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Firefox "can't establish a connection" to any websites sporadically.


AyaJulia

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Hello,

I'm hesitant to put this here, since on first glance it wouldn't appear to even be a uTorrent issue, but it only happens when I'm using uTorrent, so I can only assume uTorrent is at fault. ^^;; Here's my problem:

There's no rhyme or reason whatsoever to when this happens, but occasionally while I'm running uTorrent, firefox will just throw a hissy fit like a 4-year-old, sit down on the floor, cross its arms at me, and grump out into "NO! I DON'T WANNA!"--That is, it will toss out an error message at me for every website, no matter what website it is: "Firefox can't establish a connection to the server." And so on and so forth, telling me that even though it seems to be a valid site, it just can't connect right now, and perhaps there's something wrong with the connection, perhaps I might try again later? Ever since Firefox went user-friendly forever ago and banished error numbers into the nether, I've lost track of them; I think this is user-friendly-speak for 403.

Facts you might need to know:

-Running Windows Vista (ew I know, but there are no XP drivers for my laptop's video card. :[ )

-I'm connecting to the internet through a wireless router--a D-Link specifically, if there are any known issues with certain models or anything--and uTorrent's port is properly forwarded. No other ports have been messed with, so as much as this sounds like it could be a port 80 problem, I dunno about that. (Edited to add: I scanned through the bits in the FAQ about routers and incompatible software, and my particular model is not listed as one with any known issues.)

-Other programs that involve the internet, such as uTorrent, MSN messenger, or any number of MMOs like WoW/FFXI/Guild Wars, still work fantastically. It's only webpages that throw a hissy fit.

-Other computers on my home network continue to function perfectly with regard to webpages.

-Restarting Firefox does NOT solve the problem.

-Restarting Windows DOES solve the problem.

-I haven't got around to testing any site that isn't on port 80.

-I haven't tested a disable/re-enable on the adapter.

-I haven't tested to see whether Internet Explo(d)er works when Firefox craps out.

-I CAN wait this problem out; Firefox WILL eventually start working again, although I'm not sure how long it takes. The one time it fixed itself, I gave up after a few HOURS of the only thing I was allowed to do being play games, and I left the laptop running all night to finish my download, saying I'd restart in the morning if it was still screwed. When I woke up, it was ok.

-I can only assume that it's the entire intarwebz that's b0rked, as I haven't tried EVERYTHING; however, given the variety in my list of most-often-visited sites, I think it's a fair assumption.

-I can't immediately test any potential fixes you guys give me, since I have no idea when this problem will strike. However, I'd appreciate any suggestions or pointers, especially if this is a known issue, and will commandeer my husband's laptop if it screws up again so that I can test everyone's ideas. :)

Thanks in advance.

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I have this exact same problem all the time. My solution was to reduce my upload speed. It was set at 2mb/s (I get 1.5b/s) when I reduced it 1mb/s all is fine, although it is laggy. You may need to do the same with the download speed as well. It seems uTorrent hogs all the bandwidth and causes the websites to timeout all the time.

Hope this helps

-=Mark=-

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