Internet Access issues - assigning IP Address? NO ONE CAN SOLVE IT.

[Dan K]

For some reason, I have internet issues with my work laptop at home.

Netgear router, supplied by Comcast, works with every device in my house (wife's blackberry, kids' iPod touches, my phone, ipad, family lap top, wife's business lap top, etc.).

For some reason, my work lap top will try and fail to connect constantly, and once in a while will connect, but have no internet access.

My solution, which works sometimes, is to turn off as many other wifi devices in the house that I can, and turn off the router, reset the cable modem, turn the router back on, and pray.  This usually works for a while, but eventually I'll be back to 'limited access' with no internet.

My work IT support guys can't figure it out.  

I think it has to do with too many devices at my house (hence, the turn off everything and pray).

Yesterday, I got this error (for the first time):

"Windows has detected an IP address conflict

Another computer on this network has the same address as this computer. Contact your network administrator for help resolving this issue. More details available in the Windows System event log."

Never have this problem with apple devices.

Any thoughts?

 -Dan

[Capirex]

Router model?
Are the IP addresses all assigned dynamically (DHCP)?

[bomber]

Operating System? I know some are very picky about wireless routers (Win7, for instance)

[Mr. Whippy]

I've found hooking a second router via cable to the first router, and assigning a NEW IP address fixes a lot of these connectivity issues.

I don't know why it seems to work but it seems to bypass whatever causes the single router to choke on the one device (something in the computer or the router is giving mixed info about addresses I figure).

[ConPilot1]

Try manually assigning IP addresses and DNS server numbers instead of the auto-detecting settings.

Just a 3rd grade low-level networking skill edjumicated guess.

[Dan K]

Try manually assigning IP addresses and DNS server numbers instead of the auto-detecting settings.

Just a 3rd grade low-level networking skill edjumicated guess.

Tried that last one, no dice.  Need to figure out what the first couple suggestions mean, but I haven't tried them yet for sure!

Thanks,

 -Dan

[Dan K]

Router model?
Are the IP addresses all assigned dynamically (DHCP)?

Netgear basic Comcast model.  Will check tonight. Not sure if they are assigned dynamically, but I can say they are assigned automatically?

I tried the manual assignment - no luck.

[UFO]

Agreed.  Manually assign IP addresses.  We have about 9-11 devices that access our internet connection and shit would get all wonky sometimes until I sat down and assigned static IP addresses to all of them.

Not sure how you will do it, but I accessed our DSL's configuration page (built in to device) and assigned IPs.

Oh, just saw had no luck with manual assignment.  Good luck, I'm out.

[Dan K]

Operating System? I know some are very picky about wireless routers (Win7, for instance)

Windows, I think Windows 7 Professional.

- Dan

[Dan K]

Agreed.  Manually assign IP addresses.  We have about 9-11 devices that access our internet connection and shit would get all wonky sometimes until I sat down and assigned static IP addresses to all of them.

Not sure how you will do it, but I accessed our DSL's configuration page (built in to device) and assigned IPs.

Oh, just saw had no luck with manual assignment.  Good luck, I'm out.

Maybe I'll assign static IP addresses to the OTHER devices...?

Only tried assigning them to the computer...not sure how to do that though.

- Dan

[JReazor]

It's probably an issue with the DHCP server on the NetGear access point/router. Assuming that the device is serving DHCP.

It's trying to give your laptop an address that something else already has. That can happen if another device has a static address that falls with in the DHCP scope or if a lease has expired but the device has not renewed it's address. That's not supposed to happen but it can.

Find the address that the laptop is getting from the router, then log in to the NetGear, go to the DHCP settings and see if you can add a reservation for that address. That will prevent the DHCP server from trying to hand it out to anything.

[UFO]

You should be able to log in to your DLS/cable router and assign IP addresses to devices there.

On mine (and it's fairly old) it shows all the active ports on the router, then the network names of the devices.  I can then click on the devices (tablet for example) and I can lock an IP address for that device on the router.  I didn't have to do anything with my computers, cellphones, DirecTV boxes, etc.

[Carbonero]

Lots of good suggestions.

In addition, ensure your laptop and/or router aren't hard-configured to use a specific channel with a mismatch. Most routers will default to channel 6 or 11 and the clients are supposed to be able to figure that out and connect accordingly. Occasionally you might need to tweak that for interference on the router (hard-fix another channel), or force the client to ONLY look on a given channel. If you live in a densely populated area (in terms of wifi), channel selection can become very crowded and noisy.

[Giaka]

Sounds like your wifi card on your work laptop is set to static and is conflicting with an address on your home network. Make sure your wifi lan card on your laptop is DHCP. Also it sounds like you have an authentication error with your home network (you can attach but not access the network). Things to try...

1) Verify your laptop lan card is set to DHCP
2) Disconnect from home network and reconnect so that you have to log in with your user name and pasword (or PSK pass phrase)
3) Set your router so that the DHCP leases expire every 24 hours
4) Restart all devices on your home network after setting the lease expiration to 24 hours
5) On the advanced tab of your network card settings make sure there are no "extra" static IPs assigned. Should look like the pic below

[viffergyrl]

I have issues with limited connectivity as well. I found that making Windows (XP in my case) 'repair' the connection works. This may not be applicable and it looks like you have plenty of advice but I always go for 'easy' first....

Let us know what works. Good Luck!

[Giaka]

Oh something else to check. On your router, make sure your DHCP pool has enough free IPs for the amount of devices on your network. Sometimes the router pool is set with limits. For example the DHCP router may only be allowed to use IPs from a range of 192.168.1.50 to 192.168.1.100. Sure this is 50 IPs but if your lease never expires you can chew through 50 IPS pretty fast. Set the range high enough and make sure the lease expires in a manageable time frame.

Another example. On my network I set the DHCP range from say 192.168.1.50 to 192.168.1.155 and set the lease to expire every 24 hours. My netmask on my network is 255.255.255.0 so that gives me 255 IPs to play with (not really but that's not important for this example). If I have devices that need a static IP address I use an address outside the DHCP range such as 192.168.1.20.

[Carbonero]

Mike's got some good information here.  

[Dan K]

Sounds like your wifi card on your work laptop is set to static and is conflicting with an address on your home network. Make sure your wifi lan card on your laptop is DHCP. Also it sounds like you have an authentication error with your home network (you can attach but not access the network). Things to try...

1) Verify your laptop lan card is set to DHCP
2) Disconnect from home network and reconnect so that you have to log in with your user name and pasword (or PSK pass phrase)
3) Set your router so that the DHCP leases expire every 24 hours
4) Restart all devices on your home network after setting the lease expiration to 24 hours
5) On the advanced tab of your network card settings make sure there are no "extra" static IPs assigned. Should look like the pic below

Found the advanced tab as pictured - It says, under IP Addresses, "Automatic Configuration Only" and will not allow me to enable DHCP.

Hmmm..

[Dan K]

Next thing (when I'm home) is to log into the router and try the lease expiration thing.  I have 24 hour access to technical assistance through work - those guys can walk me through it.

Odd that it only affects Windows computers (2 of 3) and no apple devices or the family lap top.

- Dan

[JReazor]

Next thing (when I'm home) is to log into the router and try the lease expiration thing.  I have 24 hour access to technical assistance through work - those guys can walk me through it.

Odd that it only affects Windows computers (2 of 3) and no apple devices or the family lap top.

- Dan

This issue will affect specific devices as the DHCP server will try to assign the same IP address to the same device even after the lease expires as long as the server thinks that the address is free. Could be Win, Mac, Linux, whatever. DHCP doesn't care.