Windows update error 80072EE2

[#1]

Can anyone help with this please?
I just transferred from BT to Plusnet. Everything is working apart from my PC on windows 7,connected  by wifi, which gives the error shown in the title for windows update. It also fails trying to update Microsoft security essentials with the code 0x80072ee2, which is the same error. The error message says 'your internet connection has timed out. Please connect to the internet and try again'. But it hasn't 'timed out', as everything else works, browsers, updates to chrome/firefox. I went through the Microsoft problem resolution, things like restarting windows update on services.msc. I moved the PC down near the router in case it was the distance, same problem. I connected the PC to the router with ethernet cable, it worked properly.
I also have a netbook running windows 7, does updates fine. When I was with BT this PC did updates OK over wifi. I'm using technicolor router.
It seems to be a mysterious problem - I noticed one of the MS forum comments on it said "it's the sort of thing which will sort itself out eventually"!

[#2]

Hi grangeroyston,
Welcome to Plusnet and to the community site
The error message you are receiving seems to suggest an issue with the security package your laptop is using.
Do you have any additional security software on this laptop that the notebook doesn't have?  Has anything changed with your security settings since you moved over to us?  It may be worth checking the settings of your anti virus/firewall to make sure nothing has been changed from the standard windows security settings.
Thanks

[#3]

Thanks.
No, there are no special anti-virus programs. I've seen things in the MS diagnostics for the problem suggesting the firewall is the standard one, allowing various MS addresses through, and it is, I've not touched it. I don't know how to check the router firewall, but it would seem that as the PC managed to do the updates when connected to Plusnet via ethernet, there wouldn't be a problem. And the netbook has been able to do them over wifi. It sounds like a very obscure problem...

[#4]

This may be an obvious question, & one that you might have already tried
Have you tried updating the affected Laptop PC over an Ethernet / Wired connection
Have it got that latest service packs etc prior to your move from BT

[#5]

Try, updating MSE manually:
http://support2.microsoft.com/kb/971606

[#6]

I thought I recognised the error code
[quote= http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-update-error-80072ee2#1TC=windows-7]Windows Update error 80072ee2 Windows 7
If you receive Windows Update error 80072ee2 while checking for updates, the Windows Update servers might be experiencing an unusually high number of requests for updates. Close Windows Update, wait 10 to 15 minutes, and then run Windows Update again. You can also wait for Windows Update to run at its next scheduled time.
The Windows Update Troubleshooter is available that fixes some problems with Windows Update, and it might resolve this error for you.
If that didn't work, try the following steps.
To add the Windows Update websites to a firewall exceptions list
Windows Firewall ships with this version of Windows and should already include these sites in the exceptions list. If you use a different firewall, refer to the software publisher's help to see how to add these websites to your firewall exceptions list:
http://*.update.microsoft.com
https://*.update.microsoft.com
http://download.windowsupdate.com
For more information on firewalls, see What is a firewall? or Understanding Windows Firewall settings.
If you continue to see this error, go to the Microsoft Answers website for more assistance.
Error codes this applies to:
WindowsUpdate_80072ee2
0x80072ee2

[#7]

Thanks for the replies...
1. Yes, I managed to get it to work by plugging in an ethernet cable.
2. I tried the manual update for MSE and it worked. The 'normal' MSE download and windows update still failed afterwards when I tried them to see if it had magically fixed it.
3. I don't understand how to check or update the windows firewall. It glibly says you should check windows update is allowed but doesn't tell you how. All I can see in the advanced setting for the firewall is stuff like 'inbound rules' with things like 'windows live communications platform' - nothing labelled 'windows update'. But be that as it may - does the firewall work with an ethernet connection? If it does, and I've managed to update the PC using ethernet, then presumably the firewall is OK. Also, the netbook uses windows 7 and updates over wifi.

[#8]

what plusnet package are you on?
MSE isn't up to much in terms of protection and the windows firewall isn't exactly user-friendly, if your using decent hardware and on the unlimited internet package it might be worth your while using the free MacAfee protect software, which has a much more user friendly firewall and offers better protection than MSE does 

[#9]

There has been a lot of problems just lately with MSE not  updating after a win update , 

[#10]

Thanks for your replies rongtw & nanotm. I suppose it's the windows update I'm more worried about than MSE. Someone in the above replies told me how to download the MSE update on its own, and it works. As for the windows update, I'm going to buy 10m of ethernet cable, and wire the PC up once a month to do the windows updates.

[#11]

I just changed the router back to the BT home hub, all working now. And I've got 10m of ethernet cable just in case.