Dynamic name server. It translates website names into IP numbers.

Try to ping Rapidshare.

Start/Run, type cmd. Press return, then type

ping www.rapidshare.de

If you get a reply DNS works.

Roger Gizzmoe...

I recieved "request timed out" four times

4 data packets sent

100 percent packet loss.

Maybe there´s a temporary US->EU routing problem. You should call your provider.

Please try to access some other German websites:
www.heise.de
www.hardwareschotte.de
www.pcstore.de
www.spiegel.de

Have you already tried some other US sites except Subsim?

:hmm:
I was able to access all of those sites with no problem.

Does this set of circumstances suggest I have a hardware problem?

Diagnostics say everything is running properly.

Thanks for all your help Gizzmoe.

I will come back after awhile and attack this from a different angle.

:hmm:

Maybe IE is somehow broken? Try it with Firefox or Opera... Also deactivate XP´s internal firewall or any other SW firewall. Remove the proxy from IE if it´s not required by your provider.

Format C: :P
If you have time, you may consider doing that. It may even solve some other problems (if you had them). :ping:

REFORMATTING THE HD!?!

I hope you are kidding.

Holy smokes.

Kidding? Well, actually I was kidding :lol: , but you better find how to solve the problem before not being able to enter here to make more questions. :P :P :P

Cheers :rock:

Format C: is a "all fix medicine" :rotfl:
But it takes a week-end to restore everything :rotfl:

Actually I probably have to do it myself, but for another reason :damn:

Roger that... lol it is why I am so frantic at the moment... and typically I don't get frantic.

Sheesh, I'm glad you were kidding. :)

Okay, this is wierd...

Now I can access Terrapin's site... but still not Rapidshare.

I need a freaking nap now. :doh:

I don't know if this is relevant...

For some of the users with graphics added to their signatures... now I get little red "X's" instead...

Any idea why?

As I wrote, try it with a different browser and use no proxy.

Many of those signatures are hosted on Imageshack.us, a site that your system seemingly also cannot access.

Yep... but I don't know if I would still be kidding if I had a system diagnosis in situ. :P

Anyway, format is just the last thing, when everything else failed to work. :D

:oops: Regarding using different browsers... I am ashamed to say I don't know how to do that. I have heard of Foxfire and Opera... but that is all. :oops:

Sorry to trouble you so Gizzmoe.