Broadband & Internet help

I'm connected to Broadband, but I can't see web pages. What should I do?

If you suspect that you are not connecting to the internet at all, please run through the checks in I Cannot connect to Broadband. What should I do?

If you are connected to the internet, but can't see most web pages, the following steps should fix it:

Enable Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

1. In Internet Explorer, open the Tools menu and choose Internet Options...
2. Click on the Advanced tab. A scroll window is displayed. Scroll down to Security.
3. Select the SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 checkboxes.
4. Close Internet Explorer.

Delete Internet file cache and cookies

1. Choose Settings from the Start menu, then select Control Panel.
2. Double-click Internet Options.
   The Internet Options dialog box is displayed with General tab selected.
3. Click the Delete Files... button.
   The Delete Files dialog box is displayed.
4. Ensure that all check boxes are ticked and click OK.
5. Click OK if you want to go ahead.
   There may be a delay as this operation takes some time to complete.

Important: If you use online banking or are registered online with any other organisations, ensure you have memorised passwords and other personal information as removing cookies will disable the auto-login facility, until your username and password have been re entered.

Ensure that your firewall is configured correctly

If you are able to connect to the Internet using other applications (e.g. Outlook, Messenger, etc.), your firewall software may not have been configured correctly. If you are unsure how to check the configuration of your firewall, contact your firewall supplier's support department.

Check your DNS settings

Domain Name Servers are severs that translate IP addresses into web addresses (URLs). It is much easier to remember the URL 'www.bbc.co.uk' than the IP address '212.58.224.85'.

Computers are usually set to automatically handle these settings, but sometimes they can have problems obtaining the DNS addresses. A quick way to troubleshoot whether this is the problem is to enter an IP address into your address bar on your web browser.

The IP address shown above is for the BBC, so if you are having web problems please try entering this and see if the BBC homepage appears.

If the BBC homepage does appear then it looks like your PC is having problems detecting the DNS settings. The articles linked to below contain advice on setting up DNS manually. Choose your operating system:

Windows XP (SP 3)

Windows Vista

Windows 7

Mac OS