DHCP not working on a NIC

[YeOldeStonecat]

I've seen this problem a few times before, but never really stumped me like this one is.

Existing computers...you have a NIC which you want to add TCP/IP to...and have it set to obtain auto...from a DHCP server...yet it will never work....just gets the generic 169.254.xxx.xxx address that Windows assigns itself when it cannot find a DHCP server.

With Win95, often running wsbackup.bat to rebuild the TCP stack did the trick, or removing TCP/IP, reboot, add TCP/IP, it will rebuild fresh from the cabs, reboot...problem gone.

But on some Win98 machines, a guy I work with had this a few months ago, now another tech came across one. 98se.

TCP/IP set to auto obtain, WINS disabled, no gateway, DNS disabled. Yet when I assign manually, I get connectivity...so the NIC and cable works.

Tried the DUN 1.4 update also...no avail. Tried updating NIC drivers..no avail.

[cyberskye]

Doesn't this have something to do with ICS?

Msoft web site:

"
IPAC_OFF.INF - DISABLE TCP/IP IP AUTOCONFIGURATION
The Windows 98 TCP/IP stack supports a new mechanism for automatic address assignment of IP addresses for simple LAN-based network configurations. IP Autoconfiguration Addressing is an extension of dynamic IP address assignment for LAN adapters. It enables configuration of IP addresses without using static IP address assignment or installing a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol DHCP) server.

If a network LAN adapter is configured for TCP/IP, and if "Obtain an IP address automatically" is selected on the IP Address tab in the TCP/IP Properties dialog box, Windows 98 TCP/IP attempts to find and use a DHCP service on the attached network to obtain a dynamically assigned IP address. If it does not find a DHCP service, Windows 98 uses IP Autoconfiguration Addressing by assigning the adapter an Class B IP address out of the network number 169.254.x.x IP address space. In this way, two PCs can be plugged into a LAN hub and can start without any IP address configuration, and can use TCP/IP networking for internetworking. Each computer that uses IP Autoconfiguration Addressing gets an IP address and tests to determine that the IP address is unique and not already in use on the LAN.

IP Autoconfiguration Addressing is enabled by default. IP Autoconfiguration Addressing can be controlled by setting the value of IPAutoconfigurationEnabled (type DWORD) in the registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VXD\DHCP

If the value of IPAutoconfigurationEnabled is nonzero or if the registry key is absent, IP Autoconfiguration Addressing is enabled. An IPAutoconfigurationEnabled value of 0 disables the IP Autoconfiguration Addressing feature.

If Windows 98 initially does not detect a DHCP service and configures an IP Autoconfiguration IP address, and then it subsequently discovers a DHCP service on the network, Windows 98 uses the DHCP service and switches from 169.254.x.x addressing to IP addresses assigned by a DHCP server.
"

If release/renew doesn't grab an addy, I would check the DHCP server and the path to it. Can other boxes get an address?

[Scott]

No, I dont think it has anything to do with ICS. I had a very very similar problem today at work. One computer (98SE) just would not pull an IP from the DHCP. I check the router logs and it was listed as it denied the IP from the router. I had to manually set an IP for it, and it worked great.

All the other boxes grab IP's without a problem, just this one seemed to have some troubles.

I would be real interested to know if anyone figures this one out.

[koldchillah]

hmm..

this might be kinda far off, but before DHCP leases an IP address on a TCP/IP setup, it first receives a discover packet from the client via the UDP protocol. (i'm pretty sure this occurs on port 67).

Perhaps the NIC is having trouble broadcasting the packets using UDP. After all, the UDP protocol doesn't offer any assurance that the packets will even make it to the DHCP, it just sends them on that protocol because its much faster than sending them TCP.
Also you might be getting communication when using static IP's because the UDP protocol isn't called into action to send that initial packet to the DHCP.

OR maybe windows 98 is having the trouble with UDP or port 67?

OR maybe this is just looking in too deep to the issue and it's really a tcp/ip config issue? just thought I'd throw it out there.

[YeOldeStonecat]

I'll try to sit down at the box this afternoon. I know the other engineer who had this problem a few months ago even tried switching NIC's with a brand new 3COM...latest drivers. Same problem....so it's withing the OS itself where something is hosed.

Not related to ICS, no firewalls ever installed on the machine, just a plain Win98 HP box...not even 2 years old.

The DHCP is running find, as it's a NetGear router we have setup in service to hand out IP info to any machines we plug into it so we can download updates, etc.

I'll try that registry key this afternoon, on the road for the morning.

Thanks for the input......keep it comin'!

TGIF!!!

[koldchillah]

any luck on getting an ip yet?

Someone mentioned to me that one of the win98 startup files or registry might be loading the NIC in legacy mode instead of PnP, which perhaps could have something to do with it..

[YeOldeStonecat]

Cyberskye gets the pint of Guinness on me!

Registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic
es\VXD\DHCP

Had two keys, DHCPINFO00 and DHCPINFO01...both identicle almost in contents. Deleted the second one....snags an IP like a champ now.

[cyberskye]

Cheers!

Skye

[Scott]

Hmm, I don't have the extra setting, and still have the problem. I wonder what would happen if I deleted the only one, DHCPINFO00, from the registry?????

Anyone want to test it for me and let me know what happens? ;-)

[cyberskye]

Funny guy.

Wouldn't uninstall/reinstall tcp thing recreate all the entries for the tcp family of protocols anyway?

Skye

[cyberskye]

Curious - what's in that file anyway? Haven't run 9x in a while.


Thanks,

Skye

[YeOldeStonecat]

There was a second one I had deleted, DHCPINFO01

http://209.150.0.191/miscfiles/dhcp.bmp

[Scott]

Just curious, what kind of NIC was involved with the problem machine??

Also, I uninstalled and reinstalled all protocols and devices with absolutely no luck. It works fine with a static IP, just not with DHCP.

[YeOldeStonecat]

The NIC on the problem machine I just came across was a cheap piece of junk in an HP, something like a Realtek or a Kingston...I'm pretty sure it was a Realtek. He updated the drivers from Realteks painfully slow website and tried that. In the problem the other engineer had a few months ago, when I first came across this problem, I said to throw out the Kingston NIC, and put in a 3COM that I tossed him, using the latest drivers. That still didn't work...showing it was a Windoze problem.

[cyberskye]

If the value of IPAutoconfigurationEnabled is nonzero or if the registry key is absent, IP Autoconfiguration Addressing is enabled. An IPAutoconfigurationEnabled value of 0 disables the IP Autoconfiguration Addressing feature.

Have you tried seting the value to zero? Should be in your lonely dhcpinfo0000 entry

Skye