Help troubleshooting limited connectivity?

I know this isn't the only post for this problem, but none of the solutions seem to be working. I have a Dell 1535 Studio, running Vista 32bit Home. Using the Dell 1510 WLAN mini-card, and it seems that the trouble is coming from the network adapter; something seems to be blocking my request to the AP.

I can only get a local / limited access connection, can’t get online. It seems my network adapter isn’t generating a default gateway; when I run connectivity diagnostics, it fails the gateway IP ping. The router / modem is fine, as my girlfriend has had no connection problems with it on her laptop. I, on the other hand, haven’t been able to connect to the internet on either our network or the neighbors’ unsecured network. Automatically reconfiguring IP settings and reinstalling network adapter didn’t work. Driver and wireless switch are enabled.

When I keep the default settings (auto-configured IP), this is the IPv4: 169.254.180.12
…and this is the subnet mask: 255.255.0.0
…but it won’t generate a default gateway, showing nothing in windows and 0.0.0.0 in the command prompt, and it won’t generate a DNS server address.

So I tried to set up a static IP similar to my girlfriend's; I used her IP +1:

IPv4: 192.168.1.106
Subnet mask: 255.255.0.0
Default gateway: 192.168.106.1
DNS server: 192.168.1.254 (the router address / DNS on Dawn’s computer)

But I can’t get a reply when I ping the default gateway or an internet domain like Yahoo!. I do get a reply when I ping the DNS server. I can’t get it to work with other combinations. I am at a total loss; I know nothing about networking. Don’t know what settings should be changed / reset, or if it could be a hardware issue (though the wireless card passes its hardware diagnostics). Can anyone shed some light on this? No LAN connection, so without wireless I’m **** outta luck.

Do I have to troubleshoot this with the ISP? Is it possible that I was banned from the access point - and who could do that?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

ipconfig/all:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Aaron-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetLink (TM) Gigabit Ethernet
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-70-85-F1-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1510 Wireless-N WLAN Mini-C
ard
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-24-2B-78-28-A8
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::b017:a94:37d7:b40c%12(Preferred)
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.180.12(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{AB9ED7E3-ABD3-4CF9-A791-69383D5B1
0FC}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{17A7CF96-4295-4F4A-BB33-EF248242B
EFB}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 12:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 13:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 6TO4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Ran

@Echo on
pushd\windows\system32\drivers\etc
attrib -h -s -r hosts
echo 127.0.0.1 localhost>HOSTS
attrib +r +h +s hosts
popd
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset all
netsh int ip reset all
shutdown -r -t 1
del %0

as a batch file.

No changes.

The primary problem is that DHCP isn't starting or running (or isn't working - that's why the IP is 169.168 and the other settings are messed up as well). That's why you're not getting an appropriate IP address among other things and you cannot connect while this remains the case. I'm not quite certain why it is happening.

First, let's check the service. Go to Start / Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Services and scroll to DHCP Client and make sure it is set to Automatic and Started. If not, do so and then reboot and try to connect and check IPCONFIG /all again to see if there are any changes. If not, go back to Services and see if DHCP Client is still Automatic and started or if it has stopped. Include the answer in your next reply.

If the problem persists, let's check your system files:

Go to Start / All Programs / Accessories / Command prompt and right click on command prompt and click run as Administrator.

Type sfc /scannow and enter and let it run. It will scan and try to fix some of your system files. Hopefully it will complete with no corruption it could not repair (if there is such corruption post back here or try to analyze it to find the problem file(s) using http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228. Try to attach the report (you may need to copy it to your desktop before it will permit you to attach it) here so we can see if they can be repaired with good copies from the installation disk (unless there are too many).

While in Command Prompt, type chkdsk /f /r and enter and let it run. It will want to schedule itself to run at the next restart. Answer yes and then reboot to run the program. It will scan and try to fix any corruption or bad sectors on your hard drive and mostly remove that as a potential cause.

Let's make sure IP routing is enabled (as it doesn't seem to be from IPCONFIG):

Enable IP Routing by updating the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip
\Parameters subkey : "IPEnableRouter" entry to 1 and reboot and see if that makes any difference.

If the problem persists, check the following for several articles on problems with DHCP assignments and related TCP/IP issues - perhaps one will provide a solution to the problem: Vista TCP/IP Issues. I realize there's a lot here, but most are short and to the point - if it doesn't work (or you've already done it), move on.

I hope this helps. If not, post back with what you tried and an updated IPCONFIG /ALL screenshot and we'll see where we can go from there.

Good luck!

Thanks for the response. I had tried resetting tcp/ip stack and winsock catalog to no success. A friend told me that something was blocking my access to the AP / I was banned from the AP / the AP was out of leases.

I am now connected fine -- although (and I have always had this problem while using this setup) my wireless tray icon still usually says I have only a "local connection". Apparently, resetting the router 15 or so more times finally got it to issue me a valid lease and IP address again.

I'm still at a loss, but extremely happy that it's working again.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Aaron-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : gateway.2wire.net

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetLink (TM) Gigabit Ethernet
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-70-85-F1-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : gateway.2wire.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1510 Wireless-N WLAN Mini-C
ard
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-24-2B-78-28-A8
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::b017:a94:37d7:b40c%12(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.110(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, November 11, 2010 8:59:19 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, November 14, 2010 8:56:56 AM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{AB9ED7E3-ABD3-4CF9-A791-69383D5B1
0FC}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{17A7CF96-4295-4F4A-BB33-EF248242B
EFB}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4137:9e76:3442:2894:9ce6:8c73(Pref
erred)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::3442:2894:9ce6:8c73%10(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 12:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 13:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 6TO4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

I'm glad to hear it. Here's the not so good news. Your lease is only good until Sunday at about 9AM (it is set to give an extremely short lease period). At that time, you will need a new address and I'm not sure if it will do so with no troubles or make you go through this process again to renew the lease. If you can extend the lease period without dropping the current connection, that would be a good idea.

And your trouble really isn't resolved if you need to reboot the router 15 times to get a connection. We still need to find a solution to the problem (whatever it is). So whatever you haven't done that I previously recommended (including the many suggestions in that article), you should continue to work on.

The IPCONFIG /ALL now looks good for the wireless connection (thus it is working).

Thanks for the update.

Good luck!