# Can't get an IP address from my router



## rara03 (Apr 11, 2007)

I will try and give as many details as possible. I currently have 3 computers (2 desktop and a laptop) in my home. One desktop is connected via a ethernet cable to the router/dsl modem(2wire from SBC Yahoo). The other desktop (the one I am having issues with) is my son's computer which is running windows XP with an Airlink Wirless nic inside. My laptop is an HP (which is having no problems).

I have read several forums and have tried different things to may the desktop see the network. I am using the Micorsoft client to connect to the network. It detects the wireless signal from my router but when I try to connect, it says "acquiring network" and just stays there. I have dhcp enabled on my router. I have tried pinging my router address and that does not work. I opened up a command prompt and did the follwoing:

C:\Documents and Settings\Christian Hill>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : cjhill
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 11:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Airlink101 802.11g Wireless Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 33-33-33-33-33-33
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

C:\Documents and Settings\Christian Hill>


I have tried forcing the ip addresses and when that happens, I connect to the router. But here is the funny part. From my desktop that is wired in, I connect to the router's console. When I check to see if the computer is actually connected to the network, it shows it to be connected via ethernet instead of wireless. It has the connection type listed as "unknown". I have tried pinging the laptop and the desktop that is wired from that other pc and it doesn't work. Maybe less than a month ago, I had a linksys router hooked up instead of the 2wire and I was having the exact identical problem.

The last thing I tried was the command netsh winsock reset catalog. I also ran the command netsh int ip reset reset.log to reset TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. Same results. My laptop connects wireless with no problems. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance.


----------



## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"I have tried forcing the ip addresses and when that happens, I connect to the router."

Meaning that you successfully pinged the router? Or accessed the internet? Why not just stick with a static IP if that's working?


----------



## rara03 (Apr 11, 2007)

The router shows me connected but I can't ping it. The windows client says I am connected but I can't hit a site on the internet. This is what happens even if I give it a static ip.


----------



## alig42 (Apr 4, 2007)

Can you make sure that NIC and computer are using the same SSID

Alig 42


----------



## rara03 (Apr 11, 2007)

Check that too. Both computer and wireless NIC are using the same SSID.


----------



## rbrager (Aug 15, 2006)

TerryNet said:


> "I have tried forcing the ip addresses and when that happens, I connect to the router."
> 
> Meaning that you successfully pinged the router? Or accessed the internet? Why not just stick with a static IP if that's working?


I agree with TerryNet , The IP addresses generated by the DHCP are known only within your local network. A static address here isn't like being assigned a static address by your ISP. I have a similar problem in that my DHCP doesn't want to give a wireless connection an IP address. I thus use a static IP address and everything works great. Just avoid the address range assigned to the DHCP and any other device on your network.


----------



## rara03 (Apr 11, 2007)

Ok. So right now I have DHCP setup. The range is set from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.150. So you are saying I should assign an address outside that range?


----------



## rbrager (Aug 15, 2006)

Yes I would suggest something in the 192.168.1.200 - 254. You can use addresses below 100 but there is a risk of an address conflict.

Also is the wireless adapter in you sons computer a B or a G adapter. Is your wireless router set for B, G, or mixed mode?


----------



## rara03 (Apr 11, 2007)

It's a G adapter. My wireless router is set to b/g mode.


----------



## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

If you cannot ping the router and cannot access the internet you are not really connected. You are connected in the sense that the adapter is using the same channel as the router, but there is no communication. My personal opinion is that it is better to stay with dynamic addresses, because when you use a static it just means you have to ping to find out if you are really communicating.

Maybe a 3rd party firewall is blocking LAN access. Or maybe you have the router set to do MAC address filtering, and blocking yourself by mistake.

If your network is secured, try w/o encrption.


----------



## rara03 (Apr 11, 2007)

I will check to see if by any chance the MAC address filtering in enabled on the router. I tried the static ip again and just like you said TerryNet, I am not really connected although the windows client says I am. 

I turned off the encryption just to give myself a chance. I will try some of your other suggestions and see what happens. Thanks.


----------



## rara03 (Apr 11, 2007)

Ok, I tried a static ip of 192.168.1.232 and that didn't work. To answer rbrager's last reply, my son's wireless adapter is a G adapter. My router is set for B/G mix.

I called SBC Yahoo and sat on the phone with them for about 20 minutes. They couldn't get it to fly so the tech advised me to call Airlink's tech support. I just got off the phone with them after about 15 minutes of trying stuff out and it's still not flying. She advised me to reinstall the drivers and if that didn't work, to give them a call back.

I am curious. That wireless card does not want to make contact with the dhcp server to get an ip address. What would cause this? I have checked to see if there are other firewall programs running. I have re-imaged my son's computer twice so there isn't anything extra on it as far as virus programs are concerned.

Unless anyone has any other suggestions, my next step will be to yank out that wireless nic card and go get another one.....


----------



## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

If the PC has an ethernet port, try connecting it to the router via ethernet. If it gets an IP via Dhcp then you know that you do not have any firewall issue (sometimes a disabled one or one that did not uninstall cleanly and completely can block). For this test you can carry the router to the desktop because you do not need internet.


----------



## rara03 (Apr 11, 2007)

Guys. Just came back from Fry's with a new Wirlesss NIC Card (Netgear). Installed it and loaded the drivers and as Emerald Degassi would say....BAM! I am cooking with Crisco. So let's chalk this up to a bad Wireless NIC card.

TerryNet, I had tried that maybe in the beginning. I had to download all the latest updates to the PC. But thanks anyway. Thanks to everyone else who contributed!!!!


----------

