No connectivity! Help!

g-punkteffekt

hi all. I got a new dell laptop today, and when I plug it into my cable modem, it's not picking up the connection for some reason. You need to specify IP addresses and subnet, and DNS/Gateway too. So I have all the settings the same as my housemates laptop and it just doesn't pick up the connection. I can't ping the gateway or do anything. Anyone any thoughts? It's Windows Vista, which is 100% new to me, thanks for reading.

snappieT

Dell have some stupid utility that turns off the internal network card when you're on battery, unless you're already connected when you go to battery mode.

The setting is in Dell QuickSet (if I recall correctly), set it to "always keep my internal network card on", or something to that effect.

Alternatively, restart the computer with the power and network plugged in, it should pick it up.

quaidox

also you will have to change the ip address so that it sin't the same as your housemates one. eg, if your housemates ip address is 192.168.0.10, set yours as 192.168.0.11 All other ip settings remain the same as your housemates config.

g-punkteffekt

well I tried it with the power so I doubt it's the network card. Also - we only have one IP Address and one connection straight into the cable modem so I was using the same IP address but her machine wasn't connected at the time. Tech Support were an absolute joke they told me to call Microsoft... Anyway I guess it just doesn't like the internet or something, cheers.

Archytas

When you connect the cable to the router and the laptop do you get a light a light beside the ethernet port on the laptop?

If you do the card is on and has a connection. If you don't the card is more than likely turned off/faulty on the laptop as you have already said that the other laptop works fine.

if the light is on:
Can you ping localhost? or 127.0.0.1
When you run "ipconfig /all" what do you get?

What make of router is it? Are you sure you have to statically assign an ip address on the laptop to get a connection?
Either way what IP/subnet mask/default gateway addresses did you assign the laptop? If you leave the Ip addresses etc blank what happens when you run ipconfig /all?

Throw on some answers to above and we'll see if we can help?

g-punkteffekt

Yes I can ping 127 and localhost, I can't ping the gateway. An ipconfig all shows all the settings I put in. Yes I have a light at the ethernet connecter thing.
I had to set it up like this - which is how they told me to do it
this works on the other XP laptop when it's plugged into the modem. I'm using Vista.

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 203.97.212.90
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 203.97.212.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 203.96.152.4
203.96.152.12

I am using telstra clear, in NZ, so it's a cable modem, a Motorola SurfBoard cable modem. It says in Network Connections "Local Area Network - Unidentified Network". This mean anything to y'all?

g-punkteffekt

ok I had a look around google, and This "Unidentified Network", "This computer has limited or no connectivity". Seems to be a widespread problem but can't find a fix

Gadgetman496

g-punkteffekt wrote:

ok I had a look around google, and This "Unidentified Network", "This computer has limited or no connectivity". Seems to be a widespread problem but can't find a fix

Have you right clicked on the connection in "Network an Internet Connections" in Control Panel & made sure it's enabled?

g-punkteffekt

yes it's definitely enabled. So no one any ideas? anyone else encountered this in Vista?

Tom Dunne

g-punkteffekt wrote:

yes it's definitely enabled. So no one any ideas? anyone else encountered this in Vista?

Are you sure you actually have to specify IP details?

I would try disconnecting everything, set the network card to automatically pick up the settings, reboot and re-connect.

It sounds very unusual that you have to manually enter details.

g-punkteffekt

Unlike an ADSL modem, a cable modem is transparent to the network, much like a regular dial-up modem. When you connect to our network your assigned IP address resides on your computer, not on the cable modem, and your default gateway IP address is on the TelstraClear networkThe cable modem has no IP address of its own and cannot be connected to, or managed in any way, from your computer. TelstraClear provides a single real-world IP address with each cable connection and cannot provide more.

See? From my ISPs website. It's vista being a pain in the ass.

Tom Dunne

I still don't see where it says you have to manually enter the details.

From reading that, if your cable modem is the same (functionally) as a dial-up modem, then it is merely passing data through. Using this logic, you never had to enter IP details when using a dial-up modem, the IP address was assigned automatically by the ISP when you connect.

According to the Motorla support site, the User Guide says you have to set your network card to pick up settings automatically. Not sure if that is the same model as yours, but it might be worth a shot.

Offalycool

Cant help really, dont know much networking. but I have experienced "This computer has limited or no connectivity" before and it's allways been the firewall. Sounds like a firewall to me.