can't release IP adress

[Scotty44]

I have a laptop IBM T40 running windows xp professional sp1.

When I change network (company) I must run ipconfig /release and ipconfig
/renew before I can start to work.

If I run ipconfig /all after I had logon to the computer I still have the ip
settings from my last network (company)

Why doesn't my computer releases the ip settings automatically?

 

[purplehaz]

Why would it release the ip automatically? As far as the computer is
concearned your still connected to that particular network and need that ip.
Just unhooking the network plug isn't enough trigger to make the ip refresh.
Say you were connected to the network and you accidentally pulled the
network cable out. You would want windows to keep your ip so all you have to
do is just plug it back in. You wouldn't want to have to reboot or
release/renew to get back on the network. Same if your network connection is
set to timeout. You keep the ip so you can reconnect quick. If your
switching between networks you should reboot/shutdown during the switch. If
you shutdown/reboot before reconnecting to any network, then your ip will
dissapear, but if it see a network connection, without you rebooting or
renewing the ip, it assumes it's the same network. Windows doesn't know you
switched networks, unless you tell it you did by rebooting or renewing the
ip.

 

[Scotty44]

Ok, but i shut down the computer before i switching the network and i still
have the old IP settings when i restart the computer.

 

[purplehaz]

Ok, then that is not normal. Do you have the newest updated network card
drivers? If so, see if this helps you:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;299357