Windows 8 Laptop - must use ipconfig /release and renew to change networks

[rockyp]

For the last month or so, when I move my laptop to a different location, it sees the networks, but I have a Limited connection. I have to do a release and renew to get to the Internet. It isn't a big deal, but can be annoying.

For a while, I had specified DHCP to get my IP, but was using specific DNS servers. I think the problem started after I changed back to getting my DNS from the DHCP server.

TIA!

 

[patcooke]

Please post your

ipconfig /all

on here.

 

[rockyp]

Here it is, Pat. I hope you can spot something! Thanks for looking...
================
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.2.9200]
(c) 2012 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Users\Rocky>ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : XPSLap
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : domain.actdsltmp
Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 13:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Hosted Network Virtual Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 88-53-2E-CC-89-78
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 12:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 88-53-2E-CC-89-78
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 88-53-2E-CC-89-7B
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : domain.actdsltmp
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6230
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 88-53-2E-CC-89-77
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::8970:fc02:7240:2ef8%13(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.212(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, April 25, 2013 02:47:24 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Friday, April 26, 2013 02:47:24 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 327701294
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-18-BE-F9-2D-84-8F-69-C5-FA-19
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
208.67.222.222
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : portac.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 84-8F-69-C5-FA-19
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 14:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft 6to4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter isatap.{7962F570-1E19-49B7-9878-CCD1DD44FB75}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #5
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 19:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:9d38:953c:44e:53c:3f57:fe2b(Prefer
red)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::44e:53c:3f57:fe2b%19(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 587202560
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-18-BE-F9-2D-84-8F-69-C5-FA-19
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled
Tunnel adapter isatap.{CB2A5669-94ED-42DB-B794-11EEB71DB25B}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #6
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter isatap.domain.actdsltmp:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : domain.actdsltmp
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #8
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.1.212%22(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
208.67.222.222
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled
Tunnel adapter isatap.portac.com:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : portac.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter isatap.{93AD046D-81D6-4473-B2FF-846C150EE831}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #12
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
C:\Users\Rocky>

 

[patcooke]

A lot of the stuff there is related to IPv6 which is not currently in use and may be causing some problems (if not only clouding issues). Go to your network adapters in control panel and on each of them disable Internet Protocol V6. There is nothing else obviously wrong in your ipconfig. Unless there is good reason for bypassing it it is best to leave both IP address and dns server address allocations with DHCP. They both look ok and are mutually compatible with each other and your router connection.

 

[Trouble]

when I move my laptop to a different location, it sees the networks, but I have a Limited connection

Not sure exactly what "a different network" actually means, but.....
This behavior is common with DCHP clients that have received extended long term DHCP address leases.

Renewing a Lease:
The DHCP client first attempts to renew its lease when 50 percent of the original lease time, known as T1, has passed. At this point the DHCP client sends a unicast DHCPRequest message to the DHCP server that originally granted its lease. If the server is available, and the lease is still available, the server responds with a unicast DHCPAck message and the lease is renewed.

SOURCE: How DHCP Technology Works: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
So transporting a computer from one network (subnet) to a second network without rebooting the computer or otherwise provoking DHCP Discovery (ipconfig /release.... ipconfig /renew) would or at least could result in limited connectivity unless by some miracle of coincidence the two are configured with identical IP addressing schema including gateways and DNS and the current IP address of the moved computer does not conflict on the current subnet.
You may want to experiment with the lease times handed out by the individual routers on the networks involved.

 

[rockyp]

Not sure exactly what "a different network" actually means, but.....
This behavior is common with DCHP clients that have received extended long term DHCP address leases.
SOURCE: How DHCP Technology Works: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
So transporting a computer from one network (subnet) to a second network without rebooting the computer or otherwise provoking DHCP Discovery (ipconfig /release.... ipconfig /renew) would or at least could result in limited connectivity unless by some miracle of coincidence the two are configured with identical IP addressing schema including gateways and DNS and the current IP address of the moved computer does not conflict on the current subnet.
You may want to experiment with the lease times handed out by the individual routers on the networks involved.

This is good information! Thanks... I am a software developer and I move from my home to my office to my various customers' offices without powering down my laptop. Rather, I just close the cover, putting the laptop to sleep - this is what I am referring to when I talk about moving to "a different network".

Your reply makes sense, and thanks for the link - good stuff! But I didn't ever experience this with Windows 7. Is there a setting in Win 8 that may have caused this behavior? I don't think I want to change the DHCP settings in all my customers' networks!!

 

[patcooke]

I think I'd start closing Windows down when moving. Also, many of the entries in your ipconfig relate to ISATAP which is a software mechanism for enabling IPv4 protocols to run over IPv6 networks. As you move around these are increasing (I think I've counted 5 or 6). You may remove them to tidy things up. As you are almost certainly not even using IPv6 it will also help if it is disabled on each of your network adapters.

 

[rockyp]

Again, fortunately, this isn't a real problem. But it is an annoyance. I appreciate all help from you guys (and gals?). Thanks for your time, and now we all can get back to more important stuff!

 

[Trouble]

Or you could just build yourself a simple batch file

@echo off
ipconfig /release
echo
echo The IP address has been released. Waiting to renew…
echo
ipconfig /renew
echo The IP address has been renewed

Put it on your desktop and run it when needed.

 

[patcooke]

The batch file should sort it - you could go one step further and incorporate it into your startup so it runs automatically. I reckon there are two sorts of people in this business - those who are happy to see a problem just go away or find a workaround (as in this case) and those who find the problem irritating and have to root it. I'm one of the second type but if you're happy with a workaround then go with it.

 

[Trouble]

Rebooting the computer whenever you move to a new network would probably be the ideal.... and would probably just make the problem a non-problem as that would provoke a new DHCP discovery packet to be sent and would result in proper IP addressing schema for the new environment without the need for any special action on your part.. Barring that, the batch file is a simple work around for the problem.

 

[hmeister]

This is an interesting thread - we are experiencing this with our corporate laptops. There is one wireless network outside our regular network at a vendor location and the DHCP server on this vendor network does not respond to the broadcast from client side and never sends a nak telling laptop to release IP address on stack. From what we see in the wireshark capture it appears to rely upon discover only. We have since verified this with the vendor and they said they don't set the DHCP to rfc standard and nak is not part of their setup. So we are considering this a real non-standard DHCP setup. That being said the network works with iPhones, iPads, Windows phones, Samsung Galaxy phones and Win 7 & 8. personal laptops. We are trying to determine what the difference is with the registry entries that allows these other personal laptop devices to work. As you have suggested we have a batch file - release & renew - on the desktops as temporary fix but hardly a great solution but it works. We do use a GPO to prioritize the wireless corporate networks. Any thoughts? Most of our focus is now in registry entries HKLM tcpip parameters. Rebooting and using the built in troubleshooter does not work.