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DNS / DHCP issue prevents 1 computer in 3 on home network from accessing internet

Please see

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21913121/DNS-issue-on-one-computer-in-3-computer-home-network.html#17070556

Much background work has been done but problem continues.

Did you check the network cable this PC is connected with? If all 3 computers are connected to the same switch or connected directly to the linksys device, then it might be a bad network cable. Try swapping ports with a working PC on the linksys device. Try a different network cable. The PC sounds like its working fine, it just can't communicate on the network and is unable to locate a DHCP server.

ASKER

The pc can communicate with other computers on the home network but can not access anything other than the home network.

I did run the guided help TCP/IP reset from Microsoft. That did not resolve the problem, but I no longer have to make the problem pc a static ip address... it can now obtain ip address automatically from the router.

I'm not sure, but this might hold a clue:
When I double click on the local area connection icon a box appears with a graphic of the connection.

Sent -- graphic -- Received

The upper right corner of this graphic there appears a picture of a closed Lock

The lock could be the windows firewall. I would suggest turning this off, you can ensure it stays off by disabling the ICS/firewall service in the services snapin under the administrative tools folder in the control panel. Then see if you are still having the same issues.

ASKER

It was the windows firewall... thought I had it off. I do have my usual antivirus and firewall disabled for the duration of this problem.

So can you access internet hosts now or are you still having a problem? Try a tracert of an internet host/IP, from a command prompt, do "tracert google.com" without the quotes. See where the path fails. This might be a good indication of where the problem is.

ASKER

No internet access.

Tracert: "Unable to resolve target system name google.com"

do an "ipconfig /all" and paste the results here please from the system having the problem.

Can you also do the same on a PC that is working and paste the results here.

Thanks

ASKER

is there an easy way to copy/paste from that window... if not I'll type

you can enable quick edit mode, right click on the upper left hand corner of the windows, by the dos icon, click properties, enable the check box for quick edit mode, and then click ok twice. Then you can highlight and copy/paste.

ASKER

From problem pc:

C:\Documents and Settings\csc>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : AMD
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 14:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 10/100 PCI Ethernet Adapter
#2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-01-53-81-84-17
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 192.168.1.150
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

From working pc:

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : p4
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : semo.net

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : semo.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VIA Compatable Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-E0-4C-91-2D-39
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 216.41.128.73
216.41.128.200
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, July 09, 2006 9:42:04 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, August 24, 2006 9:57:04 AM

Looks like the problem PC is still setup with a static IP. If you change it to acquire automatically for both IP and DNS, does the output of the ipconfig /all change for the problem pc?

ASKER

Heres the ipconfig for the problem pc when it reverted suddenly to automatic acquiring:
C:\Documents and Settings\csc>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : AMD
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 14:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 10/100 PCI Ethernet Adapter
#2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-01-53-81-84-17
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.237.59
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

I had to reset it to a static ip after I captured this info in order to re-establish connection on the local network

Yeah, still having problems getting an IP from the linksys device. Are you absolutely certain there are enough available DHCP addresses setup in the linksys device for all 3 devices? Are all 3 PCs connected to the same switch or are they directly connected to the linksys built in switch?

Thanks

ASKER

copied from linksys setup screen:
DHCP Address Range: 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.149

All pc's are connected directly to ports on the back of the linksys WRK54G

All have been working perfectly for months; were working Saturday night... problem pc was not working Sunday morning. Unless my cat changed settings, nothing was changed.

Did you try swapping ports on the PC that isn't working with a PC that is on the back of the linksys device? Just move the problem PC to a port that one of the working PCs is using. Then put the working PC in the port that the problem PC was in. See if the results are the same.

ASKER

yes, tried that several times yesterday

good pc was good in any port... bad pc was bad in any port

Thats very strange, I think you can rule out your linksys device then. Have you tried a different network cable on the problem PC? Can you also check under services in your administrative tools folder in your control panel, check to see that DHCP Client service is started.

ASKER

I know it's tedious reading, but these things were covered in the first thread on this problem. I don't know where to start looking but it seems to me that it's a settings/software/os problem. I think problems with hardware have pretty much been ruled out.

If hardware has been ruled out is this area still the most appropriate for this problem or should I post a note in some other area?

You probably already know this, but 169.254.x.x 255.255.0.0 is APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) and is normal for a computer that is set to "obtain IP address automatically" but is not doing so. If you are not getting an IP address automatically then you are not communicating properly with the router. It does sound like possibly a corrupt TCP/IP stack or some kind of firewall. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Corrupt TCP/IP stack
-Try typing this at a command prompt: "netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt"
-Try re-installing TCP/IP by uninstalling/reinstalling
-Try running a program called LSPFix that you can find on the internet

2. Corrupt Firewall
-Try un-installing all firewalls (not just disabling) and turn off all related services

3. In the TCP/IP settings, check your WINS tab for NetBIOS over TCP/IP. Make sure it is enabled or set to DHCP

4. try to determine if you are coversing with anything on a DataLink layer
-Type "arp -a" at a command prompt and see if anything shows

5. Look for link
-Check to see if there are any lights on the back of the nework card. how many? what color? which are blinking and approximately at what rate?

