please help

I am having problems connecting my laptop to my network. I went to bed last night and it was working woke up and now it is not working. The problem i found is that i have the wrong IP address. I am using a linksys router so the ip should be 192.168.1.XXX but it is 169.xxx.x.x(something like that). Another interesting fact is that my physical address seems to have changed, i assume that is the same as the MAC address which i thought could not be changed? I have tried all the ipconfig commands, release, renew, ext...but keep coming up with that 169. ip. I have also checked all the settings in the network connection and they all seem to be correct. I am all out of ideas...

It sounds like you're just not getting a new ip address from the DHCP on the router.

Its it a wireless network card? Of so, do you use MAC filtering? If so, then that could be why.
It is possible to change the MAC of most wireless cards. How or why it changed... I don't know. You can also change it back. You have to do that in the properties of the NIC adapter in network places.

You could also assign an IP manually (static).
right click on network places, goto properties, choose connection, right click, properties, fill in the blanks. if you're using the xp default setup, you won't see this icon on your desktop and will need to go into the control panel.

Just make sure to include all the info.
ip, subnet mask, gateway, dns servers

ip address 192.168.1.2 (make sure it is different from the other PCs on your network)
subnet mask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.1.1 (default for linksys, I think)

You will also have to fill in the DNS addresses too... so get them from your router or from another host.

the 169.x.x.x is microsofts default ip address. that is what you have before you assign one statically or dynamically.

i have already tried that and it is not letting me get anywhere. I cant even get on the router. I was thinking that maybe it has something to do with a certificate or my MAC/Physical Address. I dont know if there is a way to change the MAC/Physical address or not, cause i have my old address written down. But any help would be greatly appreciated thanks

More info needed:

OS and make/model of network adapter.

Are you using wireless?

Did you try to assign it manually?

I am using windows XP, and i Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC #2. The funny thing is i dont remember it being NIC #2. But it is and my MAC address is changed. Everyone else on the network is fine but me. No i am not using wireless and yes i did try to apply it manualy but it still didnt connect. Is there a way to change back to my old MAC address if i know what it is? thanks

Are you sure that you don't have a second nic?

Why not just go into your hardware config and remove it. Reboot and let it reconfig it by default?

Try that. It might be a driver issue. You may also want to get the latest driver for that NIC.

If it isn't a wireless nic, then don't worry about the MAC. I was just asking if it was beacuse wireless routers let you filter by MAC which could be why you wern't getting the IP address.

Yeah it is not a wireless network, it is wired...i dont have a second wire nic, i have a wireless nic but i dont use it, it is not even hooked up anymore....i already d/l'ed the latest driver it did not work either....i will try to deleate the card and let the comp. reinstall it.