Desperate: "Unable to contact your DHCP server"

[mJess]

Hi everyone,
Please bear with me and my long post. I am trying to list as much information I can to help you figure the problem out. I have been searching for help on this issue to no avail. I really hope I'll find the solution on this forum. Btw, I'm not a Technical User, I'm a Web Designer but there's no option for that. I'm a newbie for networking. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this post.

Here's the problem:

We have 3 computers at home. We have a linksys router and Comcast is our ISP for cable modem connection.
My computer is the 2nd computer that connects to the Internet. Up until Sept 18, I was connecting to the Net as usual. I did not install any software that day at all. On the 19th, when I came back from work, and turned on my computer, I couldn't connect at all. I have tried the following so far:

- I rebooted many times
- Shut off ZoneAlarm
- Checked other computers and they can connect to the Internet
- Used the same cable from the problem computer to connect my laptop to the Internet and connected fine.
- ipconfig /release then ipconfig /renew. This error message showed: "Windows IP Configuration. An error occurred while renewing interface Network Bridge : unable to contact your DHCP server. Request has timed out"
- Changed TCP/IP settings as follows:
Specify IP address. Typed in 192.168.1.100 then for subnet mask, put 255.255.255.0 , then for default gateway put 192.168.1.1 , and lastly for DNS, I inputted my DNS servers IPs. Since this didn't work, I put them back to "automatically obtain ip" and in the DOS window, did the following:
- I have tried resetting TCP/IP with netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt
- Ran WinsockFix.exe suggested on this thread:

http://www.tek-tips.com/gviewthread.cfm/lev2/5/lev3/60/pid/581/qid/493056

- I disconnected the cable modem then the router. Then reconnected them both, and my computer was able to connect to the Internet. However, the next day, when I turned on my computer, there was no connection available.

Some info:
c:\>ping

http://www.microsoft.com

Ping request could not find host

http://www.microsoft.com.

Please check the name and tr
y again.

And here's the ipconfig /all reading:

c:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : XXX
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Network Bridge:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : MAC Bridge Miniport
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.218.XXX
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

I have X'ed some of the results just in case.


Some specs:

Troubled computer - Win XP HE
Under My Network Places - Properties, there are three items:
Network Bridge
1394 Connection
Local Area Connection

Other computers (working OK)
Laptop - Win XP HE
Main PC - Win 2k

Please help. ISP doesn't want to help. They don't support home networks.
Thanks SO MUCH!

Jess

 

[cadaveca]

direct from comcast tech...(me) the problem is due to your router being not properly configured for dhcp...the dhcp request that goes out from your pc is answered by the router; comcast has no control over this and is why over the phone we do not support home networks. if the router works with other pc's then we know that it is really the pc that is the prob.... i would remove all of your network settings(any protocols other than tcp/ip, and bridges as well as connection listed there in your control panel under network) and run from the command line (start button, run) inetwiz ... select LAN as type of connection when the wizard asks, then when it asks for autmatic configuartion script make sure that the 3 boxes on that page are unchecked click next say no to set up mail acct click next then finish. you can then install netbeui to get you pc to see others in network nieghbourhood and set a static ip in the 192 range(which is automatically given by your router anyway if i am not mistaken) and you should be good to go. if this does not work then the only other possibility is your network driver....unless you have aol dial-up on that pc....

 

[PinitusTeX]

What was the error message that was displayed when you were changing to static IP?

It should work fine.

From your ipconfig dump I can see that the machine failed to get the network setting from the dhcp, now its using a default ip configuration set by the os. I think that's your problem.

 

[bcastner]

The problem is the 1394 bridge.

In Network Connections remove, if there, an "Incoming Connection" item.

Delete the 1394 Bridge.

Run Winsockfix again.

 

[cadaveca]

basically what i said bcastner

 

[mJess]

Thanks, guys! I will try what you have suggested. But I have a few follow up questions before I proceed.

Under My Network Places - Properties (AKA Network Connections), there are three items:
1) Network Bridge
2) 1394 Connection
3) Local Area Connection

Remove the first two then? How do I remove connections in Network Connections? There is no REMOVE or DELETE if I right-click them.

