Problem with ethernet plugs

Hi all

Ive just got two netgear ethernet wall plugs to share our cable modem through a D-Link 4 way router to two rooms.
The room using the plugs for access keeps losing its connection. We have tcp/ip set to obtain automatically and every few hours for no reason it changes itself to a 169. ip address instead of 196. breaking the connection.

So my question is how do I stop it changing itself, or how do I manually set the IP addresses myself to make the connection?.

Thanks for your help!.

 

The 169.x.x.x address range is called AIPA -- Automatic IP Addressing -- and is what your Windows will revert to if it fails to find a DHCP server, or the DHCP server fails to renew the lease for its connection.

Could this be cable related? It sure could. While the wallplates are relatively idiot proof, if you made your own cables there can be an issue. The cables can be bent farther than permitted; or a common issue: the wrong plug ends. There are ends for stranded cables, and ends for solid conductor cables, and they should not be mistakenly used on the wrong cable type.

Now the setup considerations. See if your router will allow you to specify a longer lease time. Since it sounds like the DHCP server is on your ISP, this likely is not possible.

When this happens, before doing something else to fix the issue, do a:

Start, Run, cmd

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Note whether either commands throws an error message that the operation failed. If so, please post back to the Forum the details.

Two last things that might help:

. First, repair the Winsock service stack on the problem computer.

If the computer is XP SP2:

Start, Run, cmd
netsh winsock reset

Wait for the prompt that a restart is needed. Reboot the computer. This should only need to be done once as a "fix" if it is going to work at all.

Second suggestion, when having issues, do a Start, Help and Support and look for the entry "Use tools to diagnose problems" on the right panel. Select the Network diagnostic entry. Enable all options. Run the diagnostic. Post back here any FAILED entries.

 

169 IP Address

Check the wires and connections.
Make sure the DHCP in the router is turned on.
A 169 ..... IP indicates that no connection is present.

 

It does not. It indicates only that a valid DHCP server could not be found for an IP grant or a lease renewal. In this case it has to be a lease renewal failure, as the initial IP grant works in all cases.

There are as many stack issues that can cause this as there are hardware issues that can cause this. There are DHCP server settings on lease time that are suspect, as well as if the DHCP server scope becomes exhausted.

Under XP, as the user has, stack issues are frankly more common than hardware related errors for this user issue.

If no connection was found, XP would alert through the notification tray. The absence of an alert suggests a DHCP server issue, or a TCP/IP stack issue, and not hardware.

 

169 IP Address

Bill ,

you are most precise and correct.
my aim here was to make life simple for this computer user.
People somehow panic when they get the no server or whatever when there is no internet connection. I can never figure out the panic.
A 169 number to most of these users is a simple means of confirming that they no not have an internet connection and that something is wrong with the connection.
If they attached to a router and have a 192 ip at least it can be known that the connection to the router and the network card in the computer are working and connected.
Interestingly enough the new Internet Explorer 7 does not give the same blank screen if there is no connection.
Instead it gives a page that looks amazingly like a real web page to some degree . Can cause some initial confusion if you are trying to diagnose some nubes connection problem over the phone.
As I said first I was trying to make it simple for the poor fellow. Secondly it never ceases to amaze me that these people keep repeating over and over the phrase " not connected to server ". How scary. Had one friend ( who is relatively bright) reset the router with the button maybe 25 times when he had a server connection errror message with a dsl / modem / router connection.
All setup info in the router of course was wiped out. With a cable broadband connection I would think at least you would have a chance if the modem and router were reset. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

 

@visinof, thank you for your comments. I agree that in most cases a power-off of both router and modem is advisable rather than use the reset button. For DOCSIS cable modems, unplug them, rather than trust their on-off switch at the rear. (Many have an "instant-on" feature that would interfere otherwise).

From rereading this, and filling in some blanks, I think I have misread the orginal question.

I believe the user is using powerline adapters, and not Cat5, my original read.

So we have cable modem, connected to a four-port D-link broadband router.

The powerline-to-ethernet connection is between one computer, and the D-Link router.

When powerline devices are working properly, they should have little "lites" to indicate that have power, and that the connection to another device has been found and made.

Since these devices are new, and hopefully connected directly to the wall in both instances and not through a surge surpressor, this invites new areas of issues:

. It is perfectly possible one or both of the new devices is faulty;
. The devices can have encryption set. Try both in out-of-the-box state, without any special protections enabled.
. I assume this is a residence. In a larger commercial or office site it is possible the devices are crossing phases. Newer powerline adapters should be able to handle this if the same transformer serves both ends. After that, it becomes very iffy to in most cases impossible.
. On the D-Link router, make sure the firmware is up to date;
. On the D-Link router, extend the lease time or use a static IP for the problem computer. Instructions on setting a static IP with D-Link routers: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/12856

XP has two methods it uses to determine the status of a connection:

. Media Sense, which is a fairly low level detection of a physical connection;
. The "Limited or no connectivity" status poll.

