NIC Card Won't Recognize/Receive Network IP

[kanin247]

To Whom It May Concern:

BACKGROUND
I am setting up my network at home with the following:
- Efficient Networks 4-Port DSL Router (2614)
- Desktop1 Running Win2K
- Desktop2 Running WinXP
- Laptop1 Running Win2K

CONNECTION SETUP
- DSL Modem to Router
- Router to Desktop1, Desktop2, Laptop1

PROBLEM
- Desktop1 (Win2K) and Laptop1 (Win2K) connect to router and receive an IP address from the Router (192.168.254.x)
- Desktop2 (WinXP) connects to router and DOES NOT receive an IP address from the Router. It receives (169.x.x.x)
- Desktop2 has a brand new NIC card (DLink DFE-530TX+)
- Bottom LED of NIC card is lit
- Checked cable with Laptop1 and it worked fine
- Automatically Detect Settings UNchecked
- Obtain IP Address Automatically checked
- Obtain DNS Server Address Automatically checked

QUESTION
What could be causing Desktop2 (WinXP) from not receiving an IP address from the router? I thought XP was suppose to recognize everything!? I would appreciate any help, thanks!

kanin

 

[bcastner]

1. Can you ping the router?
2. Can you ping any of the other two machines?

3. Hit the Start button, Help and Support, Tools, Network Diagnostic Tool

Options, make a checkmark against them all.
Scan.

Does anything seem to be off in the report (other than the 169.xx.xx.xx IP)? Did it pass its own ping test?

4. Do you have Client for Microsoft Networking installed?
5. Start, Run, services.msc

Is the DHCP service running? If not, can you start it manually?

5. Start, Run, eventmgr.msc

Are there any errors in the System log relating to DHCP or any network related service?

 

[bcastner]

It might be worthwhile to rebuild the Winsock Service stacks on the 2nd computer:

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

 

[kanin247]

bcastner,

to answer your questions...
1. Can you ping the router? NO

2. Can you ping any of the other two machines? NO

3a. Does anything seem to be off in the report (other than the 169.xx.xx.xx IP)? Below are my results...
INTERNET SERVICE
Default Outlook Express Mail - Not Configured
Default Outlook Express News - Not Configured
Internet Explorer Web Proxy - Not Configured

COMPUTER INFORMATION
Operating System - Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version - 5.1.2600

MODEMS AND NETWORK ADAPTERS
Modems
Network Adapters - PASSED
DNS Servers
Default Gateways
DHCP Servers
IP Address - PASSED
WINS Servers
Network Clients

3b. Did it pass its own ping test? YES

4. Do you have Client for Microsoft Networking installed? YES

5a. Start, Run, services.msc
5b. Is the DHCP service running?
YES, STATUS-Started, STARTUP TYPE-Automatically

6.a Start, Run, eventmgr.msc
6b. Are there any errors in the System log relating to DHCP or any network related service?
YES, DCHP-Warning?!
Description: Your computer has automatically configured the IP address for the Network Card with network address 0040050AEE22. The IP address being used is 169.254.72.52

YES, TCPIP-!Information
Description: The system detected that network adapter \DEVICE\TCPIP_{B7EAC943-A81A-484F-8061-C2F6387B9903} was connected to the network, and has initiated normal operation over the network adapter.

So, I guess I passed your test...meaning, your assumptions were right, my PC sucks!!! Now that we know my results, what can we do now? ps - I tried WinsockFix and it still did not help. I appreciate your help, thanks!

kanin

 

[bcastner]

DHCP errors are difficult.

First, you did disable XP's native firewall, right?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/hnw_enable_firewall.asp

1. Upgrade the NIC drivers if they are available.
2. McAfee firewall can do this. Try it disabled.
3. Did you ever uninstall Norton Anti-virus?

http://www.bl.com/moshe/text/quiddities/norton_errors.html

4. PC-Illan anti-virus can do this. Disable the included firewall.

Fundamentally a ping failure (much less a DHCP failure) is either a bad cable, a bad NIC, a bad NIC driver, or a firewall.

