"Acquiring network address" forever...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Christian Hart
  • Start date Start date
C

Christian Hart

Since installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 (WinXP2, for
short), I now have a new permanent and *moving* icon for
the "Local Area Connection" in the system tray. It
doesn't interfere when I open my ADSL connection to SBC
nor is the icon set to appear for a normal or shaky
connection (i.e., the settings located in the properties
dialog for the Local Area Connection). The tooltip and
properties dialog for the distracting little icon
indicate "Status: Acquiring network address." The
settings from SBC are set per their directions (e.g.,
pretty much everything is "acquire setting
automatically") but their response about this issue
suggests that they're still examining WinXP2 and aren't
yet familiar with my issue. I also use Zone Alarm Pro 5.1
and can't figure out if the problem lies there instead.
The NIC is a 3Com Gigabit LOM. Can anyone help clear up
my admittedly network-newbie ignorance? Pretty please? :-)
 
Since installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 (WinXP2, for
short), I now have a new permanent and *moving* icon for
the "Local Area Connection" in the system tray. It
doesn't interfere when I open my ADSL connection to SBC
nor is the icon set to appear for a normal or shaky
connection (i.e., the settings located in the properties
dialog for the Local Area Connection). The tooltip and
properties dialog for the distracting little icon
indicate "Status: Acquiring network address." The
settings from SBC are set per their directions (e.g.,
pretty much everything is "acquire setting
automatically") but their response about this issue
suggests that they're still examining WinXP2 and aren't
yet familiar with my issue. I also use Zone Alarm Pro 5.1
and can't figure out if the problem lies there instead.
The NIC is a 3Com Gigabit LOM. Can anyone help clear up
my admittedly network-newbie ignorance? Pretty please? :-)
Click to expand...

Christian,

what happens when you left-click or right-click on that icon?

Do I understand you correctly that everything works and there is
only this irritating icon?

Hans-Georg
 
I have a similar problem that just started today. i have 2 other PCs(running
WinXPSP2) that can access the Internet and local subnet just fine but the 3rd
PC (also WinXPSP2) keeps trying to 'acquire network address'. PC #3 cannot
'see' the router or other machines on the local subnet, nor can it access the
Internet. IPCONFIG shows no IP address. Since the other 2 machines can
access the network, i don't think its the router/hub. I have switched cables
and switched router ports, but PC #3 just won't work. I tried to release and
renew the IP but that didn't help either. I even did a System Restore to 3
days ago, when the network was working, but that didn't help.

I'm ready to try swapping NIC cards - will that help, maybe?
Any ideas on what to look at or replace?
 
Thanks Carey - i'll try this tonight at home.
The PC was working fine earlier in the day, when my wife was using it
successfully for email, but somehow it suddenly stopped working. I'll try
this fix. This doesn't seem directly related or identical to the problem i'm
having ("acquiring network address") as part of the bootup process, but i've
leaerned that sometimes the problem/fix are not always directly related to
the symptoms.
THanks for the advice! i hope it works!
 
It won't hurt or make things worse.

Let me know the outcome.

Thanks!
Carey

Tim King said:
Thanks Carey - i'll try this tonight at home.
The PC was working fine earlier in the day, when my wife was using it
successfully for email, but somehow it suddenly stopped working. I'll try
this fix. This doesn't seem directly related or identical to the problem
i'm
having ("acquiring network address") as part of the bootup process, but
i've
leaerned that sometimes the problem/fix are not always directly related to
the symptoms.
THanks for the advice! i hope it works!
Click to expand...
 
i tried both LSPFix and WinsockXPFix, and they may have done some good, but
neither fixed this issue. I also installed/replace a brand new NIC, but that
didn't help either. so no networking yet.

curiously, when i try to release/renew the IP (in RUN>CMD>IPCONFIG), i get
this error message - "An error occurred while renewing interface Local Area
Connection 3: the RPC server is unavailable."

In Services (Local) the RPC service is set to start automatically, while the
RPC Locator was not. Setting RPC Locator to start (manually or
automatically) has made no impact on the problem.

any ideas? this is FRUSTRATING! and strange.
 
