Somehow Zonealarm got set on “High” for internet security, and I did not know it. This prevented web pages from loading, and it prevented outlook from getting email. The error messages looked exactly like I either had a cable problem, or something with my network card.

Embarrassing to say, I spent half the day troubleshooting, and then took a 20 mile drive to Fry’s for another network card.

Yes, because of a radio box that was set in Zonealarm.

All I had to do was take the basic troubleshooting steps that anyone, even the least tech-savvy should know, and simply remove all resident programs to make sure software was not the cause.

So I got back with the network card, plugged it in, and it is working, but only because zonealarm was accidentally not loaded due to another reason.. i didn’t know it was connected to the problem. I thought the new Network card fixed it.

Upon another reboot, somehow Zonealarm reverted to that High security radio box being set, and dang if the Internet was once again unreachable.

.. does Checkpoint (Zonealarm) do this on purpose when it knows that you’ve been using their free version for many years and not contributed a dime to them?

So really, though, the “Thanks Zonealarm” is moreso a genuine thanks, rather than the sarcasm that probably comes across at first.

This teaches me to the need to be smarter when it comes to eliminating causes that are soooo easy to eliminate (right click on context icon, choose EXit!)

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