Internet Access Problem

[David]

I have two machines running XP-Pro SP3. The older machine has no
problems connecting to the internet which is done through a switch and
a Billion ADSL modem/router.

I recently built a new machine. It will not access the internet at all
whether I connect it directly to the modem or to the switch.

If I set the new machine to Automatically get an IP address it sits
there for several minutes and then comes up with the message about
Limited or No connectivity.

After a repair this comes up in the details box.

Physical Address: 00-1F-D0-D9-C2-79
IP Address: 169.254.23.219
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway:
DNS Server:
WINS Server:

At this point I have no network and no internet connection.

By reseting the TCP/IP properties I get this result.

Physical Address: 00-1F-D0-D9-C2-79
IP Address: 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.254
DNS Servers: 192.231.203.132, 192.231.203.3
WINS Server:

At this point I have a connection to the network but not to the
Internet. If I attemp to ping the modem (192.168.1.254) from the new
machine I get no response. If I ping from the old machine I get

Pinging 192.168.1.254 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.254:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

In the new machine the motherboard is a brand new Gigabyte
GA-MA780G-UD3H with 2GB RAM. The onboard network is an
RTL8168C(P)/8111C(P) PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC. I have a 750GB SATA
HDD. I even used the File and Settings transfer utility so both
machines are essentially the same. The only difference is the license
number and the drivers for the various bits and pieces.

I even tried replacing the network card with a D-Link card I had lying
around and got the same results.

If I use a fixed IP I can connect to the other machine, If I attempt
to use DHCP I get no connectivity at all. I cannot get this machine to
see the modem/router not even if I connect directly to the router
itself.

Please, what am I doing wrong? What other information do you need to
make a diagnosis.

I have been using computers for thirty years but I'm relatively new to
networking. I previously had two computers networked with internet
access through a Smoothwall firewall machine to a Belkin modem but,
for some obscure reason, the Billion modem doesn't want to connect to
Smoothwall. Maybe I have to go back to that setup.

 

[Jack-MVP]

Hi
IP of 169.254.23.219 means that it is Not really connecting on its own to
the Router.
Maybe this can Help, http://www.ezlan.net/debug.html
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking)

 

[John Wunderlich]

I have two machines running XP-Pro SP3. The older machine has no
problems connecting to the internet which is done through a switch
and a Billion ADSL modem/router.

I recently built a new machine. It will not access the internet at
all whether I connect it directly to the modem or to the switch.

If I set the new machine to Automatically get an IP address it
sits there for several minutes and then comes up with the message
about Limited or No connectivity.

After a repair this comes up in the details box.

Physical Address: 00-1F-D0-D9-C2-79
IP Address: 169.254.23.219
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway:
DNS Server:
WINS Server:

At this point I have no network and no internet connection.

By reseting the TCP/IP properties I get this result.

Physical Address: 00-1F-D0-D9-C2-79
IP Address: 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.254
DNS Servers: 192.231.203.132, 192.231.203.3
WINS Server:

At this point I have a connection to the network but not to the
Internet. If I attemp to ping the modem (192.168.1.254) from the
new machine I get no response. If I ping from the old machine I
get

Pinging 192.168.1.254 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.254:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

In the new machine the motherboard is a brand new Gigabyte
GA-MA780G-UD3H with 2GB RAM. The onboard network is an
RTL8168C(P)/8111C(P) PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC. I have a 750GB
SATA HDD. I even used the File and Settings transfer utility so
both machines are essentially the same. The only difference is the
license number and the drivers for the various bits and pieces.

I even tried replacing the network card with a D-Link card I had
lying around and got the same results.

If I use a fixed IP I can connect to the other machine, If I
attempt to use DHCP I get no connectivity at all. I cannot get
this machine to see the modem/router not even if I connect
directly to the router itself.

Please, what am I doing wrong? What other information do you need
to make a diagnosis.

I have been using computers for thirty years but I'm relatively
new to networking. I previously had two computers networked with
internet access through a Smoothwall firewall machine to a Belkin
modem but, for some obscure reason, the Billion modem doesn't want
to connect to Smoothwall. Maybe I have to go back to that setup.

Sounds like a marginal connection. You can try going to the device
manager, Advanced Tab, for the NIC and fix the speed/duplex instead of
using the "Auto" setting; but, IMHO, this sounds more like a bad cable.

