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Can anyone shed light on 169.254.x.x

  • 29-06-2006 8:31am
    #1
    coldfeet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 217 ✭✭


    I've started coming across this ip address regularly. Its an invalid ip address. It seems to be some flaw with microsoft that stops you accessing the net but its hard to nail down why you get it.. There's a million and one answers for it on the net.

    I've found that turning off the auto-detect settings and renewing the ip solves the issue but curious to why you get it in the first palce. Any ides??


Comments

  • #2
    Static M.e.
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭Static M.e.


    Pulled this off the net
    169.254.0.0/16 is the netblock of choice for another silly Windows feature
    called "IP autoconfiguration". Windows pick up a more or less random
    address from this range and start using it if they fail to get an
    IP address by DHCP...or when they have a bad day or something.

    Strange all right, I havent come across it myself yet.


  • #3
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    Yeah, I've seen it before.

    It's essentially a default IP address if the system can't get a real one.


  • #4
    Inisin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 82 ✭✭Inisin


    It happens when the windows PC can't find a DHCP server when the network card is active. I always assumed it did that so it didn't use up resources to continusly search for a DHCP server but it looks like it's a networking feature.
    If a DHCP server is not reached, Windows XP uses either Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) or the user configured alternate address. To use APIPA, skip step 5 above.

    When APIPA is used, Windows XP TCP/IP uses an address in the APIPA IP address range (169.254.0.1 through 169.254.255.254) and the subnet mask is set to 255.255.0.0.

    From - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/tips/autoconfig.mspx
    And
    http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307287

    To get rid of it either have static address or a DHCP server.


  • #5
    Orion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    another silly Windows feature
    Nothing to do with Windoze. It's a feature of IP. HP printers do the same thing and afaik they don't run on Windows :p


  • #6
    zilog_jones
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,638 ✭✭✭zilog_jones


    Yes, I've found it never seems to actually do anything useful - I've never seen it work with several XP machines in a LAN myself, and if you're trying to connect it to a modem/router or anything else I can almost guarantee they're not going to use that subnet.

    Stick with 192.168.0.x, 192.168.1.x or 10.0.x.x, or get DHCP working from somewhere.


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  • #7
    coldfeet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 217 ✭✭coldfeet


    I only get it when I'm running dhcp servers. There'll be a network running fine then a PC will turn on and come up with the 169.254.x.x address. You get it back in touch with the server and it goes back to normal.
    Just can't understand whats stopping it connecting to the server in the first place and giving it this stupid address. Its only something i've noticed recently


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