[XZantoth]

Hey all!
I'm having problems with getting my home network to work. I'm new at networking but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the computer not receiving an IP address because it can't contact the DHCP server. I have two desktop PCs connected through a Netgear Ethernet Hub EN104TP. I have ASDL broadband from Zoomtown using a Westell Wirespeed modem. One computer is running Win98 and has no problems at all. The other is running WinXP and won't always connect to the internet. It will after the computer has been on for awhile (couple of hours usually). Once it has connected, I can usually restart the computer and it connects again fine. I tried putting the computer in standby mode instead of shutting it down so that it would stay connected, but it wouldn't reconnect when I tried the next day. I've tried ipconfig /renew but it times out. I've also tried the Repair Connection tool in the network connections properties but it says it was unable to renew the IP address (same thing as ipconfig /renew I guess).
Would a router instead of a hub fix this? Not really sure of the difference between the two.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

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That's weird that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Sounds like you must have DHCP enabled correctly and stuff. Try clicking the Hijack This Guide in my signature and download it. Post a log for that computer back here so I can take a look at it. Sounds like there's something deeper going on here.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

That's weird that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Sounds like you must have DHCP enabled correctly and stuff. Try clicking the Hijack This Guide in my signature and download it. Post a log for that computer back here so I can take a look at it. Sounds like there's something deeper going on here.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[XZantoth]

That's weird that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  Sounds like you must have DHCP enabled correctly and stuff.  Try clicking the Hijack This Guide in my signature and download it.  Post a log for that computer back here so I can take a look at it.  Sounds like there's something deeper going on here.

-=jonnyrotten=-

Here's the hijackthis.log:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.2
Scan saved at 6:32:20 PM, on 10/25/2004
Platform: Windows XP (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 (6.00.2600.0000)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\BCMSMMSG.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\tbctray.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\wuauclt.exe
C:\HJT\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.hotmail.com/
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msdxm.ocx
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\System32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [BCMSMMSG] BCMSMMSG.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TraySantaCruz] C:\WINDOWS\System32\tbctray.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O9 - Extra button: Related - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINDOWS\web\related.htm
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Show &Related Links - {c95fe080-8f5d-11d2-a20b-00aa003c157a} - C:\WINDOWS\web\related.htm
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://v5.windowsupd...b?1098317268851

Hope this helps. Let me know if there's any other info I can give you.

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

Well I don't see anything wrong in there. You say it works sometimes huh...? You have the hub's ip set as the default gateway for the pc right? I guess you must cuz it works sometimes. I am not sure on what do to here. Try running this.

http://www.geekstogo...ction=show&id=7

Download this exe file and double click it from your desktop. If you have to download it from the other pc then just copy it to a floppy and put it on the one that needs it. Also do you have a firewall set up on the pc? If you do you might need to add a network Ip address to it as a trusted zone.

So when it does connect I am assuming it is contacting the DHCP server? Check it out. When it is connected type ipconfig /all and copy and paste that here also copy and paste the results of the same command when it does not connect. For comparison.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[XZantoth]

Well WinsockXPFix didn't fix it. As for the firewall, I'm using WindowsXP's firewall thing, but it's disabled. As for the hub's IP address set for the default gateway, I'm not sure that I do.... Here's the ipconfig /all for when it's not working (hasn't worked yet today).

C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : home-fa2dtx96pa
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/100 VE Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-07-E9-A9-7F-90
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.64.78
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

I'll send the ipconfig /all for when it's working whenever it does.

Thanks,
XZantoth

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

Is there anytype of IP routing options you know of for your hub? What did you when you set it up? Did you do any sort of configurations to make it forward dhcp requests? Or anything like that.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[XZantoth]

No, there's nothing on the physical hub except for an uplink switch, and no way to do anything else to it. When I set it up, I just plugged everything in and ran the Network Setup Wizard.

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

Try going into your network connections and click the properties of your network. click the TCP/IP and click the properties button. Tell me what it says in there.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[XZantoth]

The TCP/IP properties are:
IP address and DNS server address are both set to automatic.

Under advanded settings:
IP addresses: DHCP Enabled (no Subnet mask)
Default gateways: none
Automatic metric is checked

There are no DNS server addresses
Append primary and connection specific DNS suffixes is selected
Append parent suffixes of the primary DNS suffix is checked
Register this connection's addresses in DNS is checked

There are no WINS addresses
Enable LMHOSTS lookup is checked
NetBIOS setting is default

TCP/IP filtering is the only optional setting


I also have the ipconfig for when it is working:
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
© Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : home-fa2dtx96pa
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : zoomtown.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel® PRO/100 VE Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-07-E9-A9-7F-90
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.161.109.228
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.248.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.161.104.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.161.104.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 216.68.4.10
216.68.5.10
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, October 26, 2004 5:00:07 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, October 27, 2004 5:00:07
AM

Do I set the properties of the network to match these? Let me know what you think. Thanks for you help.

XZantoth

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

Is your other pc that works through the hub on and connected while this one is working?
Your IP address is one that is reserved for private networks like:
10.x.y.z
172.16.x.y-172.16.x.y
192.168.x.y
Those are all reserved ip addresses for private networks. Check your Ip on the other pc and see if it starts with one of these or something different.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[XZantoth]

The IP address of the working computer is 10.161.104.181 - on the list. I haven't noticed if the bad computer only works when the other is on. I can check that tonight.
One thing I've noticed is that the lease for the two computers expires withing a couple seconds of each other. Don't know if this is normal or not. Just a suspicion, but maybe the one connects when the other renews the lease??

Thanks
XZantoth

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

I have a feeling that the one that only works sometimes is going thru the hub and thru the other computer and back out through the hub. I'm anxious to find out whether it still achieves an address when the other pc is off and if it gets one when you turn it back on.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[XZantoth]

Well, when the good computer is off and I restart the bad computer when it is connected, it connects again with no problem. I think maybe if I turn the bad computer off, then wait for the IP lease to expire, then turn it back on, it probably won't work. I'll see about this tomorrow (the lease expires at 2am).

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

Ya I think you're right about the lease. But obtaining the lease is the tricky part. Let me know. I'm stumped, but workin on figurin this out.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[XZantoth]

Ok, now I'm really confused. I left both computers off overnight and during work... I left the good computer off and turned the bad one on and it connected right away!! The lease was obtained when I turned it on. My only guess of what could happen now is if I leave them both off till the lease expires, then turn on the good computer, then try to turn on the bad one. Very strange. Or maybe something I did fixed it, but had to wait for the lease to renew. Let me know what you think. I'll let you know if I find out anything else.

Thanks,
XZantoth