connected but no internet

[Lance]

Glad it's sorted.

Assuming it's the free version of avg, you may want to consider avast as a alternative. I certainly found it much better when I had to install it on a few machines.

[kerbhugger]

Never heard of avast will give it a look see, thanks .  Been using AVG for years and have had a few occasions in the past when it has caused serious conflicts for no apparent reason but had it disabled today which is why I thought of it last. I just LOVE computers 

[Den]

Hi Kerbhugger, Sorry I have not been around today but Linda said I had to take her out    Glad your problem is now sorted, I must admit I never use AVG as it caused all sorts of problems in the past. A great but cheep way of buying a antivirus is to pop into The Works if you have one close by. Purchase Kaspersky 2007 and install, then update it to Kaspersky 2009 on the web, all for about £7.95 last time I looked.   

[Sebby]

Glad all is sorted.

[Gary]

Hi Kerbhugger, Sorry I have not been around today but Linda said I had to take her out    Glad your problem is now sorted, I must admit I never use AVG as it caused all sorts of problems in the past. A great but cheep way of buying a antivirus is to pop into The Works if you have one close by. Purchase Kaspersky 2007 and install, then update it to Kaspersky 2009 on the web, all for about £7.95 last time I looked.   

Kaspersky did really badly in recent AV comparative tests scoring less than Norton, and changes every file on your system permanently with a NTFS Identifiers that you can never remove. Since uninstalling it from my system (it leaves behind shell extensions) and using Nod32 v4 and a Cloud based behavioural scanner, my system has been more responsive, browses faster has gained greater throughput and has lost a few "quirks" there are better products out there than Kaspersky 2010 at this time in my opinion, Avast is good, so is Avira but has higher false positives.

[Simon]

Kaspersky has certainly gone downhill in recent years, hasn't it?

[davej99]

For others, and should the problem return, I have found this article most helpful when Internet Explorer stops responding. Switching of all add-ons and reverting to default settings, both from IE properties, which does not need IE to open first, is always worth a try.

On the antivirus debate, I junked resource hungry Norton for Kaspersky AV, a couple of years ago. I find it simple, unobtrusive and light on resources. It is quite good at flagging registry activity. I do not use any paranoia driven 3rd party internet security and spam bloatware, except the occasional root kit scan. A Netgear modem-router offers a passable network firewall, with a Microsoft firewall inside. I do run Defender, which seems undemanding. I kill off circulating email IDs regularly. Never been hit in 30 years as a PC user. As in life of course, the most effective defence is the avoidance of dubious contact and careless habit.

[Simon]

Thanks, Dave. 

[quandam]

Can't beat Avast Excellent free prog Used it for almost four years now without any probs

[Gary]

For others, and should the problem return, I have found this article most helpful when Internet Explorer stops responding. Switching of all add-ons and reverting to default settings, both from IE properties, which does not need IE to open first, is always worth a try.

On the antivirus debate, I junked resource hungry Norton for Kaspersky AV, a couple of years ago. I find it simple, unobtrusive and light on resources. It is quite good at flagging registry activity. I do not use any paranoia driven 3rd party internet security and spam bloatware, except the occasional root kit scan. A Netgear modem-router offers a passable network firewall, with a Microsoft firewall inside. I do run Defender, which seems undemanding. I kill off circulating email IDs regularly. Never been hit in 30 years as a PC user. As in life of course, the most effective defence is the avoidance of dubious contact and careless habit.

I don't agree on safe surfing helps anymore, that's like trying to cross a autobahn on foot when traffic is going flat out and saying its not that dangerous, there are so mnay rogue antivirus, and rootkits about that Kaspersky miss, Nod 32 miss and that have thier code changed within a day of release or sometimes hours so signatures and heuristics do not work as the processes are hidden from them, and you can bump into them easily, I did yesterday while looking up Firefoxs blacklisting of the windows plugins, Kaspersky on one machine and Nod32 did not blink at either when I tested, but a 768kb installation which is so simple a child could use it (PrevX 3) picked it up, and stopped it in its tracks. Cloud based antimalware is so much more effective than the usual signature and heuristics approach on its own, its light uses hardly any resources really 3,464k on my machine. Defender is rubbish its software explorer is good, but it does not notice a trojan let alone a rootkit. It seems that's a false sense of security by Microsoft and once again that did not notice the rogue AV.

A recent report said the internet is getting worse and worse, with venders struggling to keep up, I'm sure cloud techniques will be beaten soon and then we will need something else, but to be complacent could be your downfall.

I just used Nod32 v4 (AV) and Prevx 3 with Superantispyware for a scan now and then (free version) and windows firewall and my DG834N routers firewall. Its not complex does not slow my machine down with bloat, I use no antispam modules, I do use AdMuncher because I hate adverts and banners and it makes my pages load faster. With those things in place and some tweaking done to the OS to remove processes I don't use I am much happier than using a suite of any kind, and its more effective I believe.

[quandam]

Points taken Gary

You are no doubt very deeply involved and to be honest most of your post leaves me   You may well be right but to repeat,  Avast has 'looked after me' for almost 4 years without ANY problem whatsoever and that makes me very happy indeed without making my brain hurt

I do believe in keeping things very simple, and Avast has achieved this without causing me any undue stress or problems.

[davej99]

I just used Nod32 v4 (AV) and Prevx 3 with Superantispyware for a scan now and then (free version) and windows firewall and my DG834N routers firewall. .... I do use AdMuncher ...... . With those things in place and some tweaking done to the OS to remove processes I don't use I am much happier than using a suite of any kind, and its more effective I believe.

So, Gary, we both seem to be saying the same thing, mix-and-match AV, malware and adware products and simple precautions are better than a bloated off-the-shelf Internet Security package. But tell me this, when did you last get hit out of the blue? Like vitamin pills, fad diets, food combining, feng shui, homeopathy, snake oil and so on, many security products play to ignorance and paranoia. For the vast majority of threats, a basic anti-virus package together with the standards microsoft offering is quite adequate.

But do not dismiss my advice on the avoidance of careless habit and dubious contact. The overriding number of frauds arise from writing or storing PINS and passwords or by divulging personal info in a scam. Most PC invasions arise from badly maintained security updates, or from not using a basic AV and firewall. I am sure you can point to this or that threat that gets through Kaspersky, NOD, AV, Defender, from time to time. This does not mean they are not effective for the most part, for most users. My PC might get hit by lightning, but I do not keep it in a Faraday cage. Like crime the fear is worse than the reality and basic smart measures deal with most of it; but I do put my daily backup in a fire safe.

[quandam]

davej99

I think we almost (?) said exactly the same thing?

[Simon]

I think 'safe surfing' certainly has a relevance, as does educating people not to open unexpected attachments, emails asking for bank details, etc, etc.  I don't disagree with either Gary's or Dave's solutions - whatever suits you, and works to keep your machine safe, is fine, in my opinion.  I prefer suites because I feel there's less chance of conflicts than with several different branded products, but that's just a personal opinion.  I have used F-Secure Internet Security for four years, along with Windows Defender, just as a back up, and I haven't had a virus or any malware in that time, and I do use some torrent sites, which are not always 'safe'.

[davej99]

Best Security Policy:

   Aways have a defence.
   Focus on probable threats.
   Keep it simple.
   More armour is less speed.
   Maintain the kit.
   Keep your head down.
   Don't get suckered.

As in life, so the internet.