XP Pro not connecting to external network

  • Thread starter Thread starter T Johnson
  • Start date Start date
T

T Johnson

Today I encountered an XP Pro machine that would not
obtain an external IP address through DHCP no matter
which method of connection I tried. (PCI NIC, USB NIC,
Cable Modem USB drivers) Is there some security protocol
in XP Pro that prevents it from connecting to more than
one specific network? This same computer that could not
get an IP across the WAN could get an IP from and surf
from a router. (192.168.. address)It could not have been
the cable modems in question because they were replaced 3
times and reverified through another laptop as
broadcasting an IP. Also note the IP listed as 0.0.0.0 on
each device at first then eventually switched to a 169...
address.
 
I'm not sure I understand your problem completely, but
I'll give it a shot.

What you're saying is that your machine can't get an IP
address from the DHCP server on the WAN, but when you
connect that same machine to the WAN via a router, it
works just fine?

If that's the case, is there any chance the WAN has a
firewall or managed switch that has MAC filtering enabled?
It could be such a device is only looking for the router's
MAC address, not your direct connection?

If I misunderstand your configuration, please forgive me.
Clarify your infrastructure a bit and we can give it
another shot.
 
This computer is a stand-alone. It 'was' connnected to an
internal network through a router. There is no visible
firewall I can see. I checked that first. It still can go
back to that same or another router with no issues and
work fine across the WAN.

Each cable modem does have mac filtering but they reset
on power-down/up. I tried that method too with the
various NIC's. No response. DHCP from the parent WAN says
there is an IP coming to the box. However, they cannot
see past the box to the effected machine. I plan to check
services today on the theory that somehow DHCP service is
1/2 on in the background of the stand-alone PC. That is
the only thing we have come up with that could be causing
this so far. In theory it shouldnt be causing this
problem but I'm out of ideas.

On both the add-remove programs and checking msconfig I
see no firewalls active.
 
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