Dell Update never connects

Hello,

Having Dell Update problem here with Windows 8.1, Dell Inspiron 15 (3521) laptop.  Have uninstalled/ reinstalled several versions of Dell Update from the Dell website, stopped/started Dell Update Service, went into firewall and created an exception to allow Dell Update through the firewall - nothing helps!   The Dell Update Tray icon just sits in the tray and shows "connecting..." constantly.  Every other program and app can connect to the internet.  Right click on the icon and "Enable Auto-check" is grayed out and has a check mark in it. Also, "Check for Updates" is grayed out.  Strangely, I have another identical laptop and Dell Update works perfectly on it!