Connect to the Network but cannot get IE7 to go online

[sislvm]

My network consists of a Cradlepoint MBR900 Router with a "Verizon" USB760 modem and the 5GB Broadband plan. I run a Dell 6000 laptop with Win XP SP3 and my wife has a Gateway MT3715 laptop with Win Vista. We also have an HP C8180 on the network using Wireless.

Everything set up easily and flawlessly with the Gateway and Vista, and also with the HP C8180 All In One Printer. But I had  trouble when setting up the Dell with Win XP. All indications were that I could connect to the network, but could not get Internet Explorer 7 to acknowledge the connection and "go online". It drove me nuts for a couple of days until I broke down and checked Cradlepoints Web Site support and found a possible fix.

http://www.cradlepoint.com/knowledge-base/i-can-connect-router-i-am-not-getting-internet

I performed the instructions for Win XP and lo and behold it fixed the problem.

What I would like someone to explain is what and why the parameters changed had been affecting the problem. I hadn't been able to find any IE7 parameters that would fix the problem, as that was where I thought the problem was.

I'm posting this in hopes it will help someone else who may have/or had the same problem, and possibly someone could explain what was causing it.