Need help. Ethernet connectivity on an old Compaq Presario

[Brad Johnson]

Hey guys and gals, need some help.  Blew away and reloaded the op sys (Win XP home) on a friend's son's computer.  Everything is up and running, all the drivers reloaded, and Windows is happy with the setup.

Problem is the ethernet connectivity.  When I plug in the ethernet cable it sees the network and says everything is fine.  Trouble is, if I try to connect using IE or even the Win activation screen, it says no connection.

Like I said, drivers are updated, the ethernet controller seems to be humming happily along, and the network connection status says everything is good.  No software loaded at all other an the basic Win XP Home setup, not even any virus protection software.  Yet the reticent little piece of crap still refuses to connect.

Suggestions?

Brad

[Nick1911]

I can't imagine how, but perhaps proxy settings are set in the browser?

Is there a static IP config'd?  If not, are you using DHCP?

Can you ping the router/device you're plugged into?

what does ipconfig look like?

[PTK]

Your issue is the WinXP firewall. I've run into the problem every single time. You need to manually disable it or you can't even ping websites.

At least, that's what I ran into time and again.

[Jim147]

Been a while since I had that problem. I think it is looking for a dial up connection.

I don't have an XP system running right now to remember what you need to change.

jim

[Brad Johnson]

Firewall is not enabled.

No dial-up connection present and the machine is set to connect through LAN.

Still no joy.

Brad

[Nick1911]

Can you tell me what ipconfig outputs?  Might help diag the problem

[lee n. field]

Can you tell me what ipconfig outputs?  Might help diag the problem

"ipconfig /all"

[CSM Kersh]

Go to Control Panel and click on Network Connections and check configuration. 

• IP 192.168.1.64
• Sub Mask 255.255.255.0
• default Gateway 192.168.1.254

[Brad Johnson]

Windows IP config

Host Name: brown-htac5076t
Primary DBS Suffix: <blank>
Node type: Unknown
IP routing enabled: No
WINS proxy enabled: No

Ethernet Adapter Local Area Connection

Connection-specific DNS suffix: <blank>
Description: Realtek RTL8139/810x
Physical Address: 00-16-D4-43-9A-4B
DHCP Enabled: Yes
Autoconfig enabled: Yes
Autoconfig IP address: 169.254.210.198
Subnet mask: 255.255.0.0
Default gateway: <blank>

Also, I had to access ipconfig through the CMD screen.  After pulling up the stats it froze the computer.  Rebooted into safe mode and seems to be fine.

Brad

[Nick1911]

Windows IP config

Host Name: brown-htac5076t
Primary DBS Suffix: <blank>
Node type: Unknown
IP routing enabled: No
WINS proxy enabled: No

Ethernet Adapter Local Area Connection

Connection-specific DNS suffix: <blank>
Description: Realtek RTL8139/810x
Physical Address: 00-16-D4-43-9A-4B
DHCP Enabled: Yes
Autoconfig enabled: Yes
Autoconfig IP address: 169.254.210.198
Subnet mask: 255.255.0.0
Default gateway: <blank>

Also, I had to access ipconfig through the CMD screen.  After pulling up the stats it froze the computer.  Rebooted into safe mode and seems to be fine.

Brad

This.  169.254.x.x is a local link addr.  The router seems to not be assigning the PC an ip address.

Do you have mac filtering turned on on your router?

[41magsnub]

169.254.x.x indicates you are not able to find a DHCP server for some reason.  this could be network related so that something outside of the PC prevents you from getting to the DHCP server, or something is wrong with the PC.  I'm making the assumption something is providing DHCP on your network (probably the router).  If you don't have DHCP you need to statically assign the IP addressing info.  Can you run the same ipconfig /all command on a working computer on your network?

I've also seen this a lot where you have the wrong network driver.  It is right enough to install, but does not truly function

[Brad Johnson]

Same driver I used when I rebuilt it before, right off the same CD I used then (and directly from the Compaq Presario support page for this machine.  I've checked and it's still the same file.)

Also, it's doing it on both my router at home, and here on the network at the office.

Brad

[41magsnub]

You might try downloading the NIC driver straight from REaltek and installing it.

http://www.realtek.com.tw

RTL810X/RTL8130/ RTL8139(A/B/C/D) PCI Series Drivers is what you are looking for.

[Brad Johnson]

Loaded the new drivers direct from RealTek.  Windows is still screaming the drivers are not correct for this NIC, but it's the exact unit listed for this machine (Presario V5303NR) as per the Compaq web site.

No Joy.

