"limited or no connection" message

Hello! I would like to ask you for help with a problem I'm having when I'm connecting to the net.
First of all, I have windows xp and I connect with a router (thompson speedtouch) adsl connection with ethernet cable.
The problem I've been experiencing for the last few weeks is the "limited or no connectivity" message, and I'm unable to connect to the internet. Sometimes (but very few times) the pc connects ok automatically at the start. But if I try to connect clicking the "local area connexion" icon it never once succeeds, always showing the "limited or no connectivity" message.
I called the internet provider company. They guided me to reinstall the router with the installation cd, to assign a permanent ip to my pc, to check the ethernet cable or try instead with the usb cable, to check the system card but the problem persists, so they told me it was not their fault, that there must be something wrong with my pc.
I should add a few things:
-I have tried if that could be the firewall's or anitivirus' fault but the connectivity problem happens even when I disable them
-More or less about the time when this happened I was making some cleaning of my pc with antivirus and antispywares, so maybe I deleted or modified some file I shouldn't have?
-I have read that service pack 2 can case this problem with windows, and I have that, but I don't think this is something I have updated recently (even if I have windows update automatically enabled). In fact, I have received this message from time to time for a long time, only when I disabled the connection and clicked again in the "local area connection" icon, it connected ok.
Well, this is more or less my problem, I hope I explained it well (sorry for any mistake I might have made but english is not my first language, and also I'm not any computer expert so sorry if there is any data I have overlooked).
I hope someone will be able to give me some advice.
Thank you in advance

 

Three things you have to check:

1) Cable
2) NIC
3) Router(thompson speedtouch in your case)

Everything is working, you can't figure out which part is defective. So the simplest way is replacing from easy to hard:

Buy a new cable and replace it to see what will happen, if the problem persists, then change network card on your computer, if it resides on your motherboard, add a new one and disable the one on your motherboard. If the problem still persists, change the router.

 

It would also be worth moving the network connection to a different port on the router (assuming it is multiport) as it could be a fault port.

 

Windoze uses APIPA

When a computer is connected to a router and it doesn't receive an address from said router, windoze will give it an "Automatic Private IP Address ". When this happens, you're LAN states you have "Limited or No Connectivity ". Make your router a DHCP server and then have your computer accept addresses from your router by making it a DHCP client. Once that is done, becasue it's Windoze, reboot the computer.

 

Hi angieromero,
What I have to do some times when I have limited or no connection issues is go to the start, then run box and type: services.msc...I then scroll down to Wireless zero configuration, double click on it and select start...I don't believe this should be part of the norm when it comes to such issues but for some reason till I figure it out it works for me...Just wanted to pass it along...I also understand that when we get that message, that our wireless computer is seeing others before it see's our router and it might be neccessary to change the order and make it see our router first...Not sure if this method will apply in your case but you can keep it in mind for now anyways...

 

Hi angieromero,
I think you can disregard my previous post because I was basing that information on a wireless set up but afterwards I re-read your original post and realized that your situation is with a router...I apologize...

 

Hello!
First of all, thank you very much for your help, it is much appreciated
OK, here is what I have found out following your advices:
-I tried replacing the ethernet cable, I changed it for an usb cable (the router gives the two choices) and it created a second local area connection but the connection problem persists
-I don't know how to replace the network card, but I located it in the system tab and it said it worked ok. I disabed and reenabled it, just in case, but the problem persisted. If it comes to change the card or something this advanced, I'd better take the pc to the repair shop rather than trying to do it myself and make things worse because of my inexperience
-I ran once again the router installation cd. When I had the "limited or no connectivty" message, the cd told me it couldn't detect a router (even if it was totally connected). When I tried it at one of the rare times it lets me connect at startup, the cd detected the router ok and I reinstalled it, though I didn't find any option to move the port
-I did the ipconfig/release and ipconfig/renew. When I had the "limited or no connectivity ", it gave me "0.0.0.0" as the ip address and when I renewed it it shoew me a message saying something like "cannot connect DHCP server. The petition has expired ". I searched the DHCP in the system tools and it said it is set to active and automatic, and so is the DNS.
-When I tried the ipconfig/release and /renew at one of the rare times it lets me connect at startup, the ip address was correct, it was the same that the lady from the internet provider comany told me on the phone and that I wrote under the TCP/IP tab on the local area connection properties.
-I have observed also that, when I have the "limited or no connection message" if I click on the details of the connection, the phisical address it says something like automatically assigned" or something, and the ip and subnet are 0.0.0.0. On the other hand, when I'm connected, the ip and subnet are ok and the phisical address is written there, a sequence of numbers and letters.
Well, this is it for now. I hope these details are helpful in the solution of this problem.
Thank you very much again

 

angieromero,

Could you lay your hands on another pc or router ? From look of the things, the problem could be in either of these two things (as you have changed the cable, tried out USB cable). Since your computer created a new connection when you plugged in the USB, it seems that there could be some problem with your router.

The best & the fastest way to trouble shoot the problem would be by way of elimination - change your router & then the computer to see where the problem lies.