This error has been driving me crazy. I got it when trying to connect to certain WiFi's, but not all. Surfing the web gave various solutions, none of which worked. I eventually cracked it by accident, so I'm posting it in the hope I might prevent someone else from going insane. It is far too late for me.
Sony bundles all sorts of clever programs on its laptops. It's mostly concerned with multi-media, but one of them concerns us - VAIO Control Center (sic). So go to start/"All Programs" and select it. Now select "Network Connections", then "VAIO Smart Network".
Here be Dragons.
VAIO Smart Network creates "profiles". Click on "Advanced", recognise that stupid dialogue displayed at start-up? Click "Settings" (bet you never thought of going there).
Now select "Profile Settings" from the left panel. Yes, I know this navigation is tortuous, but we are nearly there. From here you can edit one of your profiles, or create a new one. When a new profile is created from the desktop dialogue when it first connects, it defaults everything to the previous settings. It was carrying over a DNS setting I had from another connection, and that was preventing me from connecting. Select the "IP and DNS" tab and ensure that "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS server address automatically" are both selected (it was the later which screwed me).
The profile is selected by the name of the network. One thing that Sony engineers did not take into account in their design is a name collision. That is, two distinctly different networks having the same name. Many of our training centres have WiFi's, and they all are named the same, however they have different DNS addresses. That allowed me to connect to one training centre successfully, but then fail at all the others because the profile remembered the DNS address from the previous site. Going through the Microsoft Windows network settings did not detect where this was being held, because Sony were causing the problem not Microsoft (for once).
Hope this helps.
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32 comments:
Oh how I hate all the "value added" crap that pc vendors load on new machines. Maybe they're trying to make it easier for people, but their solutions are no more user-friendly than what got shipped with the operating system and sometimes even gets in the way, obscuring any efforts to troubleshoot. The first thing I always do is disable or remove all of it.
Thank you so much, i had tried every fix out there, I need to remove all this sony crap now
cheers
EUREKA. Thanks for your erudite suggestion of putting IP and DNS on automatic. After two days of losing a thousand strand of my hair, your solution did it. I salute you and thank you very much indeed.
Man, you made my day! I looked around on the internet, and all i found was this 'Bonjour' Apple crap. Well i disabled that about a million times! now i can get back to work. love you so much!
You legend! never would have found this by myself, it was lucky you arrived at the start of my google searching before i started reinstalling drivers!
Never said this to someone I don't know before; I love you so much. Been trying to fix this problem for months. Gave up on using this notebook since then. But thank God this post existed.
I was pretty much about to give up on trying to get this annoying issue fixed on my VAIO, Sony should be ashamed of themselves for not providing a fix or any help on the matter. However now that I found your blog finally my wifi now works elsewhere than just in my own home! Seriously I can't thank you enough, you are truly a legend. Thanks so much for so easily and clearly explaining how to fix this. I've been looking for a fix for over a year (tried tons of stuff and nothing worked) and losing my hair over it but now thanks to you my VAIO is actually a useful laptop instead of an overpriced paperweight. The ridiculous thing is that VAIO support wasn't able to help me get this fixed, you are more knowledgeable than they are about their own software!
You are a lifesaver! Best Buy had no idea what to do nor did any of the other Internet posts I read. Everyone was blaming the Wifi providers at the local cafe's because I could connect at corporate establishments but not small private ones. Thank you!
Wow! I honestly did not think anyone would read this. I guess for every comment posted there must have been several who did not bother.
You are all very welcome, even if you did not post a comment.
To those who commented, thank-you. You have made an old cynic feel less old and less cynical! Maybe this internet thingy is actually quite useful sometimes...
THANK YOU! you saved my life! I LOVE YOU!!
I love you so much, I have being trying to connect to the Internet for days now, and finally someone with a bit of sence has showed me the way. :D
just to add my thanks - this really had me puzzled - firewall? different browser?, virus?
Why do they design these things in such a poor way.
thank you for your solution! :)
Awesome thank you, ive spent almost a weeks worth of evenings trying to solve this bloody problem. Stupid software not required!!!
