New used laptop, can't hook to cable internet

[macx]

Just got it, good used about 1-1/2 yrs old HP 8230.

XP Pro, AVG Free, some other software.

Boots fine, opens everything fine.

Has wireless and Bluetooth.

When I plug in a known good internet cable connect and
try to open IE, it "can't find the server" -

Have gone into control panel / internet settings and
tried to set up the configuration, no luck.

It is recognizing 3 diff local wireless networks (have to have
a password, business nets, can't access), maybe that's
interfering - may have been configured to connect via
wireless instead of cable (?)

I do have a small window from a small yellow triangle with a
black ! that says "Windows System Error - There is an IP
address conflict with another system on the network"

Not sure totally what that refers to or what I need to do about it.
Probly is connection to my internet cable connection problem?

do I need to turn off wireless, and how do I do that?

I configured the control panel internet options LAN configuration
similar to a desktop that does work with the same cable,
but no luck. (The cable is a business LAN.)

Sure appreciate any specific "how to", I'm a little "thin" on
setup knowledge/experience. Thanks much!!

 

[kimsland]

"Windows System Error - There is an IP address conflict with another system on the network"

Self explanatory isn't it (maybe not!)

Are you running DHCP?
Is it a dedicated static IP?

Just go to Network Connections, right click on each connection (normally I just delete them all and start again mind you)
And check what IP is in there.

Or

Start --> Run--> cmd /c ipconfig /all >Desktop\ipconfig.txt <OK>

And attach the new Desktop file (ipconfig.txt) to a new Reply

 

[Rick]

When I plug in a known good internet cable connect and
try to open IE, it "can't find the server" -

Did you try to turn your modem and router off and back on? This might sound pretty silly, but you didn't mention it.

 

[macx]

I don't have access to the modem and router - big setup,
AFAIK over 100 computers.

I looked up the settings on a desktop that does connect and
tried to set the laptop to the same without luck.

Yes, I do believe the IP conflict is what's doing it, it's the only
apparent problem I can find.

I would believe it's a dedicated static IP, very large worksite
for a major company, probly over 100 computers in this
one of several branch offices.

Don't really know anything about their system, it's run by an
IT guy who's on days, I'm on nites, don't even know where his
office is (not that I couldn't find out if I need to) - although i did
call the help desk last nite and the guy told me he'd have to
do something on his end, he sounded like he was being vague
and I didn't catch exactly what that was - nothing I'm familiar with.

Didn't hear back tonite, however several others in my complex
have hooked up their own laptops w/no problem.

Had looked in the Network Connections, there's a Wireless
connection that's labeled Disabled, there's a "1394 Connection 2"
(??) that was connected, I disabled it with no improvement and the
error warning didn't go away, then a LAN connection that
changes from connected to disconnected when I unplug the
cable, so that must be the one. It's the only one "connected"
but IE still can't find the server, restarted but with still no improvement.
In the Wireless Assistant window, the WLAN is turned off.
In the Control Panel, Internet Options, Connections, LAN settings
I tried both auto detect and typing in the company net proxy per
the desktop that works fine with no change or improvement.

I also went thru the New Connection Wizard, tried a couple variations
of "connect to the internet" and one variation told me my connection
should be working. Nope.

When I right click on the Connection that's listed as being connected
and hit "repair" I get that conflict message again. when I try Status, it
says it's connected at 100 mbps.

The hardware wizard for the connecting device says it's working
properly and the driver is current.

The connection wizard when asked to repair the connection tries
to reset the ISP and can't.

Back to the ISP conflict.

BUT - what do I DO about it???

Is it something in the IE browser settings?
Went thru that, couldn't see anything different
than all the stuff I've already been thru umpteen
times.

Other than that, I don't know what else to try.

 

[kimsland]

Hmm actually I think you should leave this to the other feller.
I wouldn't want to instruct you, and then 100 computers go out of action.

Just pull the network out (not literally!)
And write a note to the other guy

 

[macx]

Well, did the ipconfig thing

It seems to have the right ISP info (per the working desktop)
but I do see that there's something called WIN IP routing and
WINS proxy that's not enabled. Maybe?

How do I enable those?

Like I've said, I've tried both auto detect and have typed in
the company proxy as listed on the working desktop.

Hard telling how the prev owner had things set up -
seems like he was working with a WLAN.

Thanks!

 

[kimsland]

I have contacted a far more knowledgeable support member on ipconfig configurations: "jobeard"

Please answer any questions he has, exactly, and it will be resolved.
I'll take a back seat in learning what he may advise you to do.

