Odd computer problem I have been having ...

[speeddemon]

Of course linux will work, its the best!

Although my laptop has a weird situation in linux, with wireless it will connect to dhcp, get an IP, and then completely refuse to do anything, won't connect out, and nothing can connect to it. I've been told to try a new version of pcmcia_cs, although I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Hope you figure it out!

[lopxtc]

The only reason I am not fully loading it with linux this time, is that I needed a laptop to travel with that I could use Macromedia's MX suite, photoshop, etc ....

Well the place I bought it from is willing to do a swap out for another one, I just need to ship it back to them. If the wife's father was around I could have him check it out ... he's a tech for IBM here in St. Louis ... he actally has the same model laptop I do.

Aaron

Originally posted by speeddemon
Of course linux will work, its the best!

Although my laptop has a weird situation in linux, with wireless it will connect to dhcp, get an IP, and then completely refuse to do anything, won't connect out, and nothing can connect to it. I've been told to try a new version of pcmcia_cs, although I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Hope you figure it out!

[alkafluence]

I can point you in this direction as this might have something to do with it. What the message below indicates to me is that DX9 messed up his settings. Try mucking about with that, and see if that helps. Also if you're using a 10/100 autosensing NIC, try turning off autosense and choose 10Mbps or 100Mbps.

Using a laptop on a daily basis and it has worked flawlessly for years...until this morning. I can not, for the life of me, get win98 to release the 169.x.x.x ip. I also can not change the default route by hand ('route' command). I get either "Error 87" or "destination does not exist". The only thing I did between now and yesterday was install the more recient windows update DX9 critical update. The access point confiuration hasn't changes in over a year. All the other machines on the network can release/renew just fine.

Now for a more technical shot at it:
Apparently in Windows 95 OSR2.x and Windows 98 there is a feature called IP Autoconfiguration. When the installed NIC is not being used...it defaults to DHCP. When you log onto a network it then attempts to find a DHCP service. If it can't find one... the IP Autoconfig feature kicks in and assigns it a random ClassB IP address using the subnet 169.254.x.x ( a Win9x TCP/IP stack default I believe). The registry key for this is located at :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\VXD\DHCP\Dhcpinfo00 The key value is AutoIPConfigurationAddress.


1. Load the Win98 Second Edition CD
2. On the CD....go to \Tools\MTSutil folder
3. Find the file ipac_off.inf......right click on it and choose INSTALL
4. Reboot


This effectively turns off the IP Autoconfiguration and gets rid of that problem. And there is also an ipac_on.inf file there if for whatever reason you'd want to turn the service back on....use same steps.

[lopxtc]

DX 7 in on the machine ... not 9. And also tried the autosense also ... no deal.

Automatic address is turned off also ... but in the machines that the wireless card works with its on. So I know its not that.

Aaron

Originally posted by alkafluence
DX9 messed up his settings. Try mucking about with that, and see if that helps. Also if you're using a 10/100 autosensing NIC, try turning off autosense and choose 10Mbps or 100Mbps.

Now for a more technical shot at it:
Apparently in Windows 95 OSR2.x and Windows 98 there is a feature called IP Autoconfiguration. When the installed NIC is not being used...it defaults to DHCP. When you log onto a network it then attempts to find a DHCP service. If it can't find one... the IP Autoconfig feature kicks in and assigns it a random ClassB IP address using the subnet 169.254.x.x ( a Win9x TCP/IP stack default I believe). The registry key for this is located at :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\VXD\DHCP\Dhcpinfo00 The key value is AutoIPConfigurationAddress.


1. Load the Win98 Second Edition CD
2. On the CD....go to \Tools\MTSutil folder
3. Find the file ipac_off.inf......right click on it and choose INSTALL
4. Reboot


This effectively turns off the IP Autoconfiguration and gets rid of that problem. And there is also an ipac_on.inf file there if for whatever reason you'd want to turn the service back on....use same steps.

[alkafluence]

Did you try the other MSUtil thing I posted off the source files from the CD?

Granted that's for 98SE (which is what you first mentioned), but there's probably a similar file for 2000 or XP.