# DHCP Server unavailable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 21, 2001, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605 "2001-06-21T12:57:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cykrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@cykrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cykrider)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605/1 "2001-06-21T12:57:38Z")
We finally got our cable network set up in our house and all the computers work…except mine. Figures 🙂 Anyways, my computer isn’t picking up the new IP address, and I’ve had this problem before when going from a home network to the University network. I used winipcfg, hit release then renew and everything turned out great, new University IP. Now I’m back home and I need to find the new IP again, but this time I get the error: **DHCP Server unavailable renewing adapter ""** I’m running win98 with an HP ethernet card. Thanks for the help. ---
**Author:** ![Treason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Treason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treason)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605/2 "2001-06-21T13:03:52Z")
Do you ahve a DHCP server on your home network? If so try rebooting the server. If not then you will need to manually set up the IP address. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605/3 "2001-06-21T13:09:35Z")
I don’t suppose you have a DHCP server running at home? If not you found your problem 🙂 Couple of things you can do… install a DHCP server on your home network (or if you have a linux box or NT server you could install the DHCP services), install a network profile utility that lets you select which network you will be connecting to when you boot (home or office) and sets up the IP stack accordingly (DHCP for office, static IP for home). Give us some more details and I can post more 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605/4 "2001-06-21T13:19:57Z")
OK, first off. Are you running multiple PCs sharing one cable connection? If so, how are you sharing the connection? Are you using a router like a NetGear or Linksys box? Please tell me you aren’t using another PC as a DHCP server… If you are hooking up one PC at a time, and you cannot pull down a dynamic IP, check your settings in Control Panel-\>Network-\>TCPIP-\>Properties. Make sure that you have it set up to “obtain an IP address from a DHCP server”. Also, you might check to see that the proper adapter is selected on the drop-down box. Other than that…it would require more information from you. ---
**Author:** ![cykrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@cykrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cykrider)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605/5 "2001-06-21T13:35:27Z")
We have a Linksys cable/DSL router. And a 3COM home cable modem. Each computer has it’s own cable too. And, to the best of my knowledge, we don’t have a DHCP server running. I actually have no clue what this DHCP stuff is all about, so maybe you guys could start by explaining that, and then I could give you more information. I’m not sure if this: > [@](#): > > Do you ahve a DHCP server on your home network? If so try rebooting the server. If not then you will need to manually set up the IP address. will work because I’m almost 100% sure the IP is dynamic. Note: After doing start\>control panel\>network\>TCIP\>properties, on my brother’s ME (where the cable works) he has a feature “Detect connection to network media” clicked. Where on my 98 box the feature doesn’t even exsist. ---
**Author:** ![Treason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Treason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treason)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605/6 "2001-06-21T13:59:39Z")
Ok the Lynksys router has a DHCP server built in. From a working machine go to [http://192.168.1.1](http://192.168.1.1) and login , this should be in the manual for you router and make sure that that DHCP is enabled. After doing this unplug the router and plug it back in to reboot it. Sometimes it gets in a bad state. Now on you machine that is not working go into the control pannel -\> networking -\> protocols -\> TCP/IP and make sure that “Obtain IP address from DHCP server” is checked. Also make sure that you remove any DNS server addresses, they will be given to you by the DHCP server. Then reboot. You should now have an IP address. ---
**Author:** ![cykrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@cykrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cykrider)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605/7 "2001-06-21T14:35:25Z")
I’ve yet to find “Obtain IP address from DHCP server” anywhere. I found it under WINS Configuration. But not under the TCIP properties. DHCP is enabled though. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605/8 "2001-06-21T15:11:28Z")
Well, on the Linksys you can set it to use Static IPs internally, I believe, but this limits you then to only having 4 PCs on your intranet. If you bypass the Linky altogether, and connect directly to the modem, can you pull down an IP then? ---
**Author:** ![cykrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@cykrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cykrider)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605/9 "2001-06-21T15:59:00Z")
Would their be any other side effects to having static IPs other than limiting it to 4 computers? We only have 4 so I don’t think it would be too much of a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dhcp-server-unavailable/69605/10 "2001-06-21T17:41:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cykrider \* > \*\*Would their be any other side effects to having static IPs other than limiting it to 4 computers? We only have 4 so I don’t think it would be too much of a problem. \*\* None whatsoever.