Awesome, much Karma to you!
Hi! I was searching for solutions to this problem while in starbucks trying to study for exams. I understand the internet can be slow because i am in a public place but this "no internet connection" has happened to me in my own home as well. Before doing what you have discovered, am i better off doing this in my home as opposed to a public network?
I did it and it didn`t work yet :(
i dont know what to do anymore...
I`m pissed off this sony vaio
I created the profile and follow all the steps... and it still saying "no network access"
I am starting to think that something in one of the latest windows updates (january 2012) might not be compatible with some vaios... i was having a similar problem, (like above person) but i think it may be a driver issue. BUT i couldn't get on the internet so i couldn't even check if there was an update available. just did a system restore to january 6th (4 days ago) and it now connects to the internet. not a long-term solution, but helps to get back online to figure out the long-term solution :)
Sorry to hear that. The most obvious question now is, have you ever had internet access, or did it suddenly change?
If you have never been able to access the internet, then take it back to your supplier.
Try this if the fix in the post did not work for you:
1. From the task bar click on the WiFi icon (The signal bars).
2. Next make sure you are connected to your WiFi network.
3. Under Wireless Network Connection Right Click your WiFi connection and hit Status.
4. On the window that appears under Activity, click Diagnose.
5. Windows will begin its diagnoses and will detect that DHCP is disabled for Wireless Network Connections.
6. It will then offer to Fix the problem, accept its offer by selecting Repair/Fix.
7. Windows will Enable DHCP for Wireless Network Connections and Voila! you are now set to use Internet over WiFi.
PS: Thanks for suggesting this fix, but unfortunately it did not work for me but instead made me focus my thoughts in the right direction.
I was unable to select Advanced in Vaio Smart Network, I ended up figuring another way to fix things.
Cheers,
Filio
can any one please help me out I cant find any dialogue box when go advanced setting on vaio smart network. Its driving me crazy with no internet access!!!
shilpareddy: what do you see when you go to the advanced setting? Maybe you are confused by the phrase "dialogue box", it means an interactive window with controls on it.
I can not get to advanced but the VAIO manager did connect me but what a PITA
Hi!
I have a new Sony Vaio with Windows 7 and I have no internet access.
I have checked Clive's suggestions, but the selections "Obtain an IP and DNS server adress automatically" were already selected by default in my settings.
I have checked Filio's suggestions but DHCP was already enabled by default.
When I started the computer by the first time (after buying it), I had internet access. I believe this problem appeared after installing Vaio Update 5. I have however restored the system to the point prior to the installation of Vaio Update 5 but the problem persists.
Any hints on how to fix this problem...?
Really frustrating...
Cheers,
sonia
Sonia,
I expect the Vaio setup has altered in the two years since I last looked at it - maybe I should say "I hope it has". Sad to say that my Vaio has not lasted - the screen gave up on me after less than two years. The stock answer is to talk with Sony about your issue, but I have found their after-sales service non-existent, they just do not reply. I hope you have better luck.
To be fair to them though, there are all sorts of other changes going on in a Windows system all the time. Personally I stopped installing the Sony updates when I found their products intrusive.
Thank you thank you thank you!
Thanks a million! My notebook was driving me nuts, read your blog & did a little digging and sure enough the DNS was locked onto a previous address - crazy eh?!Switched it to automatic and problem solved. I don't usually bother leaving comments etc but you deserve kudos for this, thank you.
Thank you very much for this post, this is the answer of my laptop's problem. I've been searching from the web and no one got the best solution..
Oh! I am finding a solution from many days to get read of from such a hard problem.Now i am felling very well to get this solution.
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Thanks a lot! My notebook was driving me crazy read your blog & did a little digging and sure enough the DNS was locked onto another address?!Switched it to automatic and problem solved.PRINCE2 Training
Thanks a lot ......not so many of advises work. Yours is really working, great help....
Dear all,
Is this blog still open, please. My four year old Vaio is driving me nuts.. Please help..
Ash
this is the only thing that works for me!!! thank a lot!!!!
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