A Media Sense failure would throw a notification warning, and red X the notification icon for the connection. The "Limited or no" will throw a warning but not drop the connection. It will revert to an APIPA subnet address. For cases where the IP and DNS servers are automaticly determined, the "Limited or no" polling is done by a broadcast for an available DHCP server. If the broadcast fails to return a suitable response, the "Limited or no" warning is thrown. So watch that the router is set to allow for broadcast messages.

Prescription:

. Make sure both powerline adapters are not filtered through a power conditioning device. Powerline will pass through most surge surpressors, but not reliably or at all through devices that contain a UPS backup.
. Plug both into a different outlet if possible.
. if the powerline adapters were configured for security, reset both devices to their defaults and test again.
. Do the Winsock stack repair I suggested earlier on the problem computer.
. Watch the "lites" on the powerline adapter. Warning some (D-Link adapters for example) blink to show an active connection. Ignore the green lite blinking, be wary of any other connection lite status.
. Some powerline adapters come with Cat5 drop cables, some do not. See the earlier discussion by several members about drop cable quality and issues. You might consider replacing both powerline drop cables as a test.

 

Powerline adapters

An interesting question.
I have never used "power adapters" and yet a friend asked me 2 days ago.
Do they work well ?
What brands are good and what brands to stay away from ?

 

I have used them in several applications in the past, and swear by them for situations were you really cannot run a cable. I have only used devices by D-Link in the past.

A newer standard was approved earlier this year raising the effective bandwidth of these devices considerably. I suspect at CES in January there will be several companies showing the newer devices, and some can be purchased now. The older standard devices operate at 12-14mbs. The newer standard runs at 125-145mbs. The only ones I have seen criticize these devices are those that used the much older pre-standard devices, or have never used them at all. Once you use them you can see how well they fit certain situations, are cheaper than wireless, and are essentially idiot-proof.

I like them.

A discussion: http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20030108S0003

 

Hi, yes it is powerline wallplugs in a residential house. The other half completely refuses to have cables running through the house.

I have been very busy over Christmas but reading through your advice I seem to have got it working at the moment. Thank you for the time and effort of the very thorough advice you have both given me. If the problem rears again I will post the information about the diagnostics.

Regards.

 

Hey im back :/, it was working fine for 4 days but now same problem.

When I do ipconfig /release, /renew I get an error saying could not contact DHCP server operation timed out so that seems to be the problem.
I also get the limited or no connectivity warning.

Ive messed around with the cabling and sockets they all seem to be fine.

I tried that winsock repair. The computer is runnig sp2 but the command does not work. A cmd prompt window flashes for a split second but then nothing.

All the lights on both plugs are on properly.

Lastly I was not here when the router was setup, there are no cds or manuals for it, it was just plug and play so I am not sure how to change any of its settings and what not. I tried that link to setup a manual IP address but could not get it to work for probably this reason.

 

To repair Winsock2 with XP and Service Pack 2:

Start, Run, CMD
A command box opens. Type:
netsh winsock reset
After a brief period, a statement will show on the screen stating that a restart is required. Reboot your computer.

Now to your details:

Your limited or no connectivity error means that it cannot find a DHCP server. Your ipconfig /renew command confirms that. Both results are identical as to diagnosis.

The possibilities:
. one or both powerline adapters is faulty; do an RMA and get new ones.
. on one or both, you ran the D-link CD and enabled security. If so, rerun the CD and remove any security setting.
. If the devices worked even once, we can ignore your house wiring in the main.
. If the devices are intermittent, as you suggest, try swapping cables between a known to work wired computer to the router, and one of the powerline adapters. If you have a spare drop cable, replace the patch cord on the remaining powerline adapter.
. Important: plug in the powerline-to-router connection on a different port than you have been using.
. Important: unplug both powerline adapters. Unplug the router. Unplug the modem (do not use the on/off switch, unplug these devices). Wait three minutes. Plug in the modem. Wait until its lights stabilize. Plug in the router. Wait until its light stabilize. Plug in both powerline adapters. Reboot all computers.

 

Heya

I tried the netsh winsock reset, nothing happens.

I have tried multilpe cables, multiple wall sockets, different router ports no luck. The devices were working fine for some time before this started happening so I guess hardware fault in the plugs is most likely?. If so thats abit annoying as both appear to work fine on the outside so I might have to buy two new plugs.

 

RMA them, do not just buy new ones.
Start by going back to the store and telling them they became intermittent.

If no joy from the store, email Tech Support and list your last set of steps, or link this thread. They should arrange an RMA return for you. Since these devices require at least two to work, you have no choice but to RMA both, as there is no reasonable way to test each one.