why would a computer not assign a network address?

[Osteole]

This might be the wrong forum, but I have spent several hours assisting my friend. He purchased a new Gateway laptop. (please dont stone me) My network is stable with two wired and one wireless computers. We spent upteen hours online talking to technical support trying to identify why his computer would not acquire a network address. I think he is going to take it back to Best Buy tommorrow.

I tried to release and renew his ip address to no avail. Is there a problem with his internal wireless network card?

 

[Regs]

Is this the computer with the wireless connection?

 

[Twsmit]

typically your router will give you an address. Not the other way around.


I think that there is a 90% chance this is a screw up with your network or human error, I doubt the computer is broken.

What you should do is test this computer on the internet alone, or on a simple network with only one other thing etc....

Might also be smart to redo the network configuration on the router etc....

 

[kitkat22]

Is there a button that activates the wireless? Have you tried connecting with a standard LAN cable? Is your wireless secure/radioing? Maybe disabling secure wireless will help.

 

[Osteole]

Thanks for your responses. His computer is wireless with an internal adapter.

My wireless connects fine to the network, but I use a external adapter (linksys), not that it should make any difference.

Somehow I overlooked the fact that my router assigns the ip addresses. Why would the router assign to my two desktops (wired) and laptop (wireless), but not my friends wireless laptop?

I suppose it is because of human error, but I'm not sure what additional configuring needs to be done.

It is a secured connection, but I supplied the key and the computer connected to the network, but an ip address coudln't be acquired.

 

[kitkat22]

Were you able to connect via a landline? I'm saying this to isolate the problem away from the router. Another question is whether you have to report you MAC address to your ISP. I know I have to with mine and it bugs me to no end.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

just as a test, remove the security on the router and see if it works.

what type are you using?

 

[Ronin]

Originally posted by: cscpianoman
Is there a button that activates the wireless? Have you tried connecting with a standard LAN cable? Is your wireless secure/radioing? Maybe disabling secure wireless will help.

^^

This is probably the most overlooked thing. There should be a key combination or a switch to turn on the wireless (or it *may* be a toggle in the bios), and by default, most laptops have it turned off.

 

[Osteole]

Originally posted by: cscpianoman
Were you able to connect via a landline? I'm saying this to isolate the problem away from the router. Another question is whether you have to report you MAC address to your ISP. I know I have to with mine and it bugs me to no end.

As far as I know, the mac address is not supplied to the isp.

This is probably the most overlooked thing. There should be a key combination or a switch to turn on the wireless (or it *may* be a toggle in the bios), and by default, most laptops have it turned off.

I didn't realize that internal wireless adapters had a switch or toggle. It's too late to check now, but I will most certainly keep that in mind for future reference.