6. Check your TCP/IP filtering to make sure you don't have IPSec configured to deny anything

If all else fails, you should be looking to monitor the traffic on that computer using a program called ethereal by sysinternals. Although you may need some help in deciphering it.

ASKER

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll list what I've already done using your numbers:
1. already reset "netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt"
I also ran Microsofts "guided help" which reset/reset tcp/ip to original specs.
I've already run the LSFix...did not indicate that anything needed to be fixed.

2. I usually run Zone Alarm firewall. I haven't uninstalled it yet, but i have turned it off and verified in task manager that it's not active at all. I can try uninstalling later this afternoon.

3. WINS tab is now set for NetBIOS over TCP/IP. DHCP is enabled.

4. "arp -a"

Interface: 192.168.1.150 --- 0x2

Internet Address Physical Address Type
192.168.1.100 00-e0-4c-91-2d-39 dynamic

C:\Documents and Settings\csc>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : AMD
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 14:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 10/100 PCI Ethernet Adapter
#2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-01-53-81-84-17
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.150
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 216.41.128.73
216.41.128.200

5. Network was replaced yesterday by first putting it in a working computer and verifying that it's good. Also problem computer can access other computers in home network, just not internet. I can ping 64.233.187.99 but not google.com

6. TCP/IP Filtering (all adapters) is not checked

(I'll take all the decyphering help I can get. :) )

From this last post, your setttings look correct. You are communicating with the router and you have been issued an IP address and subnet mask, and your DNS servers look correct. are they? and were they issued by your DHCP server or statically configured in the DNS tab under the advanced button.

When your connection looks like this and you have all firewall off/stopped, you still can't ping www.yahoo.com? it seems you are having the exact same problem that a friend of mine had after installing citrix.

Does "nslookup www.yahoo.com" work? and does "ping www.yahoo.com" not work, because it says its can't locate the host? I am troubleshooting this very problem and hope to have a solution by tomorrow.

In the meantime, make sure your firewall truly is off. Not by looking at the processes, but by examing the services that are running. Start -> Run -> services.msc. Sort by status and look at all that are "started". Look through them for Norton, Symantec, Trend Micro, Zone, etc... make sure none of them are started. While here, ensure that the DNS Client services is started.

For one final test...

go to your %system32%\drivers\etc\ directory and open a file there called HOSTS. in a text editor add this line to the bottom:
64.233.161.104 www.google.com

then goto a dos prompt and type "ipconfig /flushdns"
now try to get to www.google.com

its starting to sound like there is something interferring with your DNS client service.

The settings he posted show static IP configuration, not DHCP, He can ping because he has statically configured the PC. If set to DHCP, nothing works.

Just to clarify,

My hypothesis is that your DNS client service is not working and without NetBIOS over TCP/IP, you were not able to achieve broadcast name resolution and therefore in combination had no resolution whatsoever which almost kills TCP/IP connections. enabling NetBIOS over TCP/IP got you local broadcast resolution which will help you talk to other computer on your network, but without DNS, you will not be able to do anything on the internet.

So the first thing to check would be that your DNS client service is working, and then see if there is any firewall services still active that may be preventing it. Most firewall programs run as services not processes. the process is just the monitor and/or configuration. the actual filter is a service.

MCPJoe,

yeah, i missed that. I didn't think he would have configured this statically, but you're right. He shouldn't though in my opinion. It should be on "obtain IP address automatically" and "obtain DNS settings automatically" and there should be no custom configuration in the DNS, IP or Gateway tabs in the Advanced button.

The fact that he has the router in his arp table means that he should be receiving DHCP no problem as long as TCP/IP and DNS are working correctly.

ASKER

Services shows that DHCP Client is running/started
DNS Client is also running/started

No signs of any firewall/antivirus running.

try pinging yahoo with a dot(".") at the end. try pinging "ping www.yahoo.com." See if that works. Also, have you checked your event logs?

ASKER

Just to clarify the static IP setting:
The computer is set to static IP and DNS Services so that I can maintain connection to my home network computers. This is my main work computer and I need to maintain connection to it's files except when I need to set it back to automatically obtaining ip address, etc, for troubleshooting purposes.

ASKER

pinging all variations of yahoo gave same results: Ping request could not find host...please check the name and try again.

ASKER

after adding 64.233.161.104 www.google.com to the hosts file I could ping www.google.com

its very strange that nslookup works(i think you said that, right?) and ping doesn't resolve the name. But then again, like I said, I'm on my way to a friend's house who seems to have the same problem.

You may consider running ethereal on the good machine and the bad machine and comparing packets. Its drastic, but I'm out of ideas. You may want to disable the IPSec service, but I don't see how that could be on if you say there are no settings configured.

also a long shot, but check to see if you have a proxy server configured. goto control panel -> Internet Options -> Connections -> LAN Settings. you probably shouldn't have a proxy server.

ASKER

Set to Automatically detect settings with no proxy server at all

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

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ASKER

I followed the instruction precisely... it worked!

Thank you very much.

awesome! glad it worked. take care and thanks for trying everything and being responsive.