Laptop is not getting correct IP assigned

  • Thread starter Thread starter DiamMom
  • Start date Start date
D

DiamMom

I posted this earlier, but am not having a lot of luck
with the suggestions. Laptop is connected to desktop via
hub/ethernet connection. It is set up correctly. Laptop
accesses internet through desktop modem - shared
connection. Some days the IP address is good, others it
gets 169.254.0.0 with subnet mask 255.255.0.0. Sometimes
redoing the network through wizard works. But, I don't
think I should have to redo a network every other day.
When checking ipconfig on the laptop when it IS working,
I get a lease obtained and lease expired date. What is
this and what does it have to do with my network setup?
I thought earlier that this IP problem had to do with the
laptop going away and coming back home, but it has stayed
connected for 8 days and on the 6th day, the network no
longer worked. Didn't change a thing. SO, any ideas???
When I set up the network, I let the wizard do it all. I
don't do any manual settings. It is a simple set up...
desktop - laptop sharing 2 printers and internet
connection. Do I need a patch from Microsoft. I think I
have downloaded all imaginable updates unless one is
hidden out there somewhere.
 
I should also add that the desktop has XP professional
and the laptop has XP Home. I understand this is an
issue with 2000, but what about XP?
 
so you have a laptop and one desktop PC connected to a hub.

Do you have a router or any other sort of device which provides limited
services capabilities like DHCP (e.g. Linksys, DLINK etc)
 
When you take the laptop away and use it with its own modem, it will get
it's own IP address from the connection it makes with the ISP. That IP will
have a lease on it hence may persist when you return home.
When you re-attach the laptop to your home LAN, tell it it's back to being a
client of ICS and that the gateway is the desktop PC ie you should run the
Internet connection wizard when you reattach to the LAN.
If you check your ipconfig /all when you have problems it may be evident
where the problem lies
1) 169.254.x.x IP address indicates your PC looked for a DHCP server but
couldnt find one (a new feature in XP, older OSs would keep the 0.0.0.0
address).
2) 0.0.0.0 shows it didnt perform a search for a dhcp server
3) Old IP address from linking to phone line away from home, shows it needs
refreshing.
In any case try ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew from the
command prompt. I always release before attempting to renew as "ipconfig
/renew" alone often wont work properly.
 
Thanks for the tip on ipconfig /renew. Today the laptop
did not connect to the network. It did not connect with
any other internet connection since last on the home
network. It has gotten the 169.254.x.x IP address
again. Tried the tip you gave about ipconfig /release
and /renew. It times out and cannot find a Dhcp server.
Tried rebooting. Still the same. Tried rebooting both
computers, still the same situation. This is a very
frustrating feature that XP has given us. If the laptop
connects one day, one would think it would connect the
next day. What is this Dhcp it is looking for and how do
I correct the problem? I am overseas and cannot run to
the local book store and get the latest publication on XP
networking... this was suppose to be simple
Microsoft!!!!!!!!!
 
How are you connected to the internet? Do you have a modem/router (e.g.
Linksys, D-LINK) device that your connected to?

more details would be useful.
 
The connection is hard wire ethernet/hub. All that is
working fine. I don't change anything on it. It works
one day and then the next it doesn't. Today the laptop
is not connecting. It is getting the 169.254.x.x IP
address again. The other day it did this and about half
way through the day it connected and worked... go
figure. I tried the ipconfig /renew and it was unable to
connect...'unable to find the Dhcp server' was the
error. We boot everything up in the same order
everyday. WHY DOES IT WORK ONE DAY AND NOT THE
NEXT???? HELP ME MICROSOFT!!!
 
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