# Can't connect to the internet after wrestling with malware **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651 "2010-05-16T16:32:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/21 "2010-05-16T17:46:03Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > wireless network connection status reports connected via linksys, speek 1.0 mbps, strenth 5/5, 549 packets sent, 327 received > > Netgear smart wizard reports connected to internet with similar strenth and speed Wait, I wondered if I got this correctly: You have a wireless card that is a Linksys and you are using Netgear software in the same computer? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/22 "2010-05-16T17:46:49Z")
okay, powered down the router, no change. I’m fed up with it, tomorrow it goes to my computer guru for him to figure it out. It’s a sunny day out there, and I need to enjoy it. Thanks all for your input and help. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/23 "2010-05-16T17:48:16Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Wait, I wondered if I got this correctly: You have a wireless card that is a Linksys and you are using Netgear software in the same computer? The wifi system is a linksys, the wireless in my desktop is a netgear. They’ve gotten along together well for a few years now. Until this malware situation ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/24 "2010-05-16T17:53:44Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The wifi system is a linksys, the wireless in my desktop is a netgear. They’ve gotten along together well for a few years now. Until this malware situation Ok, that then leads me to wonder why that Linksys showed up in the “Connect using” under the wireless properties. It should actually show the Netgear card model. In any case, if you are going out, you only need to mention all the steps taken so far to your Guru. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/25 "2010-05-16T18:40:40Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > Can you hit any site at all? > > Just for kicks you might want to check your hosts file. > Slee None at all. Hosts file empty. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/26 "2010-05-16T19:27:58Z")
Check if it is sending you through a proxy server. I had a nasty malware changed that setting in IE. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/27 "2010-05-17T00:51:46Z")
Common problem. You need a winsock XP repair utility. Download (from another PC) and run this freeware applet to fix winsock settings. [http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html](http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html) Should take care of your issue. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/28 "2010-05-17T02:36:08Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Should take care of your issue. Sadly, it did not resolve the issue. But thanks for suggesting it. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/29 "2010-05-17T07:45:15Z")
Assuming the settings have got corrupted by the malware, have you tried deleting the wireless link and setting it up _de novo_? Actually, before you do that, let’s go back to basics: Open a command prompt and run _ipconfig /all_ Look at the entries for your wireless connection. Do you have a valid IP address? (Probably 192.168.x.x) An address of 169.x is not good news. Do the other network settings - default gateway etc - look correct? If you have a valid IP address, can you ping (the command is _ping_ \) the router and get a response? If you can ping the router, can you ping your ISP? ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/30 "2010-05-17T10:20:36Z")
I’m with the Proxy Settings being wrong - lots of these malware add a proxy to 127.0.0.1:\ to peek at traffic. In IE it is something like _Tools|Internet Options…|Connections|LAN_, I have no idea about Chrome. Take a peek. Si ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/31 "2010-05-17T10:37:08Z")
Another vote for a proxy server setting. I’ve seen it many times recently. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/32 "2010-05-17T15:12:29Z")
Thanks all, but it’s in the shop now. It sucked up enough of my life trying to get it to work yesterday. The wife’s laptop will give me adequate access until I get it back. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651/33 "2010-05-17T20:49:24Z")
I saw something similar once. Whatever malware/poker site or whatever the person had been on, it created a dialer connection. This goes back to the good old days (you young whippersnapper!) when a trick was to reprogram the modem to dial a 1-900 number in a cooperative foreign country that would pay a commission on the connect time money… Of course, we don’t use modems nowadays so it tries to go off hook and gets no dial tone. In IE, go Tools - Internet Options, Connections tab. Do you have a connection in the “Dial-Up and VPN” box? If you don’t use VPN to work, you should not. Delete any connection you find there unless you are sure there’s a reason for it. Now your internet should use the LAN/Wifi connections Hope that is useful. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-connect-to-the-internet-after-wrestling-with-malware/539651.md?page=1)