HTH,
-- John

 

[David]

Sounds like a marginal connection. You can try going to the device
manager, Advanced Tab, for the NIC and fix the speed/duplex instead of
using the "Auto" setting; but, IMHO, this sounds more like a bad cable.

HTH,
-- John

If the cable was bad would I be able to access the other computer on
the network and would the other computer be able to access the network
and the internet? I have moved the cables around on the switch and
router sockets but the problem persists. I will try replacing the
cable next.

Fixing the speed to full duplex 100 MBS immediately gave a "Network
Cable unplugged" message which was speedily replaced with "Acquiring
network address". After several minutes this timed out with "Limited
or No Connectivity" as usual.

 

[John Wunderlich]

If the cable was bad would I be able to access the other computer
on the network and would the other computer be able to access the
network and the internet?

10-Base-T internet is basically two differential pair of wires. If one
of the wires in a differential pair in the cable from the computer to
the router were to not to be connected, it is possible this
[disconnected] wire would float in a neutral position and the other
wire swing voltage-wise around this level allowing some communication
(albeit with a lot of noise)... which is a lot like the symptoms you
seem to be experiencing. A bad wire between one computer and the
router would not affect a different computer and the router (and
internet).

-- John

 

[David]

If the cable was bad would I be able to access the other computer
on the network and would the other computer be able to access the
network and the internet?

10-Base-T internet is basically two differential pair of wires. If one
of the wires in a differential pair in the cable from the computer to
the router were to not to be connected, it is possible this
[disconnected] wire would float in a neutral position and the other
wire swing voltage-wise around this level allowing some communication
(albeit with a lot of noise)... which is a lot like the symptoms you
seem to be experiencing. A bad wire between one computer and the
router would not affect a different computer and the router (and
internet).

I changed the cable for one known to be good. Same result. If I select
automatic IP address I get no connection at all, if I use a static IP
I get network but no Internet.

I have tried all the suggestions on the page to which Jack (MS,
MVP-Networking) directed me including downloading the programs and
running them. All of them resulted in the same situation.

Thanks so far. Do you have any other suggestions? This has got to be
something simple but I do not have the network experience to spot it.

 

[David]

If the cable was bad would I be able to access the other computer
on the network and would the other computer be able to access the
network and the internet?

10-Base-T internet is basically two differential pair of wires. If
one
of the wires in a differential pair in the cable from the computer to
the router were to not to be connected, it is possible this
[disconnected] wire would float in a neutral position and the other
wire swing voltage-wise around this level allowing some communication
(albeit with a lot of noise)... which is a lot like the symptoms you
seem to be experiencing. A bad wire between one computer and the
router would not affect a different computer and the router (and
internet).

I changed the cable for one known to be good. Same result. If I select
automatic IP address I get no connection at all, if I use a static IP
I get network but no Internet.

I have tried all the suggestions on the page to which Jack (MS,
MVP-Networking) directed me including downloading the programs and
running them. All of them resulted in the same situation.

Thanks so far. Do you have any other suggestions? This has got to be
something simple but I do not have the network experience to spot it.

Probably off the wall and irrelevant:
Are any (or all) the cables you've recently been playing with/changed
crossover cables?

No. All cables were working with other machines as of less than a
month ago.. It is only this machine which will not work as promised.

 

[James Egan]

I changed the cable for one known to be good. Same result. If I select
automatic IP address I get no connection at all, if I use a static IP
I get network but no Internet.

You might try rebooting and typing
"netsh winsock reset catalog" at a command prompt.

To get on the Internet with a static address, you also need to enter
gateway and dns information. Enter the router's ip addess as default
gateway and the router's ip address or your isp's nameserver address
in the dns settings.


Jim.

 

[David]

You might try rebooting and typing
"netsh winsock reset catalog" at a command prompt.

To get on the Internet with a static address, you also need to enter
gateway and dns information. Enter the router's ip addess as default
gateway and the router's ip address or your isp's nameserver address
in the dns settings.

Thanks to all those who tried to assist. The problem was in the
router. For some reason, as yet unascertained, the router was not
accepting the mac address from the computer. I told it to accept the
mac address of the offending computer and voila! It now works. I am
not sure of what will happen if the modem ever gets turned off but
I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

This is happily posted from my new *you-beaut* computer.