Upon dial-up, sometimes my PC will act as if it has connected to my Interner Provider. Sometimes, it can even access emails. However, when trying to view websites, it acts as if it has not connected at all. I have to disconnect and re-dial. Has this happened to other SDopers? And, what causes this to occur?
If your PC is pulling email successfully, you are completely connected to the Internet. If you unable to browse, you are having a problem with HTTP (a different protocol than email, which is POP3). Most likely, the problem is with DNS servers.
DNS servers translate the URL you type into the browser into a numeric IP address that the Internet understands. When you dial into your ISP, they use a protocol called DHCP to assign your temporary IP address, as well as DNS servers.
Speculating on the exact problem from this point would likely be fruitless, but I will hazard a guess that your ISP has one or more pieces of equipment that are incorrectly assigning the DNS server to you. This would have an intermittent effect on your ability to browse the web within any given session.
If you are really interested in troubleshooting this further, just let me know.
Definitely sounds like an ISP problem. I had a problem once where I could get on the internet for 2 or 3 minutes and then all access would stop (this was DSL). The ISP had somehow managed to map my IP address (or something) to both myself and someone else in the same city.
and they say that DSL is better then cable because you are not sharring a connection. 
You didn’t name your ISP, so I don’t know if this applies. What you’re describing is exactly what happens with AOL when the AOL adapter becomes corrupted. The cure is to clear the browser cache and uninstall the AOL adapter. The next time you try to start AOL, it reinstalls the adapter (I don’t know if this holds true for newer versions of AOL - aren’t they up to v. 7.0 now?)
Actually, it IS affecting the ability to send and retrieve emails. I get an error message indicating there is no connection, but there is a small icon in my tray implying a connection HAS been established. My ISP is Earthlink, but I have had this happen with previous ISPs like Broadwing. When this happens, all I can do is disconnect and try again. Sometimes, it takes multiple tries. Any clues as to why this is? - Jinx
Doesn’t anyone else experience this problem? Could it be a software problem regarding the software which allows one to “dial-up”? 
Thanks, Jinx
Yeah, I have this prob all the time now that I’m relegated back to mother-fracking dial up!
It’s the ISP not resolving the DNS addresses like the other poster mentioned.
What I have to do is disconnect and then reconnect and usually this clears things up.
As to why it happens… I haven’t a clue and I’m not that motivated to find out as I shan’t be on mother-fracking dial up for very much longer.