 

[macx]

5:30 am

Just got home, took the laptop with me, hooked to my cable at home,
reset the connection to auto detect, voila!

SO - there IS something lurking in my company network!

Got no message about conflicting ISPs at home.

Even had tried copying a number of web addresses in the
Proxy Server Exceptions in the Connections in control panel from
the desktop at work, even that didn't work or eliminate that ISP
conflict message.

So - guess I've got to chase down the IT guy at work if I go in early
some day.

Thanks for all your efforts!

I'm at least glad to know it's not a problem with this new used laptop
I just bought - AND I reacquainted myself around the whole connections
labrynth.

I will watch this thread, however, maybe the other gentlemen has some
ideas that will help - it maybe takes some special settings or something
to deal with that work network - one never knows with Windows!

 

[kimsland]

You may have noticed my reservations, whilst you were at work (on the business network)

I believe it would be wiser to speak to the IT guy at work about this. As he may say, that he does not wish to have open web discussion support on your business networked computers (100 of)

So if you would like to post back his feelings on this please do.

 

[DelJo63]

Summary:

You have solved the ip-conflict by using DHCP -- great.

Now you have issues with WINS and Ip Proxy.
​

Once WinsProx are solved, you will have an environment issue to struggle with,
namely Work vs. Home. Both of these are issues and configurations specific to a
work setup where a Domain Controller is used. These settings will have to come
from the I.T./Network people there.

Let's clarify one more point; Both at home and at work, your laptop connects using
wireless and not a wired ethernet connection ??
(it would be easier if at work you were wired and at home wireless - or conversely)

btw: "1394 Connections" are Firewire, not ethernet. If you have no such devices,
then use the Device Manager to just disable it

I await your reply ...

 

[Didou]

Are you sure that you are allowed to connect to the work's network with an external computer (as in not from that company) ?

 

[kimsland]

Kansas City Power and Light

 

[macx]

I'm on wired cable connections both at home and at work.

I'm trying to find out about being allowed, BUT there are a number
of other folks that have come in with personal laptops, plugged in
the cable, and hooked up to the internet no problems.

I have gone into the Control Panel, Internet Options, Connections,
and disabled both the wireless and 1394 (I KNEW that was familiar
for some reason! :-/) (There were 3 wireless systems that showed up
both they're from other companies and are password protected. They
don't show up now that I've disabled the wireless connection.)

At home I got it to work by setting to Auto Detect vs specific LAN
connection setup.

At work tonite, I turned on and again checked the custom LAN setup parameters against the desktop and made sure they were identical, still no luck.
The desktop had both boxes in the upper window (i.e. auto detect etc)
unchecked, and I made sure my whole laptop setup was identical to everything
in that box, and in advanced, on the desktop. That incl the proxy, port, etc.

Going into the Device Mgr, I find I had 3 active network adapters, wireless, ethernet, and bluetooth. I disabled the wireless and bluetooth.

Restarted - still the same "ISP address conflict" error message and no
luck hooking up. AVG or even Windows Update can't connect, although
I again verified in Contr Pnl, Network Connections, the Ethernet connection
is listed as being connected, with quite a number of packets sent but only
3 rec'd.

It's very probble there's a firewall on the company server, but how did the
others connect? I'll ask one of them if I can check their connection settings
tomorrow.

That ISP Address conflict really puzzles me tho - at least to me that doesn't
sound like that have anything to do with a server firewall?

Been thru everything remotely associated with Connections that I can find
and can't see anything that looks like would be possibly causing that, like
the multiple connection devices, etc - everything's disabled except the ethernet,
and that driver says it's up to date and the troubleshooter says it's working.

Another check/compare - on that ipconfig file the IP address, subnet mask and
default gateway all match what the control panel connection Status window shows
for my ethernet connection. When I clicked Repair, it came back saying everything
was OK - but that Windows System Error window about the IP address conflict
then comes up -

Ah HA! Going into the desktop and checking the Status and Properties of it's
connection I find the IP address and gateway are different!! Maybe my first
real clue!?

Darn! Went in and manually input the same IP, subnet mask & gateway as the
desktop and now I don't get the IP address conflict window but it still can't find
the server! I give up! I'll have to get with the IT guy somehow.

 

[kimsland]

You will need to do an Ipconfi /release and ipconfig /renew on a command line after each change

 

[macx]

Thanks for the input - but - -

you just left me about a mile behind you -

I don't have a clue

That IS one thing I relish about this site -
every day is an opportunity to learn something new )

 

[kimsland]

lol

I'm just saying, that if you change any setting in Windows (being very general here)
You should restart the computer for changes to take affect.

