NIC can't bind IP...?

[Kenneth]

Howdy,

I have a Dell Latitude D610 with an integrated NIC on the
motherboard. The OS is XP Pro.

I very frequently change network settings because I move the
laptop from place to place. I typically use software
(NetSwitcher) to make those changes. When in my office, I
use a static IP address.

For the last few weeks, I often have the following problem:

When I run NetSwitcher, the NIC hangs with the message
"Acquiring IP address." At that point, I had been able to
resolve matters by clicking on "Repair" in the Net
Properties.

But now, even that technique often fails. "Repair" leaves
things just as they were, with the status as "Acquiring IP
address."

If I run IP config I see that there is no IP address
assigned. Then, if I attempt either a "release" or a "renew"
I get a message telling me that the NIC is not in a state
that will allow the command to take effect.

I also get a System error telling me that there is a
conflict on our Lan because two systems have the same IP
address. I have checked very carefully, and there is, in
fact, no such conflict.

If I reboot, I can usually (but not always) assign the IP
address, and with that, all is well. On occasion, I must
reboot several times.

So, with all that as background...

The folks at Dell tell me that this situation is likely to
indicate that the NIC is flaky, and, they say, the (out of
warrantee) repair will require a new MOBO.

With what I have described, could anything else be the
cause? That is, might this be a software or driver problem?

And if so, how might I diagnose and repair the difficulty?

Many thanks for any help,

 

[Steve Winograd]

Howdy,

I have a Dell Latitude D610 with an integrated NIC on the
motherboard. The OS is XP Pro.

I very frequently change network settings because I move the
laptop from place to place. I typically use software
(NetSwitcher) to make those changes. When in my office, I
use a static IP address.

For the last few weeks, I often have the following problem:

When I run NetSwitcher, the NIC hangs with the message
"Acquiring IP address." At that point, I had been able to
resolve matters by clicking on "Repair" in the Net
Properties.

But now, even that technique often fails. "Repair" leaves
things just as they were, with the status as "Acquiring IP
address."

If I run IP config I see that there is no IP address
assigned. Then, if I attempt either a "release" or a "renew"
I get a message telling me that the NIC is not in a state
that will allow the command to take effect.

I also get a System error telling me that there is a
conflict on our Lan because two systems have the same IP
address. I have checked very carefully, and there is, in
fact, no such conflict.

If I reboot, I can usually (but not always) assign the IP
address, and with that, all is well. On occasion, I must
reboot several times.

So, with all that as background...

The folks at Dell tell me that this situation is likely to
indicate that the NIC is flaky, and, they say, the (out of
warrantee) repair will require a new MOBO.

With what I have described, could anything else be the
cause? That is, might this be a software or driver problem?

And if so, how might I diagnose and repair the difficulty?

Many thanks for any help,

Have you un-installed and re-installed the NIC?

If the NIC is bad, replacing the motherboard seems like a drastic
solution to me. It would be much simpler and less expensive to buy a
new PC Card NIC and plug it in.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Desktop Experience)

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

 

[Kenneth]

Have you un-installed and re-installed the NIC?

Hi Steve,

I have not...

I take it that you would suggest I give that a try?

Many thanks,

 

[Steve Winograd]

Hi Steve,

I have not...

I take it that you would suggest I give that a try?

Many thanks,

Yes.

You're welcome.

Please let us know if it helps.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Desktop Experience)

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

 

[Kenneth]

Yes.

You're welcome.

Please let us know if it helps.

Hi Steve,

I un-installed and re-installed the NIC.

The problem seems the same.

I do see though that if it gets "stuck" acquiring the IP
address, I can click Disable, then Enable, and all functions
properly.

That is certainly easier than doing a re-boot.

If the status remains unchanged, I could certainly tolerate
the situation, and that would be quite a bit less costly
than replacing the mobo as suggested by my friends at Dell.

I am, by the way, using the most recent driver for the NIC.

Thanks for any further thoughts,

 

[smlunatick]

Hi Steve,

I un-installed and re-installed the NIC.

The problem seems the same.

I do see though that if it gets "stuck" acquiring the IP
address, I can click Disable, then Enable, and all functions
properly.

That is certainly easier than doing a re-boot.

If the status remains unchanged, I could certainly tolerate
the situation, and that would be quite a bit less costly
than replacing the mobo as suggested by my friends at Dell.

I am, by the way, using the most recent driver for the NIC.

Thanks for any further thoughts,

Check the firewall software, if not using the XP built in one.

 

[Kenneth]

Check the firewall software, if not using the XP built in one.

Hi again,

Nothing on (the system is behind the router...

Thanks again,