Help! Can't connect to the internet from my laptop

[Devo37]

I'm having a problem connecting to the internet from my laptop. when i went to bed last night, everything was working fine. today when i tried to connect, i couldn't. i thought my internet connection might be down (which happened for a day last week), but i hooked up and old (which i'm using right now), and i can connect just fine.

i don't think it's a hardware problem, since when i open my Network Connections window, my LAN is showing as Connected, and the OS recognizes when i plug/unplug my network connection.

i flushed dns and renewed my ip settings, but that didn't help. curiously, my antivirus program is also not starting. i'm not thinking it's a virus at this point, but it's possible. i ran some cleaning tools, which didn't find anything.

i'm kinda stuck as to where to start troubleshooting. embarrassing, since i work with computers (though not on the networking side).

any suggestions on where to start would be most-appreciated...

[donnie_darko]

is it pulling an ip from your router?
do you have a router?

[Devo37]

is it pulling an ip from your router?
do you have a router?

no router. just a cable modem cabled into the laptop (not using wireless). it seems to be able to grab an ip through dhcp, so there seems to be some level of network connectivity, but it's dead in the water.

if i ping something by name, it can't resolve it. if i ping by ip, i get destination unreachable.

[Reynolds]

Try unplugging your cable modem cables and leaving them out for ten seconds.

Plug it back in, when all the lights go through the testing stage plug your ethernet in.

How are you posting here?

[PapaBear]

How are you posting here?

He hooked up another comp to post.

but i hooked up and old (which i'm using right now), and i can connect just fine.

[Reynolds]

He hooked up another comp to post.

Oops, sorry. try what I said anyway.

[PapaBear]

Oops, sorry. try what I said anyway.
True. He should try it anyway.

[biggestmexi]

it's dead in the water.


That could be your problem. These things are not meant to be used in the water.

[Devo37]

Try unplugging your cable modem cables and leaving them out for ten seconds.

Plug it back in, when all the lights go through the testing stage plug your ethernet in.

YES! that seemed to work! strange, i thought i had tried that already, but i did it, and now the laptop's working fine.

kinda odd that my laptop wasn't working, but my old desktop wasn't affected.

at any rate, thanks for the suggestions, and the mods can lock it up if they like...