a virus, too. But AVG says there are none. Both of my browsers, FireFox and IE7 will connect to the internet, but shortly after get kicked off.

Reboot your modem and router (if you have a router).

We've tried that (rebooting the router) countless times. It always gets stuck in "Disabling wireless network adapter" or whatever, and it can't be cancelled out of.

The modem doesn't need to be bothered with because it belongs to the downstairs computer set. The problem computer is upstairs which has a router that runs off the downstairs computer.

 

[Trotter]

Open a command prompt (CMD):

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns

If that doesn't help, try changing the DNS servers listed in the router. Check out OpenDNS and use their servers (I do).

 

[Mike92]

Open a command prompt (CMD):

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns

If that doesn't help, try changing the DNS servers listed in the router. Check out OpenDNS and use their servers (I do).

We do use an OpenDNS server. By the way, my mom said the upstairs computer (problem computer) got its connection back after my mom uplugged the router from the tower, and did a cold shut down. But I will try to do the command prompt. Thanks.