IP 0.0.0.0 default

[twigs]

Hello. I've just got NTL broadband, which connects from the TV box to my Windows 2000 PC via a USB. After I finally got it configured, I had smooth running web access until I re-booted the PC. As soon as I shut the PC off it loses the IP address and defaults to 0.0.0.0, which means I then don't have web access. I've found a workaround for this, but I have to do it everytime I re-boot in order to get web access.

The workaround upon seeing that my IP address has defaulted back to 0.0.0.0 is that I go to the LAN Connection TCP/IP properties, put in a fake IP address like 1.2.3.4 and retain the default Subnet mask. Click OK out of it all. Go to run command and check ipconfig which bizarrely still reports the IP address as 0.0.0.0. However returning to the TCP/IP properties again, and changing back to 'Obtain an IP address automatically' and clicking OK, then going to run command and ipconfig, it gives me a new IP address etc and I then have web access.

My PC keeps defaulting back to 0.0.0.0 each time I re-boot though....any ideas on getting it to retain my web access without having to go through the above workaround each time? Once after obtaining a new IP address through the above workaround, I put the details in to the TCP/IP properties as a manual override, but next time I re-booted it still defaulted back to 0.0.0.0.

Someone at the NTL helpdesk reckoned I may have a TCP/IP binding problem, which means little to me, and they also suggested I try an Ethernet connection, but it looks to me as if the USB is working fine because once I've got the IP address sorted I can surf for hours without problems, until I re-boot. Please help! Thanks.

[MovedGoalPosts]

:welcome: to Cable Forum :D

If you do have an ethernet port on your PC, it is worth trying it. As the network card has specific hardware on board, it can be more reliable and use less porcessor resources than the USB connection.

If you need to persist with USB, try experimenting by uninstalling the ntl USB drivers and installation, and in control panel, uninstall any networking connections. Reboot the PC, with wires unconnected, and allow it to reload only what it needs. Then simply copy the USB drivers from the NTL disk to the hard drive, don't install the disk as a whole.

This article may be of assistance: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/article.php?a=13

[Paul]

TBH, buy yourself a cheap network card (NIC) and consign USB to the grave as far as network connectivity is concerned. USB for the network is the pits, your pc will perform much better as the processor is not spending loads of time dealing with the net connection. The 'N' is NIC is there for a good reason ;)

[carlingman]

May also be worth checking the chipset being used and updating as my guess with Wins 2k you will be using a via chipset ??

:)

[twigs]

Thanks to all for your help. I bought a cheap ethernet card, installed it but got the same error, the IP address remained at 0.0.0.0. I rang for help again and this time got through to an incredibly helpful guy in the Indian call centre who got me to look at services.msc (via start then run) and look at my DHCP client. It turns out that it wasn't turned on (it was on the manual setting, rather than automatic) and as soon as we changed that to start and reconfigured it to automatic, our IP address problem resolved and my web access returned smoothly each time I re-booted. Wahoo! Thanks again guys.