Unwanted dialup window

[canonical]

I am connected and always online with broadband, yet when attempting to go to a particular website a dialup window shows. It presumes I am working offline, in fact "working offline" under File, gets checked, automatically. It clears when I uncheck it. And the requested page appears - but double or triple spaced. Is there something simple I can do to correct and avoid this unnecessary annoyance?

[Pterocarpous]

I am connected and always online with broadband, yet when attempting to go to a particular website a dialup window shows. It presumes I am working offline, in fact "working offline" under File, gets checked, automatically. It clears when I uncheck it. And the requested page appears - but double or triple spaced. Is there something simple I can do to correct and avoid this unnecessary annoyance?
Hello canonical. Welcome to Short Media!

What Internet browser are you using and what is its version (e.g. Internet Explorer 7.0 or Mozilla Firefox 2.0)?

Do you have more than one Internet browser and, if so, do you get the same results in both browsers? (e.g. Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox)

When you say "particular website" do you mean there is only one site that you have this problem w/?

-or-

Do you mean that this happens anytime you enter a website in the address field and go to that web site?

[canonical]

Thanks, pterocarpous! I used one of your archived responses [to fmueller] yesterday to enable my [visiting] daughter's computer to use my printer. That worked fine. In the process however, Network Connections seems to have added Internet Gateway - which wasn't there before. And it is noteworthy that the dialup prob has come along only since that setup. I have no idea if the two issues are connected.

As to the specifics, I am using Internet Explorer 6 and that is the sole browser. Originally I thought this only had to do with one website, though now I see it's a bit more widespread. It happens with others as well - but not all. For the most part, I've been following established links that I keep on my home page and I can usually get to the main site itself. The issue arises when I click on other pages in the site.

The Dialup window highlights MSN and there is no other selection available. There is a hand cursor with a circled backslash [sort of] that moves with it. The options are Connect - Work Offline and Cancel. I have discovered that hitting Cancel, File and unchecking Work Offline will get me to the page I want. Though as I said originally the format is altered.

Hope you are able to suggest something. It has me stymied.

[Pterocarpous]

...I used one of your archived responses [to fmueller] yesterday to enable my [visiting] daughter's computer to use my printer. That worked fine...
Great! Glad it helped. :smiles:
...In the process however, Network Connections seems to have added Internet Gateway - which wasn't there before...

That's the router.
It has UPnP (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/U/UPnP.html) enabled.
That will go away if you disable UPnP in the router configuration.
(I recommend you do this unless you really need it.)
If you need help with this, just let us know.
...And it is noteworthy that the dialup prob has come along only since that setup. I have no idea if the two issues are connected.
That's perfectly ok. The more information you can give us the better. It helps a great deal if you let us know of any changes that were made around the time you began experiencing a problem - even if you think it might be unrelated.
...I am using Internet Explorer 6 and that is the sole browser. Originally I thought this only had to do with one website, though now I see it's a bit more widespread. It happens with others as well - but not all. For the most part, I've been following established links that I keep on my home page and I can usually get to the main site itself. The issue arises when I click on other pages in the site.

After you've gone through the Internet Connection Wizard (below)
Please, go HERE (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/) and download and install Mozilla Firefox 2.0.
It won't try to take over your computer - I promise! :smiles:
It's a good idea to have more than one browser handy.
Some sites are better viewed w/ one than the other. (IE vs Mozilla Firefox or Netscape)
It's also a handy way of trouble-shooting browser issues.

...The Dialup window highlights MSN and there is no other selection available. There is a hand cursor with a circled backslash [sort of] that moves with it. The options are Connect - Work Offline and Cancel. I have discovered that hitting Cancel, File and unchecking Work Offline will get me to the page I want. Though as I said originally the format is altered...Hope you are able to suggest something. It has me stymied.
I think I need to just step you through the Internet Connection Wizard.

Please, take the following steps through the Internet Connection Wizard:
open Internet Explorer
(close the dialup login if it opens)
Click on Tools
Click on Internet Options
Click on the CONNECTIONS tab
If there's anything in the DIAL-UP and VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK
SETTINGS window, select NEVER DIAL A CONNECTION below it.
Click the SETUP button
Click NEXT
Choose CONNECT TO THE INTERNET at the top and click the NEXT button
Choose SET UP MY CONNECTION MANUALLY and click the NEXT button
Choose CONNECT USING A BROADBAND CONNECTION THAT IS ALWAYS ON and click the NEXT button
Click FINISH
Close Internet Explorer
Re-open Internet Explorer and see if the issue is resolved

[canonical]

1. Would appreciate help disabling UPnP
2. Used the Internet Wizard but it did not resolve the difficulty in IE6
3. However the Firefox download operates free of the dialup issue. In fact it might be worth making it my default.
Many thanks for your very helpful suggestions

[Pterocarpous]

...2. Used the Internet Wizard but it did not resolve the difficulty in IE6...

