Limited or no connectivity... apparently

Hi,

I have windows Vista Ultimate with all the latest updates, (as far as I
know).
I am happily connected to the internet with the VISTA machine and I can
send/receive emails without any problem.

I also have 2 computers connected to my VISTA machine, a windows XP(sp2) and
a windows 98 machine.

But neither machines can go on the internet, I can ping the XP machine but I
get a 169.254.*.* IP address.
I can connect to it via remote desktop, (I don't use a screen for that PC as
it is only used to do lengthy calculations), and work without any problems.

I use a router, (Genius), but even if I connect the 2 computers directly,
(the XP and the VISTA), I still cannot get the XP machine on the internet.

The fact that the IP address is in the range 169.254.*.* tells me that there
is something else wrong.

But what I don't understand is, if the remote desktop works why do I have
limited connectivity?
What can I try to fix the problem?

Many thanks

Simon

sometimes you will get a corruption in the LSP or Winsock, many times caused
by spyware or removal of same.
The common symptom is that IM, Email or even remote desktop may work, but
the browser can't get to a webpage.
If you remove ALL Network adapters in Device manager then reboot and let
XP/98 restore them, the XP/98 machine should then be able to connect.
If it is the LSP, there is also an lspfix.exe file available (google it)
that does somewhat the same thing.

Normally your router will have an IP of 192.168.1.1 or such, that should be
the IP range of the XP machine. (192.168.1.105 or such)
Make sure the router is setup to use DHCP and has enough IP addresses
available.
If the router is set to only assign 1 IP via DHCP, you can have that problem
as well.

"Simon" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> Hi,
>
> I have windows Vista Ultimate with all the latest updates, (as far as I
> know).
> I am happily connected to the internet with the VISTA machine and I can
> send/receive emails without any problem.
>
> I also have 2 computers connected to my VISTA machine, a windows XP(sp2)
> and a windows 98 machine.
>
> But neither machines can go on the internet, I can ping the XP machine but
> I get a 169.254.*.* IP address.
> I can connect to it via remote desktop, (I don't use a screen for that PC
> as it is only used to do lengthy calculations), and work without any
> problems.
>
> I use a router, (Genius), but even if I connect the 2 computers directly,
> (the XP and the VISTA), I still cannot get the XP machine on the internet.
>
> The fact that the IP address is in the range 169.254.*.* tells me that
> there is something else wrong.
>
> But what I don't understand is, if the remote desktop works why do I have
> limited connectivity?
> What can I try to fix the problem?
>
> Many thanks
>
> Simon

> sometimes you will get a corruption in the LSP or Winsock, many times
> caused by spyware or removal of same.
> The common symptom is that IM, Email or even remote desktop may work, but
> the browser can't get to a webpage.
> If you remove ALL Network adapters in Device manager then reboot and let
> XP/98 restore them, the XP/98 machine should then be able to connect.
> If it is the LSP, there is also an lspfix.exe file available (google it)
> that does somewhat the same thing.

Thanks, I tried that but it did not fix the problem the VISTA machine does
not have a valid IP address as well.
I get the same problem as
http://thevistaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=14072
but none of the solutions seem to work.

My network is reported as "unindentifed network" with "Local Access Only"
But my Adsl modem also has "Local Access Only".

> Normally your router will have an IP of 192.168.1.1 or such, that should
> be the IP range of the XP machine. (192.168.1.105 or such)
> Make sure the router is setup to use DHCP and has enough IP addresses
> available.
> If the router is set to only assign 1 IP via DHCP, you can have that
> problem as well.

The router has been working fine, and in any case if I plug the XP machine
directly with the VISTA machine, (not using the router), it still does not
work.

Obviously a windows update has caused some kind of change to my settings.