Brad

[AZRedhawk44]

Autoconfig IP address: 169.254.210.198

169.254.x.x = APIPA (automatic private IP assignment protocol... something Windows made up that no other OS does).  Windows shouts "IS ANYONE THERE?" if you use DHCP.  If no DHCP server responds and says "Hey, you!  Yes, you!  You're 192.168.1.101!" then Windows takes the 169.254 subnet and tries to randomly ping an address on it.  If there's no response, then Windows assigns that IP to you.

Since your router is not using 169.254.x.x, then this subnet becomes unroutable and is a flat network.  You can't get anywhere on it.

The trouble here... is why you are not getting any response to your computer shouting "IS ANYONE THERE?"

Given the age of the computer, it is probably a Link Layer problem and has nothing to do with IP connectivity.

To resolve it, go into your NIC properties and manually set the negotiation speed for your network adapter.  To get to it, right click on "My Network Places" on your desktop and select properties, then right click on your Local area connection and go to properties.  Choose the Advanced tab, and look for a setting that may say something like "Speed And Duplex".    It's probably set to "Auto" right now.  It's gonna have the following choices:
-10mb half duplex
-10mb full duplex
-100mb half duplex
-100mb full duplex
-auto


All this means, is prior to trying for IP connectivity, the NIC first has to make sure it's on a valid Ethernet segment that communicates according to established rules.  This is "Layer 2" topology of an industry standard called the OSI model.  Layer 1 is physical (copper cables, fiber optic, etc).

Part of this is the speed and duplex settings... can we talk at the same time or do we have to take turns listening/talking?  How fast can we go?

As NICs and switches get old, some incompatibilities arise with new hardware.

Try manually setting your computer to 100mb-full duplex, then performing an "ipconfig /release" and "ipconfig /renew" to see if you get a valid IP address.  Try the same thing with all 4 manual settings until you get a valid IP.

[sanglant]

if you have another cable, you might try it out. or try this cable with a different networked device.

[Brad Johnson]

Two different cables on two different networks.  Cleaned the connection terminals on the computer, too.

Working on the manual speed settings, but it seems hung up on the iprenew function.  Giving it some time to see if it's just thinking.

Brad

[RocketMan]

Is it a separate NIC, or built in to the motherboard?  Either way, you might just buy another NIC as they're cheap.  It could just be the NIC is failing.  I had a similar issue recently with an older NetGear gigabit NIC, so I just tossed it and grabbed another I had hanging around.
If you replace it, and the original is built into the motherboard, be sure to disable the original the BIOS.

[Brad Johnson]

Well, it hung completely up on the IP renew and I had to force a shutdown.  It's rebooted and I verified the NIC is set to 10Mb Full. 

Still no joy and the IP address is still showing up as 169.254.x.x.

Brad

[sanglant]

can you get to the chip to see if it's what they speced? any chance you have a backup of your old install, to grab the network drivers from?

from way out in left field, does it have 2 network adapters? been there, done that.

[RocketMan]

It's rebooted and I verified the NIC is set to 10Mb Full. 

That may be the problem. Set it to either "Auto" or "100Mb Full".   Most routers and such default to 100 Mb Full.

[Brad Johnson]

Nope, just the built in adapter and no other add-ons or cards of any kind.  The WinXP Home install is fresh as of this morning, as are all the driver loads.

The machine is a Compaq Presario V5303NR and the drivers on the Compaq/HP web site are straightforward, no extra choices or variables for optional accessories or different configs.  I even flashed the BIOS.

...and now it's hanging up just after the boot sequence is finished, just about the time the network status indicator pops up in the sys tray.

I'm tempted to blow it away and start over.  Again.

Brad

[Brad Johnson]

Got the ipconfig release/renew to run in safe mode without locking up the machine.  Letting it boot all the way to see what happens this time.

*eta* ...aaaaand still no joy.

*also eta* ...aaaand it's still locking up.  I'm going to take it home and redo WinXP and reload everything again.  Will be quicker than this mess.  If it won't work the first time, I'll chalk it up as toast.

The reason I want the wired network working is because the wireless is hosed, and has been for some time.  That's why I reloaded it before.  Seems the wired may have also gone the way of the dodo.  Maybe a cheapo USB wi-fi will get him back in operation.

Brad

[Bogie]

Didja reset the router too? It may not be wanting to play nice-nice...  And if you have a cable modem, they can get weird too...

[Brad Johnson]

Multiple networks, different cables, same result.

It's reloading WinXP as I type. One more try. If it kicks over this time, I'm calling it officially hosed.

Brad