[Valdamir]

We recently moved to a new house, upgrading from DSL to Cable-Modem internet, and ever since then, we've been having a problem. As if I wasn't having enough fun unpacking...

First off--- my current network arrangment:
INTERNET -> Cable Modem -> [NIC1] Server Computer [NIC2] -> Switch -> Workstations
|------------- Connection1 -------------| |----------- Connection2 -----------|

So basically, the server acts as the gateway between the network and the internet. That "Connection1" and "Connection2" part is what I see on the server's Network Connectons window. Just so you know... before the move, we just had the ISP's DSL-router in place of a Cable Modem; everything else was the same.

Which brings us to--- the problem:
Every single computer displays the message "Limited or no connectivity" - "You might not be able to access the Internet or some network resources. This problem occurred because the network did not assign a network address to the computer."

It's like there's nothing handling DHCP. And considering there's no router, that would make sense... but how's a basic network on a switch suppose to work then? It did before!

When I assign static IP addresses to everyone, it all works. But I have a laptop that I bring from work a lot (with its own VPN configuration), and I can't go changing network settings there. It must get an address automatically, which doesn't happen because it doesn't see a DHCP.

Any thoughts?

[Advertisements]

Maybe this'll help you folks... it's the results from ipconfig /all.

Server

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Admin>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

		Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : STATION1
		Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
		Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
		IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
		WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

		Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
		Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Marvell Yukon Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000Base-T Adapter, Copper RJ-45
		Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-EA-E0-35-20
		Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
		Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
		Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.XX.XXX
		Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX:XXXX:2bbe:4:75f0:7b61:e055:58aa

		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX:XXXX:2bbe:4:20f:eaff:fee0:3520
		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX::X:20f:eaff:fee0:3520%2
		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX::XXX:eaff:fee0:3520%4
		Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
		DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%2
											fec0:0:0:ffff::2%2
											fec0:0:0:ffff::3%2

Ethernet adapter Internet Connection:

		Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
		Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NETGEAR FA311 Fast Ethernet Adapter
		Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-6C-70-8E-44
		Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
		Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XX.XXX.43.190
		Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.254.0
		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX::XXX:6cff:fe70:8e44%7
		Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : XX.XXX.42.1
		DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : XX.XXX.79.211
		DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.116.46.115
											68.116.46.70
											68.185.34.67
											68.189.122.19
											fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
											fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
											fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
		Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, October 03, 2006 11:17:26 AM
		Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, October 04, 2006 12:29:59 AM

From one of the workstations:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\HP_Administrator>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

		Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : STATION3
		Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
		Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
		IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
		WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

		Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
		Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC
		Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-15-F2-75-22-0C
		Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
		Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
		Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.XX.XXX
		Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
		Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Edited by Valdamir, 04 October 2006 - 10:31 AM.

[Valdamir]

Maybe this'll help you folks... it's the results from ipconfig /all.

Server

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Admin>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

		Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : STATION1
		Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
		Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
		IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
		WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

		Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
		Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Marvell Yukon Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000Base-T Adapter, Copper RJ-45
		Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-EA-E0-35-20
		Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
		Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
		Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.XX.XXX
		Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX:XXXX:2bbe:4:75f0:7b61:e055:58aa

		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX:XXXX:2bbe:4:20f:eaff:fee0:3520
		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX::X:20f:eaff:fee0:3520%2
		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX::XXX:eaff:fee0:3520%4
		Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
		DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%2
											fec0:0:0:ffff::2%2
											fec0:0:0:ffff::3%2

Ethernet adapter Internet Connection:

		Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
		Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NETGEAR FA311 Fast Ethernet Adapter
		Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-6C-70-8E-44
		Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
		Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XX.XXX.43.190
		Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.254.0
		IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX::XXX:6cff:fe70:8e44%7
		Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : XX.XXX.42.1
		DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : XX.XXX.79.211
		DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.116.46.115
											68.116.46.70
											68.185.34.67
											68.189.122.19
											fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
											fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
											fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
		Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, October 03, 2006 11:17:26 AM
		Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, October 04, 2006 12:29:59 AM

From one of the workstations:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\HP_Administrator>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

		Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : STATION3
		Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
		Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
		IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
		WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

		Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
		Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC
		Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-15-F2-75-22-0C
		Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
		Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
		Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.XX.XXX
		Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
		Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Edited by Valdamir, 04 October 2006 - 10:31 AM.

[dsenette]

when you switched from dsl to cable i would imagine that on the "server" you ran through the cable modem setup and all that jazz right? did you go through the internet connection sharing wizard again? that would be why the second NIC on the server isn't spittiong out a DHCP address (well...at least that's my theory)

[SpaceCowboy706]

Sorry to interrupt dsenette, but i got to through it in.... Charter Communications is horrible.

PS.... always put a XX over the first 5 numbers in any IP or Mac address.

[Valdamir]

when you switched from dsl to cable i would imagine that on the "server" you ran through the cable modem setup and all that jazz right? did you go through the internet connection sharing wizard again? that would be why the second NIC on the server isn't spittiong out a DHCP address (well...at least that's my theory)

Yep, I ran the self-installation disk that came with cable-modem. And later in the day, I connected the switch and first met the problem; I didn't run any wizard until *after* the problem occurred. Ran the Network Setup Wizard (which has ICS Setup in it), no help. Even tried to bridge the connections, with no results.

Sorry to interrupt dsenette, but i got to through it in.... Charter Communications is horrible.

Hahaha, that's for sure! But they're the only ISP in my area, so sad! I'm starting to wonder whether their installation-cd tinkered with settings I'm not familiar with. Hmm......

PS.... always put a XX over the first 5 numbers in any IP or Mac address.

Um... that's very good advice.

Just asking for trouble, aren't I?

Edited by Valdamir, 04 October 2006 - 10:49 AM.

[Valdamir]

You know what, I grew tired of experimenting and just got a Cable/DSL Router. It doesn't actually fix the problem, but it does have a DHCP Server built-in, so it'll be a good workaround.

I'll just run a normal network, Cable Modem -> Router -> Entire Network. Take this Charter-corrupted server out of the equation, and everything works!

So thanks for the suggestions, but obeying KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) seems to be the easiest fix.