Having just re-installed Windows XP, I find my wireless network has become dis-functional. While I connect fine using non wireless modem, the usual set up I have no longer works....it finds the network and logs in with the encryption key and connects, then just says ACQUIRING IP ADDRESS.......then it just goes to LIMITED CONNECTIVITY error message and keeps repeating acquiring IP address in an endless loop........any hints as to where to check for problems? Both wireless router and wireless adaptor have not been changed in any way or had any keys changed, etc...tried rebooting PC and modem, etc several times.......

Sound like the router is not doing DHCP. DHCP is the bit wich controlls the IP address on your Local Area Network (LAN). The other way round is to give you PC a static IP address but you need to know the range of your wires router so that it falls with in the same range. how do you go about programming your router? As you will find all this information in the help area of the router.

tricky as lost the set up disk!!! Oh well, it was past its prime anyway that old router.....

I will have it off you hands if your getting rid

Sounds like DHCP is enabled on the router since it is trying to give you an ip address. Go into network properties and make sure that the PC is set to server assigned ip address and dns. Log onto 192.168.0.1, or 192.168.1.1 (its the most probable ip address of the router - put the address in a web browser instead of a url) and you should be faced with a log on screen - the default details are the username admin or administrator with no password. This will bring up your router administration screen. If you can see this over wireless lan, your network is running, you may need to make a cable connection to get to this. Make sure that under LAN settings DHCP is enabled, try without any WEP or WAP settings and make sure that your router has an IP address on the WAN side.

You could do a master reset - There should be a little reset button on the router, hold it in with a paper clip, power off and back on the router, and keep it held in for 30 seconds, Once you've done this, set the PC to server assigned everything and you should be able to connect.

Also interested in the router if you can't get it to work.

I ask first lol:hihi:

lol geeking at 10 paces???

Sounds like DHCP is enabled on the router since it is trying to give you an ip address.

When it says "ACQUIRING IP ADDRESS" it's usually not the router trying to give out the IP address, it's the client (computer) requesting an IP address. It does this when a static IP address isn't assigned for the wireless interface. It sends out a DHCPREQUEST packet and waits for a default time period before timing out (and displays this message whilst waiting for a response or for the timeout). I believe the timeout is usually around 30 seconds (by default) for Windows Zero Configuration.

I would be most tempted to agree with Krad that you don't have DHCP enabled and were most probably using a static IP Address without realising it.

Failing that I would suggest it could be your Windows Firewall blocking the DHCPOFFER packet. If this is the case try opening ports 67 and 68 on your firewall (both UDP).

Hi Golden Fleece

Can you give more information such as:

What router have you got? what computer and XP version? Do you use inbuilt wifi or a card? Does Windows control the wireless connection or a third-party utility? What security setting? If you use WPA make sure that TKIP is selected on the router and in the windows/TP configuration and that both keys are identical.

Let me know and I will make a few suggestions because my husband gets this problem regularly on his laptop, whereas the desktop PC and my laptop are both fine.

Cheers (WickedBones)

ive just got a wireless card for my laptop, does any1 find sometimes that they run a bit slow, also, theres like a green ball in the icon bar at bottom, when its green it means good (runs quicker), and sometimes yellow that means just 'normal', and thats slower any1 else find this problem sometimes?:)