Problem with local IP address

I have three machines running XP, connected via a Linksys BEFSR41 router
to my NTL cable modem.

All three machines get the local IP address by DHCP and have performed without
problems for many months until now. Suddenly, without any changes being made to
any of the machines, they will not pick up the IP using DHCP. I have tried
manually renewing the lease and power cycling the router and PCs without luck.

To get around the problem I have set the local IP addresses manually on
each machine to 192.168.1.100/101/102 and this works OK.

Machine #2 can dual-boot into two copies of XP on separate partitions. The
strange thing is that the copy of XP on partition 1 picks up the IP address OK
using DHCP, but the copy of XP on the other partition now has to have the IP set
manually.

Two questions: (1) Any ideas what could be causing this problem and (2)
Is there any problem with setting the local IP addresses manually?

--
Exiddor.

In MsgID<(E-Mail Removed)> within uk.comp.home-networking,
'Exiddor' wrote:

>Two questions: (1) Any ideas what could be causing this problem and (2)

Not if the XP version (service packs + updates) and the device drivers,
firewalls, network protocols and general internet software (things like
bandwidth monitoring software) really are identical on the two
installations. Does ipconfig /all give identical results?
Does Ipconfig /renew * or /release * do anything?

Also, the configuration of the network card (network connection properties
/ configure adapter), the advanced part gives flow control/ media type
settings. No idea why that would have an effect, but it's something else
to compare.

>Is there any problem with setting the local IP addresses manually?

As you've gathered I'm shooting in the dark above, the true reason for
this posting is to say that unless you're regularly altering your network
setup I'd personally favour static IPs, once it's done it's done..

Dave J.

On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 22:47:21 +0000, Dave J. wrote:

[...]
> As you've gathered I'm shooting in the dark above, the true reason for
> this posting is to say that unless you're regularly altering your network
> setup I'd personally favour static IPs, once it's done it's done..

I'm still puzzled as to why one of the four identical installations
picks up the local IP using DHCP and the others suddenly don't, after
working correctly for many months.

However, I've now reconfigured the system to use static local IPs - I'll
continue my investigations as time allows and post again if I discover
the reason for the problem.

--
Exiddor.

In MsgID<(E-Mail Removed)> within uk.comp.home-networking,
'Exiddor' wrote:

>On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 22:47:21 +0000, Dave J. wrote:
>
>[...]
>> As you've gathered I'm shooting in the dark above, the true reason for
>> this posting is to say that unless you're regularly altering your network
>> setup I'd personally favour static IPs, once it's done it's done..
>
>I'm still puzzled as to why one of the four identical installations
>picks up the local IP using DHCP and the others suddenly don't, after
>working correctly for many months.
>
>However, I've now reconfigured the system to use static local IPs - I'll
>continue my investigations as time allows and post again if I discover
>the reason for the problem.

I'll be interested if you work it out.

I don't know if you'd find it useful, but from SysInternals there is a
utility called TDIMon which monitors all TCP + UDP activity on the local
machine, perhaps triggering an attempted DHCP update and comparing the
logs on two different installations would show something?

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/TdiMon.html

Dave J.

"Exiddor" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have three machines running XP, connected via a Linksys BEFSR41 router
> to my NTL cable modem.
>
> All three machines get the local IP address by DHCP and have performed
> without
> problems for many months until now. Suddenly, without any changes being
> made to
> any of the machines, they will not pick up the IP using DHCP. I have
> tried
> manually renewing the lease and power cycling the router and PCs without
> luck.
>
> To get around the problem I have set the local IP addresses manually on
> each machine to 192.168.1.100/101/102 and this works OK.
>
> Machine #2 can dual-boot into two copies of XP on separate partitions. The
> strange thing is that the copy of XP on partition 1 picks up the IP
> address OK
> using DHCP, but the copy of XP on the other partition now has to have the
> IP set
> manually.
>
> Two questions: (1) Any ideas what could be causing this problem and (2)
> Is there any problem with setting the local IP addresses manually?
>
> --
> Exiddor.

Sort-of related .......
I have same router and all of a sudden it started 'dropping the local LAN' -
ie. PC would either lose it's DHCP connection or not get one at all.
Power cycle on router made it better, better still was Firmware update to
latest version - very easy to do from Linksys site.

Failing that - log a tech support call with them - very helpful email
support - just time delay from the states.

regards JonMaC

On Fri, 3 Feb 2006 19:12:11 +0000 (UTC), JonMaC wrote:

[...]
> Sort-of related .......
> I have same router and all of a sudden it started 'dropping the local LAN' -
> ie. PC would either lose it's DHCP connection or not get one at all.
> Power cycle on router made it better, better still was Firmware update to
> latest version - very easy to do from Linksys site.
>
> Failing that - log a tech support call with them - very helpful email
> support - just time delay from the states.

Thanks for your reply, but the router already has the latest firmware.

In the course of messing about trying to find the reason for this
problem I changed the lease renew time from the default 0 (one day) to
2880 (two days) and, so far, all machines have been picking up the local
dynamic IP OK using DHCP.

My present thinking is that something got corrupted in the
configuration, and rewriting the config set it up correctly again. I'll
leave it set to use DHCP for the time being, but if the problem occurs
again I'll set it to permanently use static IP locally.

Regards.

--
Exiddor.