Solved: Just upgraded - can only browse very few sites

I just upgraded my machine to Windows 8 pro. Everything seems to have gone right, except one big problem: I have weird internet connectivity issue:

• Can browse gmail, google news, etc.
• Can go the mail app and send e-mail on my mail app (connected to hotmail) - and it goes through.
• Cannot connect to other sites. Cannot connect to Hotmail on Chrome or IE.
• Cannot go to virtually any sites outside of google.
• Troubleshooting network connectivity says I am connected. I have done ipconfig /release; ipconfig /renew.

I have cleared the cache in Chrome, but that did not help. I am now completely lost. At the surface, it looks like a DNS problem, but not sure. I have other computers connected to the same cable modem through router and this problem is not there.

Any help would be appreciated.

PS: More of the symptoms: The New York Times app seems to be able show me the New York Times, but my Chrome or IE cannot take me to the site. Bing can search, but the search links cannot be opened...