# can't connect to my wireless - "unable to contact your DHCP server"



## mcrae (Sep 8, 2007)

Hi guys and gals, 

i live in a student house, and we have a wireless network but my laptop can't connect to it. the lan works fine on my laptop, and my laptop can connect to a few of our neighbours unsecured networks. 3 other laptops in the house have no problem connecting to our wireless, but my laptop wont.

i opened a command prompt and did ipconfig/release then ipconfig/renew and this message came up: An error occurred while renewing interface Wireless Connection : unable to contact your DHCP server. Request has timed out.

when i try to connect to it in the list of available wireless networks, it acquires network address for a while, then says limited or no connectivity. i click repair, and it says " Windows could not finish repairing the problem because the following action cannot be completed: Renewing your IP address. For assistance, contact the person who manages your network." ... and im the most computer literate person we've got


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Please supply the following info, *exact make and models* of the equipment please.

The name of your ISP and country of residence.
Make/model of the broadband modem.
Make/model of the router (if any).
Connection type, wired, wireless.
If wireless, encryption used, (WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc.)
Make/model of network card or wireless adapter.
Make/model of your computer (motherboard if home-built).
Version and patch level of Windows on all affected machines, i.e. XP-Home (or XP-Pro), SP2, Vista, etc.

I'd also like to see this:

Start, Run, CMD to open a command prompt:

Type the following command:

*IPCONFIG /ALL*

Right click in the command window and choose *Select All*, then hit *Enter*.
Paste the results in a message here.

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.

Finally, if you're running Windows Vista, try this fix: Vista Can't obtain IP address from some DHCP Servers


----------



## mcrae (Sep 8, 2007)

Ontario, Canada, Bell
build in router/modem we got from bell.. Siemans Speedstream 6520. part number 050-N652-A31
wireless
not sure of encryption
in device manager under network adapters i have
1394 network adapter
Inter(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
TOSHIBA MSAT010AIV10
XP home SP2 on my laptop

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\mike>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : your-8545fb4e07
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-A0-D1-41-AA-58

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Networ
k Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-02-5D-86-C2
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.31.122
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :


----------



## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"not sure of encryption"

Good chance this is your problem. Disable encryption on the router and get connected. Then re-enable encription (preferably WPA-PSK) and reconnect. If you use WEP use a Hex key, not an ascii passcode that gets translated.


----------



## mcrae (Sep 8, 2007)

i disabled encryption and connected to the net ok.

i then enabled WPA-PSK using TKIP algorithms, and didn't see the option for a hex key, i think its just ascii that gets translanslated. but.. it looks like i can connect ok. thanks, to both of you  i jsut might be back later if we can't get the rest of them on, lol. have a great day guys!


----------



## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Good! WPA uses a passphrase, as you discovered. It's only with WEP that you have to worry about a passcode or a hex key.

If any of the others has an older wireless adapter they may need a driver update to support WPA. If they have a really old one, WPA may not be supported.

If everything works out you can mark this 'solved' using the Thread Tools at the upper right.


----------



## Jimbo73 (Jan 3, 2007)

hello all. i seem to have the same exact problem :/

ipconfig/release is alright

but when i got to ipconfig/renew it gives the me error of not being able to contact the dhcp server.

when i typed 192.168.1.1 into my browser, i get my modem, westell, and not my router, netgear. i know the wireless works as i have another laptop hooked up to it, and it works perfectly. heck, i even have connectivity on the problem computer but nothing that requires the internet works.

so it comes down to - how do i turn off the encryption ? like i said 192.168.1.1 brings me to my modem, not router, and i don't see an option for that there.


----------



## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Jimbo73, whether or not you have the same problem to get help you'll need to start your own thread. Answer all John's questions in your initial post so that he need not repost his post #2 above.


----------

