Windows can't pull a valid IP address...Help!?

Question

All of a sudden my internet connection won't work. Comcast came out and said it's not the modem. Supposedly Windows IP can't pull a valid IP address. So it's something with my computer...I'm clueless. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I know this is long but it isn't too scary!!  :-D

You might find this Microsoft article a bit over your head but do the practical things that it says like pinging.  It will help to narrow down the problem and then maybe you'll be able to ask a more specific question.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/169790

My usual response when the internet doesn't seem to be working is to check the lights on the modem are all on, that the command prompt shows me having a suitable IP address and that I can ping Google (only Google doesn't seem to be "pingable" today so you would need to try someone else).

To ping, just means to open a DOS window and type ping followed by something else and see what results you get back.

Click Start --> Run.

Type in cmd and click Okay.

Now type in this window:

ping google.com

Hopefully you don't get back something like this (the number for Google might be different - that's okay; they have heaps of numbers):

======

C:\WINDOWS\Desktop>ping google.com

Pinging google.com [64.233.187.99] with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 64.233.187.99:

    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

    Minimum = 0ms, Maximum =  0ms, Average =  0ms

======

If you get "Request timed out" and 100% loss (we want to know at least 25% got through - then it becomes a different problem), my next step would be one or both of these commands:

ping 64.233.187.99

(whatever the number was that came up when I tried "ping google.com")

If this got me a different answer to "Request timed out" I would assume my DNS settings had gone wrong but that's not happened to us yet.

or:

ipconfig

which should get you something like this:

========

C:\WINDOWS\Desktop>ipconfig

Windows 98 IP Configuration

0 Ethernet adapter :

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

        Default Gateway . . . . . . :

1 Ethernet adapter :

        IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.8

        Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

        Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

==========

If you get 0.0.0.0 on all adapters, try:

ipconfig/renew

(unless you are using 98 like I am at the moment and then you type ipconfig/renew_all)

and see if some numbers come up.  Might seem like it's gone to sleep on you but it will come back.  If you get 0.0.0.0 again or something that starts 169.254 then your computer probably isn't "talking" to the modem.  Most likely you should be starting with 192.16 although some start with 10.0 or 10.somethingelse.  Your modem manual would tell you what your modem's address is and yours should only be different on the last number, eg 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.2

You need to know that you can "talk" to your modem.  Most of them have you open a browser window and type an IP address into the address bar - we use 192.168.1.1 to get to ours.  Your modem manual will tell you how to make sure the computer and modem are "talking" to each other.  Actually, your modem manual may be easier to follow than the Microsoft article.  Download a copy off the internet if you don't know where yours is.  (Hope you aren't doing this on your phone - the manual could be tricky to get!)

Your firewall might be a problem too, especially if you are using more than one.  Only ever use one - two can run into each other and stop you accessing anything outside your computer.  Same goes for anti-virus programs - they'll fight.

One last thing that occurred to me is that you need to make sure that your filter is on your phone, if you have the modem going through your phone line.

I know that's a lot but it does help in finding the problem.  Try different things and write down what the result was.

Answer 2

network card crapped out??

Answer 3

it could be your ISP as it is that which give you an IP address not windows.

Make sure that your IP set up is set to DHCP if not set it to that if it still doesn't work you may have to replace your net card