Can't get network running

[Stuart Grant]

Chuck helped me get my network running a year ago but I have got a new
computer and now I can't get it to work.
The network couldn't be simpler. The new Dell desktop is connected to the
Internet through a USB ADSL Modem connected to the phone line. Works fine.
The other computer on the network is a Dell Inspiron laptop. They are
connected with Ethernet cables through a Netgear 4 port router. The set up
has worked fine for over a year and the hardware and cables are all fine as
far as I can see. The problem seems to be that the desktop is not assigning
an IP address to the laptop and can't see why or how to cure it.
The desktop has Windows XP Media Center and the laptop Windows XP SP2.

Ipconfig on the desktop is as follows -


Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : OTTO
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network
Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-12-3F-B6-4E-1F
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

PPP adapter Bluewin ADSL2:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 81.62.57.110
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 81.62.57.110
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 195.186.4.109
195.186.1.109
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

IP on the laptop is as follows -

Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DELIA
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter MSHome:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated
Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-DB-98-5F-B1
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.251.196
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

It looks awfully like the problem is with DHCP not enabled on the ADSL2
adapter. If so, how do you enable it ?

Can Chuck or anyone else tell me what is wrong ?

Stuart

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Chuck helped me get my network running a year ago but I have got a new
computer and now I can't get it to work.
The network couldn't be simpler. The new Dell desktop is connected to the
Internet through a USB ADSL Modem connected to the phone line. Works fine.
The other computer on the network is a Dell Inspiron laptop. They are
connected with Ethernet cables through a Netgear 4 port router. The set up
has worked fine for over a year and the hardware and cables are all fine as
far as I can see. The problem seems to be that the desktop is not assigning
an IP address to the laptop and can't see why or how to cure it.
The desktop has Windows XP Media Center and the laptop Windows XP SP2.

Ipconfig on the desktop is as follows -


Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : OTTO
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network
Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-12-3F-B6-4E-1F
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

PPP adapter Bluewin ADSL2:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 81.62.57.110
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 81.62.57.110
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 195.186.4.109
195.186.1.109
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

IP on the laptop is as follows -

Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DELIA
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter MSHome:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated
Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-DB-98-5F-B1
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.251.196
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

It looks awfully like the problem is with DHCP not enabled on the ADSL2
adapter. If so, how do you enable it ?

Can Chuck or anyone else tell me what is wrong ?

Stuart

You're right: the desktop isn't assigning an IP address to the
laptop, as shown by the laptop's Ethernet adapter having an
Autoconfiguration IP address.

"DHCP Enabled" means that a network adapter is configured to obtain an
IP address automatically. It doesn't mean that the adapter is
configured to act as a DHCP server. So neither adapter on the desktop
has to have DHCP enabled. The Ethernet adapter has a static IP
address of 192.168.0.1, probably because you enabled Internet
Connection Sharing on the ADSL2 adapter The ADSL2 adapter has a
static IP address assigned by bluewin.ch.

It's the laptop's Ethernet adapter that has to have DHCP enabled, and
it does. So why isn't it getting an IP address? Here are some ideas:

1. On the desktop, disable ICS and then re-enable it. Then, disable
and re-enable the laptop's Ethernet connection.

2. Use the Netgear router as a network switch only, bypassing its
routing capabilities:

a. Disable its built-in DHCP server.
b. Connect both computers to its LAN ports.
c. Don't connect anything to its WAN (Internet) port.

3. Try different network cables on both computers.

4. Download and install the latest Ethernet adapter drivers. Since
the laptop's Internet connection isn't working, download its driver on
the desktop and transfer it to the laptop using a CD, USB flash drive,
etc.

5. Automatic sensing of speed and duplex modes sometimes fails.
Manually configure both computers' Ethernet adapters to the same
settings. Start with 10 Mb / half duplex. If that works, try 100 Mb
/ full duplex.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Stuart Grant]

Steve
Thanks for jumping in so promptly. At first I was a bit discouraged by your
suggestions. It seemed like a lot of work and I wasn't sure I understood it
all. However I started to try out the proposals systematically, one by one.
1. I disabled ICS on the desktop, then re-enabled it. Nothing happened. I
disabled and re-enabled the laptops Ethernet connection. Bingo !!
The message "connected" appeared in Network Connections. I called up IE
and could surf the net on the laptop.
Thank you very, very much.

I have one small problem. I don't have a network printer, just a Brother
laser printer attached to the Desktop (USB). I have the Brother as a
printer on the laptop. It appears as "Auto Brother 1450 on Otto". I tried
to print a page from IE to this printer. Nothing happened. It didn't
matter. I printed it out from the desktop. I took a look at the printers
on the desktop to make sure the Brother was shared and noticed a 64KB file
on Microsoft Document Image Writer with the time just at the time I tried to
print the page from IE. I'll work on that. Meanwhile I am trying to verify
just what document it is.

Stuart


----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Winograd [MVP]" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 2:46 PM
Subject: Re: Can't get network running

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Winograd [MVP]" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 2:46 PM
Subject: Re: Can't get network running



Steve
Thanks for jumping in so promptly. At first I was a bit discouraged by your
suggestions. It seemed like a lot of work and I wasn't sure I understood it
all. However I started to try out the proposals systematically, one by one.

Good. I listed my ideas in order, starting with the one that I
thought was most likely to solve the problem.

1. I disabled ICS on the desktop, then re-enabled it. Nothing happened. I
disabled and re-enabled the laptops Ethernet connection. Bingo !!
The message "connected" appeared in Network Connections. I called up IE
and could surf the net on the laptop.
Thank you very, very much.

You're welcome, Stuart.

I have one small problem. I don't have a network printer, just a Brother
laser printer attached to the Desktop (USB). I have the Brother as a
printer on the laptop. It appears as "Auto Brother 1450 on Otto". I tried
to print a page from IE to this printer. Nothing happened. It didn't
matter. I printed it out from the desktop. I took a look at the printers
on the desktop to make sure the Brother was shared and noticed a 64KB file
on Microsoft Document Image Writer with the time just at the time I tried to
print the page from IE. I'll work on that. Meanwhile I am trying to verify
just what document it is.

What happens if you type this line in the Start | Run box on the
laptop? It should show the desktop's shared disks, folders, and
printers (provided that the desktop's computer name is actually
"Otto"):

\\Otto

If the command shows Otto's shared Brother printer, drag and drop that
printer into the laptop's Printers and Faxes folder, and then try
printing to it.

Stuart

--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Stuart Grant]

Steve
Thanks a million. That did it.
Stuart

What happens if you type this line in the Start | Run box on the
laptop? It should show the desktop's shared disks, folders, and
printers (provided that the desktop's computer name is actually
"Otto"):

\\Otto

If the command shows Otto's shared Brother printer, drag and drop that
printer into the laptop's Printers and Faxes folder, and then try
printing to it.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Steve
Thanks a million. That did it.
Stuart

You're welcome, Stuart. I'm glad that my suggestion helped you solve
the problem.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com