Windows XP ip address 169.254.x.x

First thing, the 169.254.x.x ip is the default ip that a computer listens on to get a DHCP ip.  The fact that you have that indicates that you aren't talking properly with the DHCP provider.  Your laptop either is communicating properly, or its ip lease hasn't expired.  Here's what I would suggest:

Ping the DHCP server from the laptop, if it can talk to it, use ipconfig /release and the ipconfig /renew.  If the laptop can't ping the DHCP server, then check to make sure that the DHCP server is properly configured/running.

Try resetting the tcp/ip stack http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q299357&
If that does not work try resetting the winsock
Winsock Fix
http://members.shaw.ca/techcd/WinsockXPFix.exe

Have you called your cable internet provier and asked them to verify that :
#1 The Cable internet provider can talk to your modem
#2 The cable modem sees your PC and has registered it's MAC address.
#3 The cable modem is successfully providing DHCP bridging services.

Good Luck,
Juice

I am currently in the exact same position.  I have a Dell XP desktop connected via cat5 cable to a D-Link DI-713p wireless gateway, and an XP laptop connected via wireless.

The laptop is great, whether wireless or connected to the exact same cable/port as the desktop.  It sounds like this is your situation as well.  This would seem to rule out any problems with the ISP, router, cable, etc.

Therefore, I assume the problem is with the desktop box.  I have tried resetting the stack, resetting the winsock, repairing winsock with a third-party application, re-installing Windows XP over itself, disabling/re-enabling the NIC, removing and reinstalling the NIC, all to no avail.

To top it off, after spending 5 hours last night with no result, the machine suddenly obtained a valid IP address this afternoon for no apparent reason, while I was at work.  However, the speed was less than that of a 28.8 modem.  When I tried switching the cable and port, it went right back to its 169.254.xxx.xxx IP address.

Make sure you have scanned for viruses, worms, adware and spyware.  My research indicates that the Sasser worm can cause problems such as this, although the Symantec Sasser removal tool did not find it on my machine.  I have thoroughly cleansed the system with Adaware and Spybot S&D, as well as Norton.

Please follow up if you solve your problem.

Thanks,

wilburiffic

Wow, make sure your dhcp server pool has an ip that it can allocate.  I had something kind of like this with a dlink router. The actual router took a power surge hit and messed it up in strange ways. Any chance you can swap out the router and try that?

Windows XP ip address 169.254.x.x

 Hi to fix this problem pls follow the following steps :
START | RUN | REGEDIT
Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
Delete the Winsock Key

Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2
Delete the winsock2 Key

Reboot your machine (Do not skip this step).

Step 2: Install TCP/IP on top of itself
START | RUN | NCPA.CPL or
Right click on the Network Connection or your LAN connection.
Select Properties
Click Install
Click Protocol
Click Add
Click Have Disk
Type the path to the nettcpip.inf file, for example: c:\windows\inf,
Click OK
You should now see "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" in the list of available protocols.
Select TCP/IP
Click OK.
Restart the computer.

If all goes well yr ip address shud be reconfigured to normal and u shud be able to connect.

Pls reply n lemme know if its working or any other issues.

Vinod (victor)

There's good advice here, but it's hard to justify keeping this question without any author input.

-Yohan

This certainly is a worthwhile question, but the only way I was able to remedy my problem was by purchasing a new wireless router/gateway.  Works great now.  I have used the old wireless hub as a wireless only access point at my restaurant so I can hookup my laptop wirelessly.  The signal is weak, so I just turn it off when I'm not there to avoid security issues.  I hope someone can figure this thing out, if it is actually something other than just a fried hub/gateway.

Will