Post your /etc/apt/sources.list

# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper main restricted
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper-updates main restricted
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper-updates main restricted

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'universe'
## repository.
## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security
## team.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper universe multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
# deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper-backports main restricted universe multiverse
# deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper-backports main restricted universe multiverse

# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-security main
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
# deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-security main
# deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-security universe
# deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-security universe

Why wouls your system think the archuve.ubuntu.com has an IP address of 1.0.0.0?
Run "host archive.ubuntu.com" and see what IP address it gives.

How are you connecting to the internet?

im not too sure, i am not home right now and wont be until tomorrow (using an M$ box atm) all i know is its set to connect directly to the internet, i did not have to set any of that up. The computer connects to a switch and then a DLINK router.

The really strange thing is that it worked once... for a little while i got the message saying i could update stuff. When i get home i might try set up the network manually. Is it possible that its something else? The sources list i posted had everything disabled, i did this because i was testing stuff and forgot to renenable some of them. Should it work if i just enable them all?

If your system can't find the correct IP address of archive.ubuntu.com (195.248.90.23|54) then you won't be able to update anything.

So the questions i need to answer now, is why cant it find the right IP address? will it have anything to do with me not manually setting up my network? (placing manual settings such as DNS server etc) or is it a fault in the OS? (which i doubt).

Has anyone heard of this happening before? Like i said im not home, so i cant check very eger to. I'll post when i get home and test it. If anyone can see another fault that may exist please let me know.

Thanks

ok just to let you know problem is solved. Firstly the security repo had to be disabled, for some reason it will not work and stuffs the whole process up if enabled, i will need to look into this. To connect to the proper server i needed to manually set up the network and place my internet DNS.

Thanks for the help