Browser Is Unable to Find Sites (Windows 98)
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The Problem
When you enter an URL into the address bar, of your browser, your browser keeps looking and looking and finally returns a "not found" page. You know that site is out there. Your browser does find some of the big sites, such as HotMail, Yahoo, or Google. However, when you run Google, the links on Google - all of them - do not work.
There are several possible situations that might cause this to happen.
The Solutions
Clean Your Cache and/or Delete Cookies
First, you might have something weird going on with your cache, or have bad cookies. The first thing you should do is to clean out your cache and remove your cookies. Then close your browser and open it again and start over. Sometimes, even after doing that, you might need to restart your computer to clear out other junk in memory that may be preventing your browser from working properly.
Modify Your Computer's Network Settings
If the above does not work, your network or internet connection settings might not be set up correctly. The network settings determine the defaults that are to be used for all of your software entities that use the network. If your settings are different from the settings you need for your individual entities, such as your dial-up access, then these settings can be in conflict and cause your computer to appear "lost". What you want to do is to leave the main network settings disabled, and set the individual settings for each entity.
To fix this problem, you need to modify your settings on your computer.
Select "Network" on your Control Panel window. The "Network" window will display. The "Configuration" panel should be displayed. If not, then click on the "Configuration" tab to open the "Configuration" panel.
Network window verbal description
Click "TCP/IP" to highlight it, and then click the "Properties" button to continue. An alert window will appear.
Alert window verbal description
Click "OK". The "TCP/IP Properties" window will display. If the "DNS Configuration" panel is not displayed, click on the "DNS Configuration" tab to display the "DNS Configuration" panel.
TCP/IP Properties window verbal description
Click the "Disable DNS" radio button.
Click "OK" to close the "TCP/IP Properties" window.
Click "OK" to close the "Network" window.
You will need to restart your computer for these changes to take effect.
Modify Your Computer's Dial-up Settings
Many ISPs allocate IP addresses dynamically. They do this because they have a limited number of slots available on their networks, and they don't expect all of their customers to be on the system at the same time. The ISP's server assigns IP addresses dynamically as people log on; you have your IP address for the duration of your session with your ISP. Your dial-up settings should reflect this, and not have a fixed ISP entered (except in the case when you do have a fixed IP address assigned to you by agreement).
To change your IP address assignment settings, select "Dial-up Networking"; this option is usually found by pressing the "Start" button, and clicking on "Programs", then "Accessories" from the drop-down menu, then "Communications", also from a drop-down menu, then "Dial-up Networking". A window opens listing all of your dial-up network connections. Click on the connection that you wish to modify to highlight it. Then click on the "Properties" button on the main toolbar. The window for the network connection properties opens. Select the "Server Types" panel by clicking on the "Server Types" tab, to show the panel below.
Server Types Properties window verbal description
The "TCP/IP" allowed network protocol checkbox should be checked, and the "TCP/IP Settings" button available. Click the "TCP/IP Settings" button. The "TCP/IP Settings" window will display as shown below.
TCP/IP Settings window verbal description
In the top radio group, click the radio button "Server assigned IP address". This will tell your computer to use the IP address assigned by your ISP.
Your ISP may have initially set you up with fixed DNS settings. However, the ISP itself may dynamically generate the DNS to go to for searching. You should set your dial-up settings to reflect that. You might also want to click the radio button for "Server assigned name server addresses" in the second radio grouping.
Click "OK" to close the window and save the changes.