IP Address 0.0.0.0 after power outage

For starters I know next to nothing about computers, so please be really, really, really remedial with any responses and patient with me. Thanks in advance to any helpers out there!

About six weeks ago we lost out electricity for about 20 minutes. It went off suddenly, came back on suddenly... Our old desktop, running on Windows XP, was on when power went out. I turned it back on after the power returned. I tried to get online to check my email and couldn't get online. I checked the connections, things seemed fine. I check on our laptops (an old iBook G4 and a newish MacBook) and both were (and still are) able to connect (wireless connection though a Netgear router). The desktop is plugged into the router then into the modem, I believe (whatever the arrangement, it was working fine until the power outage).

Anyway after hours of frustrating internet searches trying to get things back in order, I'm at a complete loss. The IP address and subnet mask say 0.0.0.0 and the address type reads "Invalid IP Address." I tried to repair the connection. No dice. The connection itself reads "Acquiring network address."

What I've done:

* I've disabled the firewall
* I did some command prompts such as netsh winsock reset catalog and perhaps others (today is the first day i've messed with it in weeks) and rebooted the computer after them
* I did this command prompt ipconfig/all

After the ipconfig/all prompt it read:
Windows IP Configuration

Host Name: YOUR-E482F5E120
Primary Dns Suffix:
Node type: Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled: Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled: No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix:
Description: Cisco Systems VPN Adapter
Physical Address: 00-05-9A-3C-78-00
Dchp Enabled: No
IP Address: 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask: 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway:


I did more digging around and figured out I could make it auto assign an IP. I went to my connection and went to the properties menu – down to the Internet Protocol TCP/IP option and set it to obtain the IP address and DNS server automatically. The connection said connected, but I could not get online. The other computers hooked up wirelessly could still get online.

Running ipconfig/all again after I did the auto assign thing I got this:

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name: YOUR-E482F5E120
Primary Dns Suffix:
IP Routing Enabled: Yes
WINS Proxy Enabled: No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix:
Description: Cisco Systems VPN Adapter
Physical Address: 00-05-9A-3C-78-00
Dchp Enabled: Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled: Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address: 169.254.18.31
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway:


I restarted the computer and everything (IP and subnet mask, etc) went back to 0.0.0.0 again.

I'm so stinking frustrated! We need this PC to work -- to get online and we can't figure out what happened and why our other computers work through the router connection.

Edited by mavieen, 01 June 2009 - 05:12 PM.

It could be the modem went out when the power came back on. Have you called your ISP?

It could be the modem went out when the power came back on. Have you called your ISP?

Wouldn't that make the other computers in the house unable to access the internet? Both mac laptops can still access the internet just fine through the same modem-router connection.

I was thinking that since the other ones are connecting through a wireless connection they were not using the modem, but maybe I am wrong about that.

<<Autoconfiguration IP Address: 169.254.18.31>>

That indicates that DHCP did not set up properly on the one system.

Make sure that it is enabled, then try rebooting the system that cannot connect.

If a reboot doesn't do it, you might just momentarily disconnect the modem power cord (about 3 seconds) and that will recycle the modem, the router, etc. and hopefully get things as they should be.

Louis

FWIW: After a power outage, it could be the NIC. In which case, I would just remove the drivers (because they may be damaged) and reinstall the NIC.

Edited by hamluis, 01 June 2009 - 05:27 PM.

How does one enable the DHCP? Like I said, I know nothing about computers. I also don't know what "NIC" means (I'm assuming something about the network card?) or how to reinstall whatever that is...

I've tried disconnecting the modem and router repeatedly when it first happened and it didn't do anything.

I live here in Tampa Fl and my power goes out many times in a year. I have found that I can just cut power off,>wait
thirty seconds>turn it back on and wait another thirty seconds>turn on the PC and viola the IP is reset. Never fails.

I've already tried that several times and it hasn't worked. Thanks anyway.

Are the other computers using a wireless connection or are they connecting through the modem? Have you called your ISP?

You can use Google to look up terms like NIC .

Enabling DHCP, http://support.myfishonline.net/win_xp/lan_dhcp_xp.htm

Louis