Reformat = no internet?!?!?!?

Question

Okay, lets start from the top.

I have four computers, one on Vista, one XP, one Macbook pro and one iMac.

The XP is connected to the main router (dlink) and modem for the internet (bigpond cable). All the lights are on for both the modem and the router!

After reformatting only my XP computer (the main connection, which usually works fine! but then again, i've never reformatted since I started networking the internet) on my iMac, Vista and XP computers - internet does not want to connect! I've tried to re-install the modem drivers and the bigpond CD on my XP computer, how I used to have it, but it's not working!

There's nothing wrong with the connection, because it's working on my Macbook...

I've tried unplugging the whole router and connecting it the way it used to be, but it still won't connect!

What can I do!? Why is one out of four computers working and what the h**l is wrong with the rest?!

My Macbook Pro, however, still has the internet and works perfectly fine! Help!

Answer 1

This problem is with Dynamic Host Client Protocol (DHCP) and not with your computers.  If configured incorrectly, the router will assign IP addresses to machines incorrectly.  What is happening here, is that your router is issuing the same one IP address to all four computers.  To correct this issue, power off all computers and take the following steps.

1-  Unplug the power to your cable modem and your router.

2-  Disconnect all cables going from your PC's to the router (disconnect them at the router, you can leave them plugged in at the PC end).

3-  Wait 30 seconds.

4-  Connect the cable going between your cable modem and router.

5-  Turn on the cable modem and wait until it finishes restarting.

6-  connect the cables from the PC's back into the router.

7-  Turn the router back on and wait until it finishes restarting.

8-  Turn on ONE PC that is directly connected to the router via cable.  Use this PC to check the wireless settings are correct by accessing your router's settings page.  Typically, this is done by typing the following IP address into the address bar in internet explorer (or firefox or safari).  192.168.1.1

9-  Once you have checked your wireless settings, boot up the other machines one at a time and check to make sure they all have connectivity.

This will force your router to recognize that it must accomodate more than one machine and issue more than one IP address.  Failing to power on the devices in this order can create problem like you are experiencing.  For example:

If you turn your router off but leave the computers running, when the router boots up it will immediately be bombarded with requests for IP addresses.  It will revert to issuing the same one IP address again.

If this fails, contact your router's manufacturer for tech support.

Answer 2

First, you give here not enough details.

The bigpond cable needs no soft on none of the computers to run the internet, except if he connects as single machine to the dial-up. D-Link Router is configured to connect the bigpond and gives internet out to every port that is connected. That's why one of your machine runs it ok.

There are 2 ways to connect, cable or wireless. If you connect trough a lan cable on router hub, your PC recieves an adress from the dhcp internal to the router. For this, your networking devices should be installed correctly. A network Nic without installed driver will not work, and, after reformatting a machine you need to reinstall all those drivers.

Same for wifi devices in the machines. So, check if your devices are installed and working, look if tcp/ip protocol is installed, package scheduler service is installed and client for microsoft networks, file and printer sharing if you wanna share between machines and if the wireless zero configuration service is started.

If all is ok and the wireless doesn't lets you connect, check the router settings for dhcp and security.

It is difficult to give you an answer for something one doesn't sees and cannot control sitting in front of own browser

Answer 3

you need to install WLAN drivers for your XP computer.

Go to your computer manafacturer's website to get them. Once you install them, you should be able to connect to your router again :)

Answer 4

so u reformated the windows xp pc and lost all but  the lap top.

1 check the network  device under controol panel make sure its installed properly. sometimes the can be device conflics.

If its in stalled properly just make a new network conection.

for the pc that will not conect.