Simon

Maybe I am missing something.
Is the CAT5 cable from the ADSL modem plugged into the WAN port on the
router?
Is the router is set to get an IP automatically?
Is the router set to assign IP addresses via DHCP and has at least 3
addresses available?
Are all PCs set to 'get an IP address automatically'?
Are the Vista Machine, XP machine and W98 machines plugged into network
ports on the router? (numbered 1-4)
Check your owners documentation for the default IP of the router and modem,
but 98% of the ones I use have IPs as described below.
I have seen people plug the cable from the modem into one of the network
ports (numbered 1-4) instead of the WAN port of the router.
When that happens, the only PC that will connect is the one plugged into the
WAN port.
I have also seen improperly configured modems.
Generally the modem has an address at 192.168.100.1 but you may need to
check the modem manual to access it.
The modem should be set to get an IP address automatically, and assign an IP
automatically (to the router).
The IP address for the router may be 192.168.100.x on the (WAN) modem side
but should be 192.168.1.1 on the LAN side.
As far as the Modem is concerned, it's IP should be the gateway address in
the router and the router's IP should be the gateway IP showing on the PCs.
The external (ISP side of the modem) may show a 169.xx.xx.xx IP, but the LAN
side should be 192.168.100.1 or such.
If any of the above is NOT true, power everything down.
Start with the cable from the modem to the WAN port and make sure every
cable is correctly placed.
Then power on the modem.
After 2 minutes, power on the router.
After 2 minutes, power on the PCs, 1 at a time.
Do they work?

"Simon" <> wrote in message
news:%...
>> sometimes you will get a corruption in the LSP or Winsock, many times
>> caused by spyware or removal of same.
>> The common symptom is that IM, Email or even remote desktop may work, but
>> the browser can't get to a webpage.
>> If you remove ALL Network adapters in Device manager then reboot and let
>> XP/98 restore them, the XP/98 machine should then be able to connect.
>> If it is the LSP, there is also an lspfix.exe file available (google it)
>> that does somewhat the same thing.
>
> Thanks, I tried that but it did not fix the problem the VISTA machine does
> not have a valid IP address as well.
> I get the same problem as
> http://thevistaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=14072
> but none of the solutions seem to work.
>
> My network is reported as "unindentifed network" with "Local Access Only"
> But my Adsl modem also has "Local Access Only".
>
>> Normally your router will have an IP of 192.168.1.1 or such, that should
>> be the IP range of the XP machine. (192.168.1.105 or such)
>> Make sure the router is setup to use DHCP and has enough IP addresses
>> available.
>> If the router is set to only assign 1 IP via DHCP, you can have that
>> problem as well.
>
> The router has been working fine, and in any case if I plug the XP machine
> directly with the VISTA machine, (not using the router), it still does not
> work.
>
> Obviously a windows update has caused some kind of change to my settings.
>
> Simon

Hi,

First you want to find out where the problem lies. Connect a monitor &
keyboard to the XP machine and connect it directly to your internet feed,
not through another host or the router, but directly to it. If it connects
properly, then you know there is a problem in the configuration, if not then
you have a problem with the network stack in XP.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Simon" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> Hi,
>
> I have windows Vista Ultimate with all the latest updates, (as far as I
> know).
> I am happily connected to the internet with the VISTA machine and I can
> send/receive emails without any problem.
>
> I also have 2 computers connected to my VISTA machine, a windows XP(sp2)
> and a windows 98 machine.
>
> But neither machines can go on the internet, I can ping the XP machine but
> I get a 169.254.*.* IP address.
> I can connect to it via remote desktop, (I don't use a screen for that PC
> as it is only used to do lengthy calculations), and work without any
> problems.
>
> I use a router, (Genius), but even if I connect the 2 computers directly,
> (the XP and the VISTA), I still cannot get the XP machine on the internet.
>
> The fact that the IP address is in the range 169.254.*.* tells me that
> there is something else wrong.
>
> But what I don't understand is, if the remote desktop works why do I have
> limited connectivity?
> What can I try to fix the problem?
>
> Many thanks
>
> Simon

> Are all PCs set to 'get an IP address automatically'?

Yes/

> Are the Vista Machine, XP machine and W98 machines plugged into network
> ports on the router? (numbered 1-4)

I am not using the router anymore, only the XP is connected to the VISTA
machine.

> Then power on the modem.
> After 2 minutes, power on the router.
> After 2 minutes, power on the PCs, 1 at a time.
> Do they work?
>

Thanks again, but it still does not work.

As I said I have taken the router and modem out of the equation.

The VISTA computer is now connected to the XP computer directly, (both via
their respective network cards).
And I am still having a problem, (unidentified network, private IP address
169.*.*.*).

