Stubborn Network Settings...

[@---@]

Hi, my dad brought his laptop (OS=XP-Pro) home so he could do some work at the house through a vpn up at the office. We got it to work about a month ago, but since then we've not been able to. The IT guy suggest we try to plug right into the cable modem and not through the router that has a firewall in it. I got my dad to tell him that we had done it through the router with no problems before but he would like us to try it anyway.

New problem though, no matter what we do we can't get the internet settings correct for his laptop. I tried ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew. I tried going into Network Connections and hitting repair. I also tried unplugging the cable modem from the wall to see if it was just holding on to some old settings or something. I also tried rebooting multiple times. Nothing worked. However, when I tried the same thing on the computer in my room and my sisters room, I was able to get on the net after just doing a simple ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew.

What could be the problem, why is this laptop being so stubborn? What else can I try? Is it possible the IT guy has put some settings voodoo on this laptop in the registry or something? I don't get it!

Any help would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[MrLinus]

Are you sure it's using DHCP and not a static address? If you Right Click on Network Connections , select Properties and then right click on the network option in question (possibly called Local Area Connections) and select Properties . Scroll down to TCP/IP and select Properties . See if it's static or if it's "Obtain IP Address automatically"

[@---@]

Yes, it was set to Obtain IP Address automatically when I looked at it.

Speaking of which, after all my best attempts failed I even tried to plug in the manual/static settings by using the info from ipconfig /all on my computer. I could see that it was about to work because the little network icon was flashing (and had not before and it also told my I was "now connected") but right at the end it kept saying unable to clear the arp cache when I hit repair (had to hit repair cause I still couldn't connect to google at that point).

[MrLinus]

Have you done an ipconfig /all to see what it is, if anything, pulling down from the DHCP server?

[@---@]

Yes, but I have forgotten what it had in there.

I'm going to go do it again real quick and write it all down. This will take me a few minutes. :P See you in a bit! Hehehe.....

Thanks for the quick responses btw.

[MrLinus]

General rule of thumb for troubleshooting network connections would be:

1. ping 127.0.0.1
2. ping localhost (ensures host file works/host can find itself)
3. ping local host ip (ensures tcp/ip is bound/host can find itself)
4. ping gateway associated with localhost (ensures routing/mask is ok)
5. ping external numeric IP (ensures routing is ok)
6. ping external FQDN (ensures DNS is ok)

[@---@]

Ok, here's what was there:

Windows IP Configuration:

Host Name:.................................... bobspc
Primary Dns Suffix:......................... bobspc.2004serv.company.org
Node Type:..................................... Unknown
Ip Routing:...................................... yes
Wins proxy Enabled:....................... yes

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connections:

Connection-specific Dns Suffix:...........
Description:........................................ intel.something.adapter
Physical address:............................... 02-66-33-90
Dhcp Enabled:.....................................yes
Autoconfig Enabled:.............................yes
Auto config ip address:........................149.200.114.107
Subnet mask:.......................................255.255.0.0
Default gateway:...................................

I'm now going to go do what you just posted.

[MrLinus]

Is that your IP address range listed or is that the work one? Definately missing a gateway. Perhaps try a static IP for giggles that matches what you have at home? You said it's XP Pro. All service packs? Is there something else installed like Senforce or Group Policies that might be preventing it from switching IP address?

[@---@]

Nope, the one here at the house starts with a 2x.xxx.xx.x. Although after failing to get on the net without the router on his laptop I had did see that same address on my box... sort of an in-between getting set up correctly address or something? I'm not sure. It went away after I got things set up correct and all.

Yes it's pro with all services packs and what not. I'm not sure about the Senforce or Group Policies thing but I'll look and see what I can find.


One more thing though, on my box these two are set to no right now:

Ip Routing:...................................... no
Wins proxy Enabled:....................... no

Is that because I'm on the router right now or will this not matter for what we're trying to accomplish?

[MrLinus]

IP Routing will only apply if the laptop is used as a router and Wins Proxy only applies if it's being used a Win Proxy (both of which I suspect it isn't).

the one here at the house starts with a 2x.xxx.xx.x.

Sounds like the IPs your ISP gives you. Are you sure you haven't reached the limit you're allowed? (usually they give one and any additionally IPs require extra cost). You can easy this by putting a router behind the modem provided by the ISP and using private addressing. The router will obtain an address from the ISP and will use DHCP to give out a private address (usually from the 192.168.x.x family). This can mean you can have almost any number if computers connected but the ISP will only see it as one IP address.

e.g.

**Internet** <--->*ISP Provided Router/modem*<-->*your internal router/dhcp server*<--->*all your home machines*