Windows Vista Computer not receiving ip adress

i dont know whats wrong with my computer. one day my internet is working. then one day it just stops. Heres a quick review of my system. compaq presario laptop running windows vista system pack 1. I can get internet connection threw dial up, but when i plug in the ethernet cord into the laptop directly from my modem..it says limited connectivity. Sending out packets but not receiving packets.i tried everything, still nothing. i dont know what to do. My isp provider stated that my computer isnt receiving the ip address the modem is sending out. i have a ip address of 169.254.etc...any suggestions

 

Hi and welcome to the WindowsBBS community.

First try turning off the firewall for testing. Check that you don't have more than one firewall running, for example, Windows firewall and another one in your antimalware suite.

You can go to Device Manager (type it into the Start Search bar) and uninstall the LAN/Ethernet controller. It will be automatically reinstalled when you reboot, you will need to reboot twice, once to reinstall the controller, the other to get a new IP address. Go to the Compaq website and look for updated LAN/Ethernet controller drivers or check your Compaq installer disks (reinstall the driver).

Do you have the setup instructions for the modem? Run through the setup again, but check if there is a reset (it might be a small hole into which you push a straightened paper clip). Check the lights/LEDs are lit correctly. Whenever you want to test, restart the computer and turn off the modem for 1 minute or so, then watch the LED sequence till it connects correctly.

Connect a phone handset to the line and check for static. You do have the line filters in place if you need them?

You can go to Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center, check that Network Discovery is set to On. You can run the Set up a new connection wizard. It should allow you to make a new connection.

Do you have Vista Service Pack 1 or 2? Networking was quite poor before SP1.

Matt