the dhcp client could not could not obtain ip address 1

[j0ckser]

Windows NT4 standalone computer set up for a specific data management purpose.

This message keeps popping up every few minutes. Although the dialogue box does offer the option to not see the message, I would rather resolve the issue than to not see the message.

I am NOT a trained sysadmin, and the computer is about 450km from me at the moment, so please use novice/simplespeak to address the issue.

I checked in this forum back to December and there is no post about this. My apologies if this is a repeat.

Thanks in advance.


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[TKSlayer]

You would normally see this error message in the event of a change to the network authentication of the network port...I ignore them here because they don't hurt anything and I haven't found a solution to the problem either. Of course, this also could be because a network doesn't have a dhcp server...if this is the case, you'd receive that error as well.

If you do have a dhcp server set up to deliver IP addys to your client computers...you'll just have to reboot the one receiving those messages. Then it should pick up a new IP addy from your dhcp server. If it cannot, then the problem is with your dhcp server...not your client (assuming you have all your network connections on client set correctly...which if you have a dhcp server should be set to autodetect)

Another situation when this might happen is if you have 2 dhcp servers. In that case you'll have to turn off dhcp on one of the servers (or if it is still running in the client). Go to "start" "settings" "control panel" "services" and then select "Microsoft dhcp server" then click stop. Should be good to go. You can prevent it from autostarting in that same menu as well.

Also, check and see if you can actually ping your dhcp server (if you know the address). If it is there, and all of the settings are good to go on both machines...you may have a bad NIC or cable or hub...or whatever might be in line with you and your dhcp server. I'd check those bad boys out as well. Plenty food for thought on this one

 

[j0ckser]

Thanks Tk:

I appreciate the time you took to explain this, but most of the info relates to networks and this is a standalone.

If it doesn't hurt anything then I'll just tell him to ignore the message.

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[rwullems]

if it is a stand alone machine, so you mean not connected to any network, how do you connect to it if it is 450km away from you?

anyway,

It looks like there is a network adapter in the machine that is set up get an IP address by DHCP. If that PC is NOT connected to the network, that message will keep popping up until you disable the network adapter on that machine or give it a static IP address.
regards,
Robert

 

[GlenJohnson]

Right click My Computer, select manage computer and check the event logs for error messages. Since this is an NT machine, I'm not sure this will work, but we're looking for Event ID numbers.

Glen A. Johnson
"Give the laziest man the hardest job and he'll find the easiest way to do it."

Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884

 

[TKSlayer]

Standalone!? How did I miss that?

Actually, if you look in the post, you'll see a way to turn off dhcp in the services running on the machine...that should solve things for you.

 

[j0ckser]

Thanks people.

Before I sign off on this issue (I think rwullems has the solution), what is DHCP and what is happening here.

BTW, I am not trying to connect to the standalone, I am trying to help someone with this challenge, and he and the computer are far enough away that I cannot just go there and look for answers to your queries.

..ttfn..

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[rwullems]

DHCP is a protocol that takes care of getting your PC an IP address. Normally, there is a DHCP server somewhere on your network that has a range of IP adresses it is allowed to pass out to PC's that are connected to the network (This is a very simple explanation).

Microsoft Os'es are standard set to DHCP (for workstations at least), so when a PC has a network adapter, it will try to look up a DHCP server. If the PC in question is not connected to a network, like yours, it can not find a DHCP server and will display the message you are running in to. Meanwhile, you can normally work with the (standalone) Pc, but the DHCP protocol will keep trying to find a DHCP server and the message will keep popping up after some time.

The anser is here to give you standalone PC an static ip address by typing it in manually, or even better, DISABLE the network adapter.

regards,
Robert

 

[j0ckser]

Thank you Robert for responding so quickly - one star to you.

However, more questions arise:
1. The error message started after I uninstalled a SQL based database program and the SQL server and reinstalled them. I didn't know to check the DHCP setup first and when I reinstalled, the message started popping up. I saw the DHCP directed to a specific IP address, so I changed it to choose its own address. Still the message. Someone has suggested that the DHCP is important to this program working, but I could see no difference. Since this is a standalone, I will counsel him to disable the network card, unless you have another suggestion.

2. I have 3 computers: 2 older desktops and a new laptop, all with network cards. The 2 older machines use Win98SE and the laptop Win2000PRO. While I haven't installed this SQL server and program on these computers, I haven't seen this error message.

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