Vista - My university's tech support won't help solve proxy error

Basically, I have two computers. One has Mandriva Linux on it (desktop) and the other has Windows 7 (notebook). The desktop can connect to the internet no problem. There is nothing to configure except for the initial username and password login. When I try to use the notebook, Windows 7 gives me a "Windows cannot detect proxy" error, which doesn't make sense. My university's internet doesn't require a proxy. It's a simple login page and that's it.

I went to the tech guy and he told me verbatim, "I don't know. Just use the computer that works." What? Yeah, what wonderful advice. He said maybe the computers were trying to share MAC addresses. That's the only help he gave.

Here's the kicker: I did have the notebook dual-booting Windows 7 and Mandriva. Mandriva always worked with the net. It's 7 that has issues. Vista did the same thing. I've turned off the firewall, virus-scanner and everything. It still can't pick up the net. The only page I can access is my university's homepage. I know it's their server because I went to work and a friends house where both the wireless and ethernet connections were flawless.

Any ideas?

Not very good with this stuff, but are you having issues only at your university?

CPM

have you looked at your nic properties to see if there is anything in proxy?

Ken

Well, just the entire dorm. I can go to other places around campus and it works fine.

Okay, for TCP/IPv4 my settings are just like yours. However, TCP/IPv4 my IP settings say "Automatic configuration only" instead of "DHCP Enabled."

If you look at someone else machine that works you probably need to have dhcp, and dns working in that kind of environment. I would enable it and reboot.

I know this is probably an ignorant question, but how I enable it? I don't see an option anywhere. When I click "add," "edit" or "remove" it's grayed out.

CPM

no such thing as a stupid question. lets see if we can go at this in another way. can you make snips (using the built in snipping tool) of the network control panel, and type
start>search>cmd>ipconfig /all . make a screen shot of this output and the control panel

thanks

ken

Sure.

Cpanel looks fine ipconfig looks like its in hybrid mode and using IPv6. do you have IPv6 enabled in networking?

Do you mean is it selected under networking properties? If so, then yes. This situation is so bizarre.