fix problem "local only" when connection is across a wireless connection

THANK YOU!!! After nearly TWO DAYS of trying all of these solutions (including the Nortaln removal, ipconfig things, etc), updating my Atheros AR5007 driver absolutely did the trick. If you aren't familiar with how to update your driver, here are some basic steps:

• Here is the direct link for the AR5700 driver. It looks like the 32 & 64 bit versions are the same. I have Vista Home Premium and I chose the 32-bit driver - and it worked. http://www.atheros.cz/atheros-wireless-download.php?chipset=21&system=3
• Get the driver files onto your problematic laptop (for me, I was able to connect the laptop to my router via a network cable and get a connection to download the drivers. For others, you might have to get the driver files on a different pc and put them on a thumb drive to get them to your laptop)
• Go to "control panel" -> "device manager"
• Expand the "Network adapters" and right-click on your "Atheros ARxxxx wifi adapter", then choose "update driver software".
• Choose "browse my computer for driver software" and then use the browse feature to locate the driver files you saved to your laptop from the first step above. The updating took a bit longer than I expected (5 mins or so probably/).
• After I updated the driver, I then rebooted for good measure and unplugged my network cable before the laptop came back up. NOTE: My laptop STILL said "local connection" for a while even after it started working. It took several minutes for that to change to "...and internet".

Good luck!

I just had my IT people look at my personal laptop and they were able to fix it.  I have a 2-3 year old Dell Inspiron 1525.

It turns out that the reason you can only get a "local only" connection is due to a virus!  The way the virus works is that it fills in the "port" information which restricts your access to the internet.  It basically puts a roadblock up.

The way to remove it has nothing to do with removing Norton Anti-Virus etc. because these are only temporary solutions.

This is the way you do it:

(1) Open up your web browser,

(2) Go to "tools"

(3) Go to "connections"

(4) Go to "LAN settings"

(5) Make sure that the "Automatically detect settings" and "use a proxy server for your LAN" are checked.  None of the others should be clicked.

(6) Hit "advanced"

(7) this is the big one - all the boxes should be empty.  The virus inserted language in my "HTTP" box and the "Port" box.  The IT people deleted this out and that was it!

If your boxes are already empty, sorry, I can't help.

This worked for me and hopefully it will work for you.  By the way, my IT people said that if you delete out your Norton or other virus/malware or other protection, this will only cause more harm than good.  Even if it temporarily helps.

Let me know if this works for you.

The updating of my Atheros 5700 driver WORKED!!!

I agree with all bushwacked said but I want to add that the Atheros web site is not very user friendly and it is very easy to click on ads and "spyware" ourchases.

My atheros version was updated to 9.1.0.328

Yeah!!!

my laptop no showing any wifi sign