 

[kanin247]

bcastner,

First, you did disable XP's native firewall, right?
YES, THEY ARE DISABLED

1. Upgrade the NIC drivers if they are available.
BRAND NEW NIC, USED INCLUDED DRIVERS ON CD. WILL LOOK ONLINE TO CHECK IF NEWER VERSION

2. McAfee firewall can do this. Try it disabled.
NO FIREWALL INSTALLED ON PC

3. Did you ever uninstall Norton Anti-virus?

http://www.bl.com/moshe/text/quiddities/norton_errors.html

NO ANTI-VIRUS INSTALLED ON PC

4. PC-Illan anti-virus can do this. Disable the included firewall.
NO ANTI-VIRUS INSTALLED ON PC (DESKTOP2). ALTHOUGH, INSTALLED ON ANOTHER PC (DESKTOP1) CONNECTED TO ROUTER

Fundamentally a ping failure (much less a DHCP failure) is either a bad cable, a bad NIC, a bad NIC driver, or a firewall.
I CHECKED THE CABLE AGAINST DESKTOP1 AND LAPTOP1 AND THE CONNECTION FEED WAS GOOD. I'LL TRY ANOTHER CABLE THOUGH AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS? B/C MY PC (DESKTOP2) IS FAIRLY NEW (I.E., REFURBISHED WITH A BRAND NEW HARDDRIVE, NEW INSTALL OF WINXP, BRAND NEW NIC). COULD THE DCHP ERROR BE CAUSED BY OS BAD DRIVERS? SHOULD I TRY TO FIX/REINSTALL THE OS?

I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP, THANKS!

kanin

 

[bcastner]

You did install Service Pack #1 for XP I hope.

From the dlink ftp site I did not see a newer driver than the end of January, 2002.

 

[Comstocb]

You could determine alot by assigning a static IP from the DHCP range 192.168.254.x and see if you can ping any of the local devices (other PC's and the router). If you can then DHCP is not configured properly on the XP machine (one minor possibility is the DHCP server is out of IP addresses to give out, make sure the scope of addresses available is greater than 2). If the static address works and you still can't find out why XP is not getting an address (the 169.x.x.x address is what windows defaults to when DHCP services are not found and of course you can't ping the other addresses as you are not configured for the same network), I would get traffic capture software (ethereal is free for download) and load it on the XP machine to capture traffic at its network interface to see if the DHCP discover/offer packet sequence is even occuring. Just my 2 cents.

Brian C.

 

[kanin247]

bcastner,

NO, Service Pack #1 is NOT installed on my XP machine. I will do so and re-check the connection.

Brian C.,
Thanks for your input, I will check out the Ethereal software if I am still having difficulties.

I appreciate everyone's input, thanks!

kanin

 

[bcastner]

I have to ask because it has recently become a regular problem. If you are using PC-Illan antivirus software it installs a firewall by default.

Disable this firewall. It can lead to exactly the result you are experiencing.

 

[IPKONFIG]

Have you tried changing cables from a working PC to the one that's not working to see if you can get an IP address? If you can't. Then it's PC/NIC card related. If you can then check these two things:

Cable first
Port on Router second

You'll find your issue.

"I can picture a world without war. A world without hate. A world without fear. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it."
- Jack Handey, Deep Thoughts

 

[bcastner]

IPKONFIG,

It does increasingly look like a bum NIC to me.

 

[kanin247]

all,

ok, i downloaded the SP1 for XP on another computer but have NOT INSTALLED it on the failed ip address computer yet. will get to that probably tomorrow. in the mean time, here's some info to clear up some misunderstanding of the problem...

- my cable is GOOD. checked with another computer and it works fine (gets an IP address from router with no problem)

- my NIC card is BRAND NEW with updated drivers. the old NIC failed at obtaining an ip address so i purchased a new NIC but still same problem.

ok, well if there are any other suggestions out there, please leave a post. i appreciate everyone's help, thanks!

kanin

 

[lunatic23]

heya, reading this reminded me of my mates problems..

he was attempting to make a home network with two XPPro machines & it just wasn't happening. from the 2nd machine he couldn't ping anything at all & he also discovered that the MAC address was 'bad' [00.00.00.00.00.00].

anyway, he went thru the whole rigmarole of troubleshooting etc. etc. and as an afterthought we tried the card in a different slot on the mobo and hey presto it worked.

sorry if this post is not relevant, but sometimes its the small things that count...

thanks
luni


someone once told me to shut up...

 

[onepair]

reinstall tcp ip. I had it before. I had it last freakin week when I had to reboot a 2000 server each time I changed IPs on the thing. Reinstalled TCP/IP and all good again. (lab)

The stack goes whack and I dont know why... NT has this same issue. Will it ever be solved? NO.

Oh and could also be the slot

And I seem to remeber I have a dfw-500 or something and it stopped working in XP all together but works fine on my linux box..go figure had a drive like that too.

Put a diff nic in for 13 from tigerdirect.com