For the past three days, my internet connection has been acting really weird aside from the usual slow connection. Every time I run the Speed Test program, I would get speed values that are actually higher than the allotted value for my internet plan.
I decided there must be something wrong with Meagan (my laptop).
I decided there must be something wrong with Meagan (my laptop).
Perhaps switching to Windows 7 has made her more vulnerable to viruses, malwares, spywares and any other malicious, infectious and dangerous softwares.
Infected with Malware/Adware/Spyware?
With a few selected sites inaccessible to both my Google Chrome and Firefox browser, I suspected my connection must have been hijacked by some Malware because before that, I was browsing a supplier's site and I got a warning that it was dangerous to access the said site but I kept browsing anyway.
Well, here's a tip:
Don't trust your anti-virus too much. Or don't let it over work.
Don't trust your anti-virus too much. Or don't let it over work.
Sometimes there are new viruses lurking in the internet lately that has not been identified in its Virus Signature bank thus it cannot easily detect or fight it. Once you're warned not to browse specific websites, DON'T! I have been so comfortable and I trusted my Norton Internet and AntiVirus Security 2010 that I ended switching over to ESET Node AntiVirus then to Kaspersky then to Norton again because I got so pissed that it wasn't able to fight away the Malware.
Be careful not to install any AntiSpyware or AntiAdware programs that are usually rogue softwares. These are programs that actually malwares. They deceive the users into installing them with the hope that they would ger rid of the virus when the truth is they are actually about to install but another virus!
Pinging the Site
I have learned in high school that every time a site is down, you will need to Ping it. So I run the Command Prompt by typing cmd in the search bar and the black screen appeared. You know the one that you usually get to see in banks that still uses the old fashion banking, only boring black screens because they're still on DOS mode? So I typed in:
ping www.applybuilder.com
Then it returns with
Request time out.
Request time out.
When you server is working just fine, it will return with some numerical value indicating the speed but this time it says time out. Like when we were playing "Tagu-taguan" with my neighbors and we would always say "tympers" or "time out" when we're tired. My internet connection can NOT be tired! How am I supposed to finish all my blog posts? Or how am I supposed to post my tweets, or read Penelope Trunk's blog? I just had so much worries that I spent the whole night trying to fix it.
Uninstalling Web Browsers
I almost gave up, but I'm not a quitter!
I tried un-installing Google Chrome, then Firefox.
But that didn't fix it.
I've read that resetting the Winsock will fix it since I am running on Windows 7.
That still didn't fix it!
Using Google Public DNS
Then I've learned about Google Public DNS: My Hero! Since most website that you're typing on the address bar gets translated into numbers through DNS, it is important that your ISP's DNS should not be clogged or it'll have a hard time returning the value of the site that you want to view. This means slow response to your request.
It's like ordering kare kare in Italy then the cook would need some Filipino waiter(DNS) to translate what in th world the word means and that's when the Italian cook will return with kare kare to you.
Of course that's a silly example, but I guess that's a little simpler than the explanation Wikipedia gives, haha.
In this case, I am replacing my ISP's DNS setting to that of Google Public DNS.
Here's how to configure your Google Public DNS setting. Be sure to look at your OS and version because each Operation System and version have different settings.
And here's a relatively fun and easy tutorial on how to configure your DNS setting to that of Google's for Windows 7.
Meagan is Well Now!
That fixed it, I just needed a much more unclogged DNS setting and Meagan (my laptop) is working better than good now. You should try Open DNS or Google DNS so you could enjoy much faster and safer browsing! And yes, I could access all the sites now. It wasn't malware after all.
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