Important question, canonical:
Exactly what does the icon look like that you normally click on to go on the Internet?
It should be a blue "e" and it's caption should read: "Internet Explorer" or "Launch Internet Explorer"
Find an Internet Explorer icon that looks like this in your START MENU.
One will either be in:
START MENU -> ALL PROGRAMS
-OR-
There will be one in:
START MENU -> ALL PROGRAMS -> ACCESSORIES -> COMMUNICATIONS
Open Internet Explorer w/ one of these Internet Explorer icons

Does the problem persist?

[Pterocarpous]

...1. Would appreciate help disabling UPnP...

Allrighty. We need the manufacturer and exact model no. (including its version no.) of the router.
You can find this info. usually on a sticker on the bottom of the router.

...3. However the Firefox download operates free of the dialup issue. In fact it might be worth making it my default...

Great! I recommend you do make it your default.
It's a whole lot more stable than IE6 and it has some nifty features that IE6 doesn't have (e.g. tab browsing)
You can import your IE favorites and saved passwords if you like, too.

...Many thanks for your very helpful suggestions...
You are most welcome. :smiles:

[canonical]

IE is routinely quick launched from a blue e in lower left hand corner to the right of the start button. It doesn't matter where I launch it from, it opens up to my home page [password protected] - which is a customized Sympatico/MSN "My Page" wherein I have used their basic organization to access sites that I use all the time. Time, weather government, broker,etc. I have inputted a lot of data and am reluctant to change. The issue seems to occur mainly when, after linking to a site, I then try to go to a different page on that site.

2. The router is a LinkSys WRT54G v.5 with a history of periodic difficulty being nice to the modem. At present things run well for about 10 days at a time and then all goes crazy. But I crawl back there where all the wires are - and fiddle around. Generally, I can get them to shake hands and be moderately civil to one another in about 10 -15 minutes. I have read lotsa people who think this router is a pos. I can't decide who's at fault. Anyhow, that's another matter that I'm relatively resigned to - but if you know a perma fix, things could be better.

[canonical]

Further to this problem: for a short time today, I couldn't access my home page at all. I got a connection was reset message in both browsers. At first I thought maybe the router was the culprit. Also checked Internet options again and noted that the connections keep changing all on their own. Reboots, separate connections, without and with router. All to no avail - which was unusual, 'cause that usually resolves that issue. Then suddenly, all is clear. and most importantly, no dialup issue. Connections now stay put. My best guess is that it was an MSN problem with the home page, that they eventually found out and fixed, without ever acknowledging, of course. So I may have engaged your help unnecessarily. But with some good benefit, like Firefox. Still hope to hear how to disable UPnP.

Gratefully, canonical

[Pterocarpous]

The reason I asked what icon you use to connect is because I suspected MSN was the culprit. I've seen this many times before. I phrased it like I did because I'm used to working w/ very rudimentarily-skilled computer users. I often need to simplify things a great deal so, it's become habit. Having said that, though it's not the exact problem I normally see related to MSN, I'm not surprised that it boiled down to that entity. I suspect you may be right, too - that it was likely an issue w/ IE on their home page and its embedded hyper-links. It's not uncommon to see different behavior between IE and Mozilla-type browsers on the same site. That's one good reason for having both browser types on hand.

Give me a moment and I'll look up your router and how to disable UPnP.

[Pterocarpous]

HERE (http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?childpagename=US%2FLayout&packedargs=page%3D2%26cid%3D1115416835852%26c%3DL_Content_C1&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&SubmittedElement=Linksys%2FFormSubmit%2FProductDownloadSearch&sp_prodsku=1127782957298) is Linksys' support page for your router.

There's a Quick Install guide you can download but I don't think that's going to go into much detail when it comes to navigating the router's UI (user interface)

Do you know how to get into the router's UI?
If you do, navigate around the various pages until you come across UPnP.
It will likely be in ADVANCED configuration.
You can disable it there.

If you don't know how to get into the UI just let us know. We'll help you through that.

You might consider updating the firmware on your router as well since it has been a bit flakey for you.