So basically the VISTA machine cannot get an IP address.

Simon

>
> First you want to find out where the problem lies. Connect a monitor &
> keyboard to the XP machine and connect it directly to your internet feed,
> not through another host or the router, but directly to it. If it connects
> properly, then you know there is a problem in the configuration, if not
> then you have a problem with the network stack in XP.
>

Thanks for the reply.
But the problem is the network, if I unplug the modem and the router and
simply plug the XP computer to the VISTA computer, (via their network
cards), I still cannot connect properly.

I still get network limited connectivity.
I also get the 'Unidentified Network' message telling me that there is
something wrong with the network configuration.

Simon

If you just take a CAT5 cable and connect the NIC from 1 computer to
another, they will never connect.
To do that requires what is called a crossover cable. It looks the same as a
CAT5, but 2 of the wires are reversed internally.
Ask at a computer store.
That is why you connect the PCs to the switch portion of the Router.
A regular CAT5 cable plugged into the router works to connect the 2
computers because the router sends the data to the correct wires in the
cable, a direct connection does NOT.
The modem or router then 'bridges' the connection between your ISP and the
computers. See my previous message describing internal and external IPs.
To get an IP address, you need to have a DHCP server. Unless you set one of
the computers as a DHCP server and use Internet Connection Sharing (which
isn't a good idea when you have the hardware you described).
The ADSL modem provides that service, generally for 1 IP address.
It then assigns that IP address to the Router which can supply up to 254 IP
addresses via the routers DHCP service.
If you don't have the modem connected, neither machine has a path to the
internet..
If you look at my last post, and make sure everything is connected and setup
as described, I think you'll be surprised when it actually works.
That is assuming all the hardware is good.
--
A Professional Amateur...If anyone knew it all, none of would be here!

Change Alpha to Numeric to reply
"Simon" <> wrote in message
news:...
>> Are all PCs set to 'get an IP address automatically'?
>
> Yes/
>
>> Are the Vista Machine, XP machine and W98 machines plugged into network
>> ports on the router? (numbered 1-4)
>
> I am not using the router anymore, only the XP is connected to the VISTA
> machine.
>
>> Then power on the modem.
>> After 2 minutes, power on the router.
>> After 2 minutes, power on the PCs, 1 at a time.
>> Do they work?
>>
>
> Thanks again, but it still does not work.
>
> As I said I have taken the router and modem out of the equation.
>
> The VISTA computer is now connected to the XP computer directly, (both via
> their respective network cards).
> And I am still having a problem, (unidentified network, private IP address
> 169.*.*.*).
>
> So basically the VISTA machine cannot get an IP address.
>
> Simon

> If you just take a CAT5 cable and connect the NIC from 1 computer to
> another, they will never connect.

I am using a cross over cable.

> If you don't have the modem connected, neither machine has a path to the
> internet..

They cannot even connect to each others.

> If you look at my last post, and make sure everything is connected and
> setup as described, I think you'll be surprised when it actually works.

I will have another look, but I think I need to get the network working and
then I can worry about the internet.
As it is now I cannot even get a local network.

Simon

Try going to start in search type service.msc when you get there
disconnect and reconnect.

Simon;551328 Wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have windows Vista Ultimate with all the latest updates, (as far as I
> know).
> I am happily connected to the internet with the VISTA machine and I can
> send/receive emails without any problem.
>
> I also have 2 computers connected to my VISTA machine, a windows
> XP(sp2) and
> a windows 98 machine.
>
> But neither machines can go on the internet, I can ping the XP machine
> but I
> get a 169.254.*.* IP address.
> I can connect to it via remote desktop, (I don't use a screen for that
> PC as
> it is only used to do lengthy calculations), and work without any
> problems.
>
> I use a router, (Genius), but even if I connect the 2 computers
> directly,
> (the XP and the VISTA), I still cannot get the XP machine on the
> internet.
>
> The fact that the IP address is in the range 169.254.*.* tells me that
> there
> is something else wrong.
>
> But what I don't understand is, if the remote desktop works why do I
> have
> limited connectivity?
> What can I try to fix the problem?
>
> Many thanks
>
> Simon


--
dbremby