IP Configuration Question
 

Since "upgrading" from IE7 to IE8 on my laptop, I've had to run "repair connection" after every startup (I use XP Pro) because Windows has assigned an ISP address starting with 169.xxx instead of the address used by the Netgear router on my network.

This is more a nuisance than a problem, but I have been wondering what would happen if I stop using the automatic feature and manually assign an IP address and a DNS server address (using the default TCP/IP settings for the Netgear router).

It's probably a stupid question, and on any other computer I would just try it, but this is my problem-prone Lenovo T61 that will seize any opportunity to avoid a normal startup, so I'm not feeling experimental.

This has nothing to do with IE8 :)

Timing sounds simply like coincidence. This is standard practice for windows to assign if it can't pickup an IP from your router DHCP, sounds like you may need to unplug your router for a moment and plug it back in, if that fails it could mean a number of other things, but give that a shot first.

Thanks, Steph3n, that was the first thing I did, but I'll try it again.

I would recomend against statically assigning an IP address to your laptop unless you know what you're doing. If you do, then you'll need to change it back to DHCP anytime you want to get online at a hotel, airport, coffee shop, etc.

Also, if you do decide to assign a static IP, don't point your laptops DNS settings at your router. You need to point at your ISP's DNS servers, or find a public DNS server(s) that you can use.

windows sets up networking VERY late in the startup cycle. Since xp, they GET you to the desktop, but one really can't do anything at that point. Let it cook a bit more, with whatever networking you are using and wait till the pop up in the bottom right menu bar says associated. It should work then. There has probably been an install in the past few weeks/month that has changed this

Thanks for trying to help, guys
 

Okay, I rebooted the whole network- modem, router, PC & laptop, and it's still giving me the "limited or no connectivity" message.

This baby's so unstable, I think its travelling days are over.

I was afraid that it sounded too simple. If it's not too much trouble, can you tell me why I shouldn't use the router settings? (I'm a tech idiot, but I'm always trying to understand things better.)

I learned early on with this laptop, that it needs a long startup and gets cranky if I rush things, so I try not to. In fact, I always wait for the icon in the bottom right bar: it's that popup that's telling me I have limited or no connectivity.

The only installs since April have been the regular MS updates (after which it was still starting and connecting normally) and the IE8 install Wednesday night.

As I said in the beginning, it's more an annoyance than a problem, and I'd prefer to keep IE8 as it seems to be a bit more secure than IE7. I just thought that if there was a simple fix (like changing my settings), that it would be worth doing.

At this point, I would try to uninstall IE8 and go back to 7 or FF for the moment. The internet settings piece of IE DOES take over some system settings and also some applications look to the IE settings REGARDLESS of whether or not IE is used. Things like, network connection priorities that are sometimes set in IE, get used even though we might have some programs that do it differently.

Because your router isn't a DNS server :)

All nodes on the Internet communicate with each other using IP addresses, not domain names. Nobody wants to remember the IP address of every single website that they want to visit, so DNS was invented to associate "friendly names" that people could remember, to IP addresses. DNS is the phone book that maps domain names to IP addresses.

When you type www.flyertalk.com, or any other URL, into your browser, your PC asks its DNS server for the IP address of www.flyertalk.com. DNS responds with the IP address, then your PC communicates directly to that IP address.

So, getting back to my first point, your router is not a DNS server so therefore pointing your PC's DNS settings at your router would have no effect and you'd have no name resolution. Your ISP should maintain a DNS server that you can use.

JClishe, okay, I get it. Thanks. :)

The router will forward all DNS requests to the ISPs DNS server automatically. So you can set it up using the routers IP address as the DNS address on the client.

So, basically, if your routers IP address is 192.168.0.1, you use that address as the gateway IP address and as the DNS Server, and then you pick an address that the router won't assign as a DHCP adress, for example 192.168.0.250 (that one depends on your router and any other statically assigned IP addresses you might have on your home network) for that machine's IP address.

Except for the static IP address you pick for that laptop, you can just copy the settings from one of the other computers on your home network.

This isn't the only way to set it up, but I think it's what the OP wants to do, and it should be fine.

-David

Not necessarily, this depends entirely on the router. Not all routers accept DNS traffic on port 53.

If you have DHCP enabled on your clients, the router will assign its clients the DNS servers that *it's* receiving via DHCP from your ISP. Do an ipconfig on your clients on you'll likely see that their DNS settings are pointing at your ISP's DNS servers, not the router itself.

There is a difference between a routers ability to accept nameserver traffic on port 53 and forward it to an upstream DNS or root hints server vs. it's ability to hand out DNS settings via DHCP. This is why I recommended to the OP that leaving his clients DHCP enabled is the safer solution unless he has knowledge of TCP/IP. If the OP follows your advice than he would have to manually change his IP config anytime he wants to get online anywhere else.

Check if your router is doing DHCP automatically (it looks like as if it turned off for some reason and that's why Windows gives you a 169.XXX.XXX.XXX Address). If not turn this on. Set your PC to receive IP-Address and DNS-Server-Address automatically. Every homer outer will act as an DNS relay and forward DNS request to the appropriate DNS server of your provider. I never heard of home routers which can't do that.

The laptop is set to receive IP-Address and DNS-Server-Address automatically.

The router is set to always assign the same addresses to the laptop and to the PC because, in the past when it assigned addresses randomly, I had connection problems whenever the PC and laptop weren't started in the same order.

At the moment that wouldn't be a problem because I don't plan to travel with this laptop any more.

I think you're missing my point. If you configure your PC to receive DNS server addresses automatically, then your router is likely *NOT* relaying or forwarding DNS requests to your provider. Your router will usually assign your PC's the IP addresses of your providers DNS servers, and your PC's will communicate directly to your providers DNS servers, not your router.

Please understand that a routers ability to assign DNS server addresses to PC's Vs. its ability to forward/relay DNS queries are two *completely* different things that impact your IP configuration much differently.