connection nightmare

my computer will not connect to the internet either hardwired or with my new desktop adapter card I bought.

the installation went fine. for at least a day now i've thought i was having an adapter problem, but i hard wired my computer and still the same problem. using the Windows XP network diagnostic tool the problem says that my DefaultIPGateway failed. DNSServerSearchOrder failed and my DHCP server failed.

i have the slightest clue what this means. my router and internet work when i use my notebook, otherwise i wouldn't be able to write this post, but my desktop refuses to allow itself to connect.

does anybody know where i should start?

 

Lots of things to do, I hope you are a patient person!

A: DHCP

1. Right click on "My Network Places" and select properties. (If this is not on the desktop, it'll definately be in "Windows Explorer")

2. A screen will come up entitled "Network Connections", You should have one item for a local area connection, and one for a wireless connection of some sort. What comes next, you need to do 1st for one, then do it all again for the second:

• Before we go any further, I must emphasise that you must do exactly as I advise and write, and don’t go changing anything else!
• Right click on the first one ("Local Area Connection") and select Properties.
• Up comes a screen entitled "Local Area Connection Properties" and in the middle of the screen is a list of between 3 and several items. In that list is an item called "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" Double click on that but DO NOT REMOVE THE TICK next to it.
• Up comes a screen entitled "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties", on the first tab "General" there are two main areas : IP Address and DNS. There are two options for each:
  IP Address:
  • If it has a dot in the option to “Obtain an IP address automatically” then DHCP is already enabled and you must just ignore the next bit and go to “DNS” below
  • If the dot is on “Use the following IP Address”, then write down what is in the next three boxes EXACTLY, (it’ll be a bunch of numbers separated by dots), then click on the other dot above labelled “Obtain an IP Address automatically”, which’ll then make all the numbers greyed out.

DNS (this is exactly the same procedure as above in “IP Address”)



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• • If it has a dot in the option to “Obtain DNS Server address automatically” then automatic DNS is already enabled and you must just ignore the next bit and go to “DHCP IP Address renew” below
  • If the dot is on “Use the following DNS Server Addresses”, then write down what is in the next two boxes EXACTLY, (it’ll be a bunch of numbers separated by dots), then click on the other dot above labelled “Obtain DNS Server Address automatically”, which’ll then make all the numbers greyed out.
• Now, do all of that again for the other connection you have (Wireless LAN or whatever) and then for any others you have too. (It is unlikely that you’ll have a Virtual Private Network connection, if you do, don’t touch that, and come back here to tell us, it’ll be obvious if you do, since it’s labelled as such)

Click OK on everything then close any boxes that don’t have such an option until you arrive back to the desktop. Much of the above may have been just a check, but it’s necessary



B: DHCP IP Address renew



There is a much more reliable way of doing this manually via the command prompt, and whilst the commands are easy, it gets complicated in the writing of what to do, since you have multiple adaptors.

So the quick and easy method is to try clicking on that button that you no doubt found before that says “Repair”. To get to this:

• Right click on "My Network Places" and select properties. (If this is not on the desktop, it'll definately be in "Windows Explorer")
• A screen will come up entitled "Network Connections", You should have one item for a local area connection, and one for a wireless connection of some sort. What comes next, you need to do 1st for one, then do it all again for the second:

• • Right click on the first one ("Local Area Connection") and select Status.
  • Up comes a screen entitled "Local Area Connection Status" and it has two tabs, “General” and “Support”. Click on the “Support” tab
  • Click on repair

If the results are that you can now connect to the internet, come here and tell us. If the results are that you cannot, come back here and tell us, there’s more to be done!





Best of Luck

N.

 

thanks for the post. at this time i have not used your fix as i have reset everything and somehow the adapter is working. although it is running un-encrypted. when i wrote the original post i was using a WEP encryption. i still can't run the adapter with the encryption. so maybe in the next couple days i will end up having to use your solution. i will update if it works or not.

thanks.