Re: repost - Intermittent DHCP failure?

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

Chuck wrote:

> On Thu, 04 Aug 2005 11:13:36 -0400, Lem <lemp40@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >I have a situation where sometimes -- but not always -- I get the
> >"Limited or No Connectivity" warning. Sometimes I can fix this by using
> >the "repair" connection button; sometimes it takes a power cycle; and
> >sometimes it takes a shutdown and wait for some period of time before
> >trying again.
> >
> >I understand that a corrupt winsock and/or TCP/IP stack can cause this
> >message to occur, but I would have guessed that this sort of corruption
> >would cause a permanent problem -- not one that comes and goes. Before
> >I repair winsock, either with netsh winsock reset catalog or one of the
> >various winsock repair tools (which will then probably requir
> >reinstallation of various apps), does the intermittent nature of this
> >error suggest that something other than a corrupt winsock and/or TCP/IP
> >stack? Should I start looking for problems with the cabling or the DHCP
> >server itself?
> >
> >The "problem" pc has WinXPpro sp2. I haven't ever had to remove malware
> >from this PC (apparently one of the causes of a corrupt winsock). The
> >last time I got the warning, I restarted in safe mode and scanned with
> >the following and found no problems other than a few tracking cookies:
> >Norton a/v 2004 with uptodate defs; Spybot S&D latest version with
> >uptodate defs; and Ad-Aware latest version with uptodate defs.
> >
> >The error occurs on a wired LAN (which has 2 other PCs that don't seem
> >to have connectivity problems and a third pc that seems to be on a dead
> >LAN connection) [this is in a small office -- not where I work -- that
> >has "limited or no" tech support; the LAN was installed several years
> >ago solely to share DSL access; as I recall, it uses a switch plus a PC
> >running some unknown application --WinRoute or WinGate??]
> >
> >FWIW, at the same time the "problem" PC is connected via its on-board
> >NIC to the LAN, it also is connected via a Linksys WPC54g pci card
> >running in ad-hoc mode to a wireless printer (with built-in print
> >server). No connectivity problem has ever been observed when connecting
> >to a wireless (infrastructure) LAN via the WPC54g (i.e., away from the
> >LAN where the above problem happens).
> >
> >Following are ipconfig /all dumps from the 4 pcs on the LAN. Naturally,
> >the problem didn't occur when I did this, but perhaps there's some
> >information that can shed light on it:
> >
>
> <SNIP>
>
> >"problem" pc; WinXPpro sp2; working tonight. I also have the WinXP
> >"automatic network diagnostic" output for the laptop, but that's an HTML
> >
> >page, so I won't post it here unless you specifically ask for it.
> >
> >Windows IP Configuration
> >
> > Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : laptop
> > Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
> > Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
> > IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
> > WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
> >
> >Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
> >
> > Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
> > Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 SP Mobile
> >Combo Adapter
> > Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-03-47-69-67-F5
> > Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
> > Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
> > IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.104
> > Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
> > Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
> > DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
> > DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
> > Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, August 02, 2005
> >8:52:29 PM
> > Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, August 02, 2005
> >9:52:29 PM
> >
> >Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
> >
> > Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
> > Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Wireless-G Notebook Adapter
> >
> > Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-06-25-42-CB-0E
> > Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
> > Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
> > Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.173.4
> > Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
> > Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
> >
>
> Lem,
>
> When you get the "Limited or No Connectivity" warning, how do you know which LAN
> it applies to? If you have a computer with 2 network adapters, and one is an
> ad-hoc network (with no DHCP server), that's set to use DHCP anyway, that could
> be causing the warning.
>
> Try manually setting the ip address on the Laptop Wireless-G Notebook Adapter,
> and on the wireless printer. Don't use DHCP unless there's a reasonable
> possibility that it will be used properly. APIPA is like insurance, you can use
> it but you shouldn't unless you really need to.
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
> Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
> My email is AT DOT
> actual address pchuck mvps org.

Chuck:
The warning appears in the system notification area next to the symbol that
indicates that the wireless connection is active and connected. Moreover, Internet
connectivity is lost when the warning is displayed. It's pretty clear that the LAN
with the problem is the ethernet connection that ultimately goes to the Internet,
and not the wireless connection that goes to the printer.

With respect to setting fixed IP addresses for the printer and the notebook adapter,
will this cause problems when the laptop is used in a (different)
infrastructure-mode wireless network, where DHCP is enabled? In other words, in a
network that does have a DHCP server, can you have some nodes that have fixed IP
addresses -- as long as they are in the same subnet and you're reasonably sure that
they won't duplicate an address assigned by the DHCP server? That is, when picking
fixed IP addresses for the printer and the wireless adapter, I should probably make
sure that they are not likely to be duplicated either by the DHCP server on the
ethernet network in the office or by the DHCP server on the wireless network at
home.

.

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