XP Wireless DHCP Fails

  • Thread starter Thread starter Martin
  • Start date Start date
M

Martin

Hi,

I have a strange problem with an XP Pro SP1 client.

I have a Wireless ADSL Router / Firewall (Draytek Vigor
2600we), which has a 4 port ethernet switch as well as a
wireless access point. I have a desktop machine
connected to one of the router switch ports using
10baseT, this is set to pick up a DHCP address from the
router - which it does correctly.

I also have a laptop running XP Pro SP1, which has a
Draytek Wireless PCcard, as well as a built in ethernet
card (network cable not connected), and Vmware virtual
adapters (disabled). I can detect the wireless access
point/router OK from the laptop and connect (as far as
the wireless lan is concerned), but I cannot obtain a
DHCP address from the router.

The router DHCP table actually indicates that the laptop
has been assigned an IP address, but when I run an
ipconfig / all on the laptop, the Wireless adaptor has no
address, and eventually gets an APIPA address.

It seems that something is going wrong with the DHCP
offer. I have come across MS article: 320229 which
appears to highlight this exact problem - but I already
have XP SP1 applied, and my dhcpsvc.dll is 5.1.2600.1106
(xpsp1.020828-1920) 29/08/2002.

All wireless is 802.11b.

If I manually assign an IP address to the wireless
adaptor on the laptop, then I can ping the router -
showing that it is just the DHCP process that is a
problem.

Any suggestions - could it be an XP bug?

Regards,

Martin.
 
XP bug? Unfortunately not this time. I have the same network using a Dlink
router and wireless AP. I had very similar problems getting my wireless
laptop to get the DHCP from the router. Mine was a combination of incorrect
WEP keys and out of date firmware.

A few things to check.
Make sure you have no firewall running on the laptop. If so, shut it down.
Make sure WEP is disabled (at least until you get things working).
Make sure to have the most recent firmware for the router.
Make sure you have the most recent NIC drivers.
Make sure you use the same workgroup name on all machines.

After you've updated and verified everything, shut the whole mess down and
re-start everything.

Let us know how it goes.
 
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