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Thread ID: 126211	2012-08-14 02:44:00	Firefox, Chrome stop working, IE9 is fine	argus (366)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1294614	2012-08-14 02:44:00	A transitory problem, but I'd be interested in a suggested explanation. I was using my netbook (HP mini 110) with Wellington's CBD WiFi (in the Central Library). Suddenly neither Firefox nor Chrome would work; both said "could not access site", or words to that effect, with anything I tried to get to (I was initially trying out the Pandora music site for a friend who can't get it to work on her XP laptop: my desktop is Windows 7/Ubuntu, so that wasn;t a fair test). IE was fine, so it wasn't a connection problem - (ironically, though, Pandora doesn't work well with IE9; it's a "known issue" according to their FAQ - to do with Flash). But I was suddenly getting a "cannot access" message from any site. Surely the much-vaunted free CBD WiFi doesn't refuse to work with Firefox or Chrome? More puzzling; when I got the netbook back home, I naturally immediately fired up Firefox and Chrome and they both still had the same problem. Again, IE worked fine; but in any case rebooted the router, then transferred an Ethernet cable connection from my desk-resident "laptop" to the netbook. No joy! Cursed a possible virus-peddler cruising the CBD WiFi - it sounds rather conspiracy-theorist but there was an unshaven grubby character lounging on the bench nearby in the library and he had a cellphone plugged into a cylindrical silver device, about the size of a large battery. Maybe he was setting up a false WiFi access point. Ran a virus check (Norton Internet Security) overnight; it found nothing but a few tracking cookies - but in the morning, all browsers ran fine - even got Pandora to work under XP through wireless alone. I'm hoping they stay that way. Any suggestions as to what went wrong? PS: told friend, who uses IE for everything, to try Pandora through another browser. Hope it works.	argus (366)
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