The TCP/IP protocol is found when I right-click Network Bridge though. Not on the other two. Cadaveca suggests not to remove TCP/IP protocol. If I remove Network Bridge, would I be removing TCP/IP protocol?

I'm not very familiar with networking. Any step-by-step would be SO VERY GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks again!

Jess

 

[bcastner]

Remove the first two.

You cannot remove TCP/IP under XP even if you wanted to, it would simply restore the service.

Run the winsockfix.

After the reboot right-click Network Connections, Properties, and set the adapter to "obtain an IP address automaticly." Hit the Advanced button. Under the WINS tab "enable Netbios over TCP/IP" and disable LMHOSTS.

Then Start button, Run, and type CMD

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
exit

You should be back in business.

 

[mJess]

Wow. You guys are THE very best!

No other online forum was able to solve my problem!

Thank YOU!!!

Here's a follow up:

I uninstalled the Network Bridge first.

Upon finishing uinstallation, the system showed a Windows Messenger popup with the following message:

"A newer version is available. You must install the nerwer version in order to continue. Would you like to do this now?"

I said NO many times, but it just kept on coming back. So I finally said Yes.

(Btw, the "What's new button?" showed the following site:

.NET Messenger Service
Minor update. Version 4.7.2009
Released March 24, 2003
etc...
URL:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows.messenger.whatsnew.asp)

Yes, the Internet connection started working INMEDIATELY.

I clicked YES, the system downloaded the file, and installed it. Then it asked me to reboot.

Since the Internet connection works again, I wonder if the other steps are necessary. What do you guys think?

I have a firewire port. Will it work if I remove the 1394 Connection?

Once this is all fixed, I'll keep posting here to fix our network that so far does not see each other's computers.

Thanks again!!!

Jess

 

[bcastner]

The firewire port will work fine. Just:

1. Never run the Network Wizard on the machine;
2. Never let it create a 1394 bridge.

If you are receiving DHCP at this point then there is no necessity to take additional steps.

Your network will begin working when, under TCP/IP Properties, Advanced, WINS tab, you "Enable Netbios over TCP/IP"

 

[cadaveca]

just to reinterate what bcastner said...tcp ip is considered a vital part of the xp os and so can never be removed.. the reason why the bridge was causing the prob was because that would create a backdoor for someone to come into the comcast network and will never work.. that weas the reason you got the messenger popup right after removing the bridge....you actually removed what was preventing you from connecting and hence restored your connection...the bridge doesn't work because the bridge gets assigned a MAC id and when you try to connect to comcast your MAC is what we really see and authorize to use our service... since all MAC id's are global, our system realized that that MAC was a network bidge as no siree bob!

 

[mJess]

Thank you so very much cadaveca and bcastner. You have no idea how frustrating this has been! I'm very glad I found this forum! Thanks again!!!

I'm going to start a new thread to enquire about my home home network.

Hope this thread will be helpful to many others like me.

THUMBS UP!!!

 

[denchi]

Hi, I seem to be having a similar problem as mJess.

At home, I have a linksys router and my laptop used to connect to the internet just fine. Then a couple of days ago, I ran the network setup wizard, and my computer can't connect at all.
So at first I thought it might be my router, so I tried connecting using my school's ethernet, but it still doens't connect.

I've tried running network setup wizard again, but none of those configurations worked.

I've tried running ipconfig /release and /renew, but I get the exact same results as mJess: my machine fails to get a network setting from the dhcp, so windows assigns a default ip configuration.

I also tried manually configuring the IP address and default gateway, but that didn't work either.

I even uninstalled my network adaptor (from device manager) and then let windows redetect/install it.



Under network connections, I only have the Local Area Connection.

My laptop is running windows XP home edition.

Any idea what could be wrong?

Thanks, Dennis

 

[bcastner]

Your Winsock service sounds as if it is corrupted. Try this utility to repair it:

http://members.shaw.ca/techcd/VB_Projects/WinsockFix.zip