But in Network configurations, you can do the following without restarting

Start--> Run --> CMD
(and then in the black command window, run each of the following)
ipconfig /release <enter>
ipconfig /flushdns <enter>
ipconfig /registerdns <enter>
ipconfig /renew <enter>

 

[macx]

OK - thanks for spreading that out a little for me

I've been restarting every time I change anything.

 

[macx]

OK, the result for the first and last of those commands returned

something like "this command could not be completed because there
is no adapter in the state permissible to perform this operation"

 

[DelJo63]

you're fight too hard with static addresses.
all of this would go away if you would just use DHCP on the Ethernet adaper.

btw: if you use # ipconfig /flushdns, be sure to follow it with

net stop "DNS Client"
net start "DNS Client"​

otherwise the effect of the /flushdns will not be seen until you to restart

 

[macx]

OK - can you please elaborate on using DHCP?

Like, what's that, where do I find it, how do I use it?

Thx!!

 

[DelJo63]

DHCP is a means to autoconfigure all parameters to TCP.

use View Network connections; right-click on the Lan Connection
pull down the slider to see Tcp/IP and select it
now click the Properties Button​

On the General Tab; click both radio buttons that begin with Obtain ...

Automatically
Click Advanced
IP Address should show DHCP Enabled,
Gateway should be empty
DNS tab: append primary and append parent
at the bottom [x] Register this connection
WINS Tab: Enable LMHOSTS, enable NetBIOS over TCP/Ip
Options Tab: leave alone​

Alternate Config Tab

Automatic private IP address
​

Click OK
Authentication Tab:

[ ] clear the Enable IEEE 802.1x​

click close

let the system idle for a minute or so and then
run->cmd /k ipconfig /all
you should have an IP address and at least one DNS entry

try ping www.google.com

if it works; CREATE a hardware profile for it

right-click My Computer->properties
click Hardware Tab
click Profile button
click the existing profile and click COPY
enter a name for your environment, eg: AtWork or AtHome
​

You can repeat the Profile Creation when you go to work.

Now wherever you are, you can choose the profile to match your
location and the system will use the appropriate settings.

 

[macx]

Voila!!!

DHCP is a means to autoconfigure all parameters to TCP.

use View Network connections; right-click on the Lan Connection
pull down the slider to see Tcp/IP and select it
now click the Properties Button​

Couldn't follow your direction, couldn't find some of the things per your descriptions, finally stumbled on the below items, got that all done - most of them were already set as you have directed. As soon as I got that far, the error message came up (same as I started with several hours ago but that did manage to get rid of somehow) "Wndows System Error. There is an IP address conflict with another system on the network." That's what I started out with when I first plugged this laptop into what was supposed to be an internet-only network, not the "company" private network. After taking the laptop home and found it worked fine just with setting to auto detect, I contacted the site IT guy, who just said hook up to one of the internet only ports, of course they're not labeled. On a hunch, and out of sheer desperation, I went into another office and tried that port and -
lo and behold - hooked up fine just with "auto detect." Soooo - all this time I've been "tilting at windmills" trying to hook to the internet directly on a port that I was erroneously told was an internet vs a company network port. Aaaarrrrggghh!!!
So- my apologies and heartfelt thanks to all of you that have been so patient and trying so hard to be helpful

On the General Tab; click both radio buttons that begin with Obtain ...

Automatically
Click Advanced
IP Address should show DHCP Enabled,
Gateway should be empty
DNS tab: append primary and append parent
at the bottom [x] Register this connection
WINS Tab: Enable LMHOSTS, enable NetBIOS over TCP/Ip
Options Tab: leave alone​

Alternate Config Tab

Automatic private IP address
​

Click OK
Authentication Tab:

[ ] clear the Enable IEEE 802.1x​

click close

let the system idle for a minute or so and then
run->cmd /k ipconfig /all
you should have an IP address and at least one DNS entry

try ping www.google.com

if it works; CREATE a hardware profile for it

right-click My Computer->properties
click Hardware Tab
click Profile button
click the existing profile and click COPY
enter a name for your environment, eg: AtWork or AtHome
​

You can repeat the Profile Creation when you go to work.

Now wherever you are, you can choose the profile to match your
location and the system will use the appropriate settings.

So - now onward & upward to download and install the whole gamut of
security app's as laid out in the Security section of this forum which, BTW,
have served me admirably for the past 3 years after I found this forum
while building my new desktop. (and believe it or not, it actually works!