Prev: WAP54G firmware upgrade goes awry
Next: Setting up the D-LinkG640T ??
From: Robert Coe on 4 Jul 2006 07:30
On Mon, 03 Jul 2006 21:19:41 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
<jeffl(a)comix.santa-cruz.ca.us> wrote:
: "Xiong Chiamiov" <xiong.chiamiov(a)gmail.com> hath wroth:
: >It has
: >been reformatted once ('bout a year, year and a half ago) and is
: >working fine other than that. I am pretty darn sure that it hasn't had
: >any spyware on it for a long time, or viruses either.
: >My other comps are connected with IPs of 192.168.1.101, 192.168.1.102,
: >etc. I have IP addresses open for much longer than that, and no limit
: >on DHCP clients.
:
: >Subnet mask: 255.255.255.128
:
: Bingo! Use 255.255.255.0 instead. That's the problem and why the
: DHCP server is working but not delivering an IP address.

Why so? Nothing we've heard so far suggests that he needs the wider range. Are
his other computers getting their addresses from the Linksys? They could be,
since their addresses fall within the range.

: Also, did you perhaps limit the number of available DHCP addresses in
: the router as some manner of security measure? I know you said "no
: limit on DHCP clients" but I want to be sure we're talking about the
: same thing.
:
: >Gateway and DHCP server: 192.168.1.1

Which is consistent with the existing subnet mask.

: >DNS Servers: 207.69.188.185, 207.69.188.186, 207.69.188.187
: >
: >I will check again without encryption, as well as with static IP, and
: >report back to you. If it is the card, I can still get a replacement
: >from Newegg, so that's all good.
: >Thanks.

My bet is that the interface is misconfigured on the client.
From: Jeff Liebermann on 4 Jul 2006 10:50
Robert Coe <bob(a)1776.COM> hath wroth:

>On Mon, 03 Jul 2006 21:19:41 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
><jeffl(a)comix.santa-cruz.ca.us> wrote:
>: "Xiong Chiamiov" <xiong.chiamiov(a)gmail.com> hath wroth:
>: >It has
>: >been reformatted once ('bout a year, year and a half ago) and is
>: >working fine other than that. I am pretty darn sure that it hasn't had
>: >any spyware on it for a long time, or viruses either.
>: >My other comps are connected with IPs of 192.168.1.101, 192.168.1.102,
>: >etc. I have IP addresses open for much longer than that, and no limit
>: >on DHCP clients.
>:
>: >Subnet mask: 255.255.255.128
>:
>: Bingo! Use 255.255.255.0 instead. That's the problem and why the
>: DHCP server is working but not delivering an IP address.
>
>Why so? Nothing we've heard so far suggests that he needs the wider range. Are
>his other computers getting their addresses from the Linksys? They could be,
>since their addresses fall within the range.

You're right. It should work with a netmask of 255.255.255.128. That
gives a host range of 192.168.1.1 thru 192.168.1.126 (with .127 as
broadcast). All his IP's fall inside this range, so it should work.

However, my suspicious mind always looks for settings that are out of
the ordinary and not part of the standard wireless router
configuration. The odd netmask is one. If he doesn't need two
subnets, then there's no reason to NOT use the standard 255.255.255.0.
The list of IP's used is also incomplete. I doubt that he's using
over 26 computers that need IP's, but it's possible. The fact that it
is intermittent sorta hints that he might be running out of IP's in
the DHCP address pool. Dunno. I suggest he put the router back to
something resembling the simple default settings. It can't hurt.

>My bet is that the interface is misconfigured on the client.

I've been trying to figure out how one could do that and get a DHCP
delivered IP address of 255.255.255.255. It might be misconfigured
but there are a limited number of ways to screw up the client setup.
If the wired ethernet is functional, then it's a fair bet that the IP
stack is intact. The fact that it sometimes works makes the logic
even more complex. I don't think it's misconfiguration as
configurations don't change by themselves intermittently (unless he's
using multiple Profiles or Netswitcher). My guess(tm) is a broken
wireless driver.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl(a)comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
From: Xiong Chiamiov on 4 Jul 2006 19:20
Just replying to what I can before I change anything.
I'll see what I can do as far as getting a cable.
Max # of DHCP users is 27, I only have the wired desktop and the two
wireless laptops connected, which are getting their IPs from the
router.
I'm not using profiles of any kind as far as wireless, or Netswitcher.
There is a cordless phone in the room, but one of the laptops connects
while right next to the problem computer.
After waiting somewhere around five minutes, I fired up ipconfig and
still got the same thing: 255.255.255.255 for the DHCP server.
Using that tool gives me a "no response" error, both with and without
ethernet checked.
I have the latest versions of the driver and utility; I double-checked.

And btw, my sister's laptop (which is using a 3COM card) worked
originally, then wasn't working when all the others were. Now it is
working fine, but it's the old desktop that's not. And when the laptop
wasn't working, it had the same problem. That's part of what was
making me think it was the router at first.

From: Xiong Chiamiov on 4 Jul 2006 19:40
I changed the subnet on the router to 255.255.255.0. Didn't change
anything. However...

As I was about to check with a static IP, the computer told me it was
connected. This was pretty much right on 45 minutes of the computer
being on, according to the wireless connection 2 properties. I can't
access anything through the DHCP tool or ping or such, but now I have
an autoconfiguration IP of 169.254.30.168 and a subnet of 255.255.0.0.
So, according to one of your earlier messages, that means DHCP has
failed? But why did it take 45 mins?

From: Robert Coe on 4 Jul 2006 20:06
On 4 Jul 2006 16:40:03 -0700, "Xiong Chiamiov" <xiong.chiamiov(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
: I changed the subnet on the router to 255.255.255.0. Didn't change
: anything. However...
:
: As I was about to check with a static IP, the computer told me it was
: connected. This was pretty much right on 45 minutes of the computer
: being on, according to the wireless connection 2 properties. I can't
: access anything through the DHCP tool or ping or such, but now I have
: an autoconfiguration IP of 169.254.30.168 and a subnet of 255.255.0.0.
: So, according to one of your earlier messages, that means DHCP has
: failed?

It's a little more specific than that. You get the autoconfiguration address
only if the client decides there is no DHCP server. If the DHCP server is
present but failing to produce an acceptable IP address, you get something
different. (Usually all zeros, I think, but it depends on the driver, the OS,
and possibly the DHCP server itself. Sometimes the driver just leaves the
previous address alone.)

I still think you've got something misconfigured on the client, or (as Jeff
Lieberman posits) your driver is bad. Are you sure you've got the latest
driver? And the latest firmware for the card? Linksys cards don't normally
take firmware, but I've seen a Netgear that does. Yours is a Brand X IIRC, so
it's anybody's guess.

: But why did it take 45 mins?

Yeah, that's strange. I've seen clients try for several minutes before giving
up, but 45 minutes is way off the graph. I guess that suggests a driver
problem. Or severe RF interference that keeps the client from determining
whether the server is responding or not.
First  |  Prev  |  Next  |  Last
Pages: 1 2 3 4
Prev: WAP54G firmware upgrade goes awry
Next: Setting up the D-LinkG640T ??