# Internet problem I've never seen before: Help. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 4, 2001, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-problem-ive-never-seen-before-help/48467 "2001-01-04T21:43:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2001, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-problem-ive-never-seen-before-help/48467/1 "2001-01-04T21:43:56Z")
so, for some reason when I’m using Netscape(4.76) or Internet Explorer(5.5) I cannot get to certain websites. I checked from other computers in the house as we are all on the same network and they could get to all the local sites that I needed to see, but I can’t get to them from my computer. I thought my winsock.dll might be corrupted, so I backed that up and copied the file from one of the computers in the house that work. Still the same problem. Now I’m downloading Netscape again and uninstalling IE 5.5 I don’t know if this will handle the problem. Anyone heard of not being able to get to selective websites? ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-problem-ive-never-seen-before-help/48467/2 "2001-01-04T22:00:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hastur \* > \*\*Anyone heard of not being able to get to selective websites? \*\* Happens to me at work all the time. For the first 2 weeks that I worked here it wouldn’t let access this page, and then one day _poof_, SD! Also sometimes I can sites that someone else can’t at their desk. I’m not sure the company has a firewall or not, so I’m not sure how to explain it. I have no advice for you, just thought I’d let you know that it’s happened to others. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-problem-ive-never-seen-before-help/48467/3 "2001-01-04T22:03:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hastur \* > \*\*so, for some reason when I’m using Netscape(4.76) or Internet Explorer(5.5) I cannot get to certain websites. > > I checked from other computers in the house as we are all on the same network and they could get to all the local sites that I needed to see, but I can’t get to them from my computer. > > I thought my winsock.dll might be corrupted, so I backed that up and copied the file from one of the computers in the house that work. Still the same problem. > > Now I’m downloading Netscape again and uninstalling IE 5.5 > > I don’t know if this will handle the problem. Anyone heard of not being able to get to selective websites? \*\* Dump your cache. Usually fixes it ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2001, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-problem-ive-never-seen-before-help/48467/4 "2001-01-04T22:26:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bdgr \* > > Dump your cache. Usually fixes it Tried that. Nada. Still have the problem. Just did a virus scan. No virii. BTB, I’m running Windows 98 SE. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2001, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-problem-ive-never-seen-before-help/48467/5 "2001-01-04T22:48:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hastur \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by bdgr \* > > > > Dump your cache. Usually fixes it > > Tried that. Nada. Still have the problem. > > Just did a virus scan. No virii. > > BTB, I’m running Windows 98 SE. \*\* Ok…Try this. go into your network properties, and enable wins. apply, and then disable it. it will reload the TCP/IP settings and it often fixes wierd problems. I use to use this all the time when I worked for an ISP. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2001, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-problem-ive-never-seen-before-help/48467/6 "2001-01-05T01:05:38Z")
Someone probably set the security level of the browsers so you can’t see those sites. controlpanel:internet options: security also see ‘advanced’ ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2001, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-problem-ive-never-seen-before-help/48467/7 "2001-01-05T04:42:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*Someone probably set the security level of the browsers so you can’t see those sites. > controlpanel:internet options: security also see ‘advanced’ \*\* Nope. No one has access to my PC. And my security options were fine. ---
**Author:** ![micilin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@micilin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micilin)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2001, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-problem-ive-never-seen-before-help/48467/8 "2001-01-05T14:30:02Z")
Um, not knowing anything about your setup: can you ping the sites you can’t access? If no, then its your network settings, if yes then its your IE/Netscape. If it’s your network settings maybe it’s a DNS thing. Are you using a proxy from your ISP? Try turning that off. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2001, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-problem-ive-never-seen-before-help/48467/9 "2001-01-05T16:07:43Z")
What are the sites? If the have anything to do with antivirus, there’s a chance it is a virus. I just dealt with a problem like that here. How recently did you update your antivirus software? One possible test: Go to the DOS prompt and run “Netstat -a”. It should give you a list of ports running. If it doesn’t run at all, you have a virus problem. If it does run, see which ports are active. Any numbers above 1024 should be viewed with suspicion. You can find a list of ports used to known Trojans at [http://www.simovits.com](http://www.simovits.com).