Tim King said:
I have a similar problem that just started today. i have 2 other PCs(running
WinXPSP2) that can access the Internet and local subnet just fine but the 3rd
PC (also WinXPSP2) keeps trying to 'acquire network address'. PC #3 cannot
'see' the router or other machines on the local subnet, nor can it access the
Internet. IPCONFIG shows no IP address. Since the other 2 machines can
access the network, i don't think its the router/hub. I have switched cables
and switched router ports, but PC #3 just won't work. I tried to release and
renew the IP but that didn't help either. I even did a System Restore to 3
days ago, when the network was working, but that didn't help.

I'm ready to try swapping NIC cards - will that help, maybe?
Any ideas on what to look at or replace?
Click to expand...
A temporary solution: Right-click on icon and Open Network
Connections. Point to the relevant connection under Device Name.
Right-click and Refresh. You are now connected and the icon's gone.
I don't get this "problem" with a full reboot. However, it returns
after hibernation. I have a Toshiba laptop.
 
I have exactly the same problem, same error messages.
Has anyone solved this or can point me where to go.
Thanks
 
Have the same problem here XPSP2. ATMEL chipset on a 35mw USB adapter.
Works fine on many other installations with same router and chipset. This
one in particular, "Acquiring network address" forever. Didn't happen
under XP SP1.
Yet another wonderful microsoft 'feature'.
 
Rebuild the Winsock and ensure the DHCP and Network Location Awareness
services are running. It's not an XP issue. Thank the spyware on your
system.


Carey
 
sdoboze said:
Have the same problem here XPSP2. ATMEL chipset on a 35mw USB adapter.
Works fine on many other installations with same router and chipset. This
one in particular, "Acquiring network address" forever. Didn't happen
under XP SP1.
Yet another wonderful microsoft 'feature'.
Click to expand...

XP under any edition has always been known as notoriously slow to awake on
the network if left auto assigned. That is why you should ALWAYS manually
assign IPs on your LAN if XP is present.
 
Sorry not true. XP has been known since it first came out to be slow
attaining a network if left on auto assign for IP.
 
sigh...

some people believe men never landed on the moon.... and that the antivirus
companies are the ones writing the viruses...

Believe what you want, I prefer to believe fact, not fiction.

Carey
 
Sure - and some don't have a clue what they are talking about. XP *IS*
slower to attain a network if left on auto assign and THAT, at least, is a
constantly able to be proven fact.
 
The error you previously described was that the computer would 'take
forever' waiting to auto-assign an IP address. Of course there will be a
slight delay (only measurable with a stop watch) between a static and a
dynamic IP address being assigned. However, it is, on a properly configured
computer with properly working equipment, done in milliseconds.

This, however, was not the 'well known issue' you were referring to, but
rather, that Windows will not obtain an address through DHCP. There is no
known such issue.

Feel free to reply, however, your responses are neither factual or helpful,
so I'll be adding you to my ignore list. I'm here to help, not hinder, and
further discussion in this manner does not belong in this forum.

Carey
 
Carey Holzman said:
The error you previously described was that the computer would 'take
forever' waiting to auto-assign an IP address. Of course there will be a
slight delay (only measurable with a stop watch) between a static and a
Click to expand...

Depends how much you consider "slight" but I have reliably timed it as
anything up to 10 minutes in a normal work situation with about 20 odd XP
machines, before the machine I was sitting in front of, finally got there. I
have repeated that with varying amounts of time, on different installations
all over the place, different sizes of networks of course. The machines,
themselves and the networking hardware were not in question as they were all
working fine. XP just has this unfortunate habit, left on auto, of taking a
long time. However, all that is solved by manual assign of IP number. It
takes less than 3 seconds on the exact same networks.

Feel free to reply, however, your responses are neither factual or
helpful,
Click to expand...

I might say the same to you. It is a well known issue, you say different.
You arent helping anyone by continuing the unhelpful info when, with a
little more work, their network can be fast to get up and running if they
are the type of business who insist on all machines shut down overnight.
so I'll be adding you to my ignore list.
Click to expand...

Yah, good, you do that. It only goes to prove you were wrong and didnt want
to know any better. How pathetic of you.
I'm here to help, not hinder, and
Click to expand...


Then HELP and dont add to the worries oif people with your uninformed
"help".
further discussion in this manner does not belong in this forum.
Click to expand...

You are wrong there too. It is a networking issue and I have to tell you
that you really should know what you are talking about. Get out in the
field, work with multiple network and gain knowledge. That will help you to
BE help. Until you do, all you are doing is adding RUBBISH as "knowledge"
and then refusing to take any other information as truth and refuse to test
it. That proves you are someone to be avoided for "help".
 
Back
Top