One more question: Did this behavior start after you'd installed KB951748
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/951748)? If so, see if (1) disabling the
Norton Personal Firewall and then (2) enabling the Windows Firewall makes
any difference.

NB: You do NOT want to connect the machine to the internet without a
firewall enabled!

Otherwise, you may need to tweak your MTU settings.

=> Option #1: See http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315008 (ignore the
title)

Scroll down to the section "If You Connect by DSL, Cable Modem, or LAN on
Windows XP"...

<QP>
NOTE: If the issue continues to occur, repeat the preceding steps, but type
a different MTU value between 1,454 and 576. When you test additional MTU
values, try 576 and then increase the number to 600. If setting the MTU
value to 600 does not resolve the issue, increase the value by 100 until you
reach 1,400. If the issue continues to occur, try 1,454 and then stop. When
you are finished, if the issue is still not resolved, change the MTU value
back to 576.

The maximum transmission unit (MTU) setting controls the maximum size of a
TCP/IP packet that your computer sends. If the Internet service provider has
a limit for what can be received, your packets may become fragmented, thus
causing problems.
</QP>

=> Option #2: Go to http://www.dslreports.com/tweaks and run the test |
Check the results & recommendations afterwards; run DrTCP, if recommended.

PS: If another Norton application had ever been installed on the machine
(i.e., before you installed NIS 2008), let me know.
--
~PA Bear


Gadget wrote:
> PA Bear, to answer your questions -
>
> "If you connect the laptop at home and/or at work directly to the router,
> does the behavior persist?"
> Yes, same regardless.
>
> "Is the Windows Firewall also enabled?"
> No, was turned off by NIS.
>
> "Did you upgrade to NIS 2008........."
> No. NIS2008 installed as a package.
>
> "Did the behavior only start after you'd installed SP3?"
> No. Been running it for a while after SP3 installed and was OK.
>
> "Were NAV, Norton Firewall and Spyware Doctor all running in the
> background
> when you installed SP3?"
> Don't think SP3 was the issue as IE7 was still working correctly after SP3
> was installed, but to answer your question NAV/NIS was running Spyware
> Doctor was purchased later.
>
> Anything else you think I could look at?
>
> Many thanks,
>
>
>
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
>
>> So many possibilities here!
>>
>>>>> My laptop cannot access a suppliers website either at home or using
>>>>> the
>>>>> wireless LAN at work...
>>>>> Same thing when it comes to Google. I can get to the home page but
>>>>> cannot
>>>>> get to the search results page.
>>
>> If you connect the laptop at home and/or at work directly to the router,
>> does the behavior persist?
>>
>> Is the Windows Firewall also enabled? (It shouldn't be.)
>>
>> Did you upgrade to NIS 2008 from an earlier version of a Norton
>> application
>> (e.g., NIS 2006 or NAV 2005)?
>>
>> Assuming IE7 was installed and then SP3 was installed:
>>
>> • Did the behavior only start after you'd installed SP3?
>>
>> • Were NAV, Norton Firewall and Spyware Doctor all running in the
>> background when you installed SP3?
>> --
>> ~PA Bear
>>
>>
>> Gadget wrote:
>>> Hi, thanks for your posts guys.
>>>
>>> AV software is Norton Internet Security 2008 which was turned off during
>>> the
>>> tests
>>> Firewall is as above, and turned off during the tests.
>>> Anti-spyware is PC Tools Spyware Doctor V5.5.1.322, and turned off
>>> during
>>> tests.
>>>
>>> All software is up to date.
>>>
>>> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
>>>> What anti-virus application or security suite is installed? What
>>>> anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)? What third-party
>>>> firewall
>>>> (if any)?
>>>> --
>>>> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
>>>> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
>>>> AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
>>>> DTS-L http://dts-l.net/
>>>>
>>>> Gadget wrote:
>>>>> IE7 V7.0.5730.13
>>>>> Win XP Pro 2002 SP3
>>>>>
>>>>> I am having trouble accessing SOME websites on my laptop, regardless
>>>>> of
>>>>> which ISP or ADSL connection I use.
>>>>>
>>>>> My laptop cannot access a suppliers website either at home or using
>>>>> the
>>>>> wireless LAN at work, but my desk PC at home and my desk PC at work
>>>>> both
>>>>> can
>>>>> access the site.
>>>>> Same thing when it comes to Google. I can get to the home page but
>>>>> cannot
>>>>> get to the search results page.
>>>>>
>>>>> The bar at the bottom of the screen shows "Waiting for........." and
>>>>> the
>>>>> progress bar gets to 5 green blocks (about 1/2 way) but nothing
>>>>> changes
>>>>> in
>>>>> the main window. It just sits there waiting. I can cancel navigation
>>>>> or
>>>>> press stop and navigate to somewhere else (e.g. one I know I can get
>>>>> to!)
>>>>> without issue, so I know IE7 is still running.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've tried disabling all the add-ons, running spyware/addware/virus
>>>>> scans,
>>>>> reinstalling IE7 having downloaded it on another pc and installing
>>>>> from
>>>>> USB
>>>>> memory stick, all to no avail.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've tried running system restore to about a month ago when everything
>>>>> was
>>>>> fine, but it says there were no changes made.
>>>>>
>>>>> Can anyone suggest what I may have missed or what I can try to get
>>>>> around
>>>>> this?