Coffee shop wifi will not give me IP address, but gives everyone else IP address. But static IP works!
Coffee shop wifi will not give me IP address, but gives everyone else IP address. But static IP works!. Discuss Coffee shop wifi will not give me IP address, but gives everyone else IP address. But static IP works!, on Wireless Forums.
Coffee shop wifi will not give me IP address, but gives everyone else IP address. But static IP works!
I'm sitting here in my favorite coffee shop, noticing people working
around me with their laptops. They're all connected to the internet. I
have a Dell M90, with a Dell Wireless 1490 Dual B and WLAN Mini-Card
(Microsoft's Packet Scheduler), Windows XP SP2. I set up my connection
using all the defaults -- WPA-Personal (PSK).
Anyway, terrific signal strength, I have the password, the network ID
is broadcast. BUT - the router refuses to give me -- and only me -- an
IP address. With Ethereal/Wireshark in promiscuous mode, I can see
packets flying all over the place on my adapter. I can see my computer
sending "DHCP Discover" packets every 3 seconds. But the router NEVER
sends a packet in reply. Nobody else here is at all sophisticated --
they're using the default OS wifi settings, DHCP, etc.
However, if I set my IP address to a static address, I can use their
network just fine. Everything's peachy.
What the heck? This is a new coffee shop, new router equipment, my
laptop is new -- why would they refuse me (or my NIC type, or god
knows what category they might be using)? I tried every other
combination of wifi settings, to no avail.
Re: Coffee shop wifi will not give me IP address, but gives everyone else IP address. But static IP works!
Jennifer R <james.raden@gmail.com> hath wroth:
>I'm sitting here in my favorite coffee shop, noticing people working
>around me with their laptops. They're all connected to the internet. I
>have a Dell M90, with a Dell Wireless 1490 Dual B and WLAN Mini-Card
>(Microsoft's Packet Scheduler), Windows XP SP2. I set up my connection
>using all the defaults -- WPA-Personal (PSK).
>
>Anyway, terrific signal strength, I have the password, the network ID
>is broadcast. BUT - the router refuses to give me -- and only me -- an
>IP address. With Ethereal/Wireshark in promiscuous mode, I can see
>packets flying all over the place on my adapter. I can see my computer
>sending "DHCP Discover" packets every 3 seconds. But the router NEVER
>sends a packet in reply. Nobody else here is at all sophisticated --
>they're using the default OS wifi settings, DHCP, etc.
>
>However, if I set my IP address to a static address, I can use their
>network just fine. Everything's peachy.
>
>What the heck? This is a new coffee shop, new router equipment, my
>laptop is new -- why would they refuse me (or my NIC type, or god
>knows what category they might be using)? I tried every other
>combination of wifi settings, to no avail.
>
>Nothing works. Help!
Well, I'll assume that your M90 connects to other wireless access
points correctly.
Does the coffee shop really use WPA-PSK encryption? Very very few
coffee shops and public hot spots use encryption. Are you sure that
"password" you're using is for WPA-PSK, or might it be for a login
splash screen once you're connected?
If you wanna double check, try this DHCP test tool:
<http://www.weirdsolutions.com/weirdSolutions/files/products/desktopSoftware/desktopQueryTool/querytool_free.exe>
If you get a DCHP offer as a reply, then there's something screwy with
your XP IP stack. I've seen DHCP failures with XP that I could not
fix. However, it was where all DHCP would not work with any wired or
wireless router (and required a registry cleaned to fix). This seems
different. I've also seen VPN shims and failed spyware removals mess
up the DHCP client. However, again it should fail with all wired and
wireless connections, not just one, and apparently that's not the case
here. Weird.
Any clue what they're using for a wireless router? Deploying new
routers, with antique firmware seems to be a common practice. Methinks
this is the most likely culprit.
Have you tried to reboot your M90? I've found that running Wireshark
sometimes causes my various NIC interfaces to go nuts which requires a
reboot to clear.
Also, are you perhaps spoofing your MAC address on the wireless card.
That's usually harmless, but strange MAC addresses (i.e. all zeros or
1's) can do odd things.
Re: Coffee shop wifi will not give me IP address, but gives everyoneelse IP address. But static IP works!
Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> Jennifer R <james.raden@gmail.com> hath wroth:
>
>> I'm sitting here in my favorite coffee shop, noticing people working
>> around me with their laptops. They're all connected to the internet. I
>> have a Dell M90, with a Dell Wireless 1490 Dual B and WLAN Mini-Card
>> (Microsoft's Packet Scheduler), Windows XP SP2. I set up my connection
>> using all the defaults -- WPA-Personal (PSK).
>>
>> Anyway, terrific signal strength, I have the password, the network ID
>> is broadcast. BUT - the router refuses to give me -- and only me -- an
>> IP address. With Ethereal/Wireshark in promiscuous mode, I can see
>> packets flying all over the place on my adapter. I can see my computer
>> sending "DHCP Discover" packets every 3 seconds. But the router NEVER
>> sends a packet in reply. Nobody else here is at all sophisticated --
>> they're using the default OS wifi settings, DHCP, etc.
>>
>> However, if I set my IP address to a static address, I can use their
>> network just fine. Everything's peachy.
>>
>> What the heck? This is a new coffee shop, new router equipment, my
>> laptop is new -- why would they refuse me (or my NIC type, or god
>> knows what category they might be using)? I tried every other
>> combination of wifi settings, to no avail.
>>
>> Nothing works. Help!
>
> Well, I'll assume that your M90 connects to other wireless access
> points correctly.
>
> Does the coffee shop really use WPA-PSK encryption? Very very few
> coffee shops and public hot spots use encryption. Are you sure that
> "password" you're using is for WPA-PSK, or might it be for a login
> splash screen once you're connected?
>
> If you wanna double check, try this DHCP test tool:
> <http://www.weirdsolutions.com/weirdSolutions/files/products/desktopSoftware/desktopQueryTool/querytool_free.exe>
> If you get a DCHP offer as a reply, then there's something screwy with
> your XP IP stack. I've seen DHCP failures with XP that I could not
> fix. However, it was where all DHCP would not work with any wired or
> wireless router (and required a registry cleaned to fix). This seems
> different. I've also seen VPN shims and failed spyware removals mess
> up the DHCP client. However, again it should fail with all wired and
> wireless connections, not just one, and apparently that's not the case
> here. Weird.
>
> Any clue what they're using for a wireless router? Deploying new
> routers, with antique firmware seems to be a common practice. Methinks
> this is the most likely culprit.
>
> Have you tried to reboot your M90? I've found that running Wireshark
> sometimes causes my various NIC interfaces to go nuts which requires a
> reboot to clear.
>
> Also, are you perhaps spoofing your MAC address on the wireless card.
> That's usually harmless, but strange MAC addresses (i.e. all zeros or
> 1's) can do odd things.
>
Typically, I go to the counter and ask them to restart the router.
"Because it seems to be down" usually works. Who are they to argue
whether it's working for other people, since they are not on their
computer actively going to Myspace, or wherever it is baristas go to
these days. What might have happened, as what happens from time to time
with my friends, is the router seems to have a long DHCP lease time, and
only a small number range of IP addresses it's willing to give out.
That's typically from not knowing how to properly install a public
access point, or at least one that will encounter more than 50 MAC
addresses a day, or however long the lease lasts. Attempting to fix the
issue may be more difficult, and perhaps requires more social
engineering on your part. Perhaps they run a router that happens to be a
DD-WRT compatible device. TFTP a better alternative for them and make
it, well, better!
Re: Coffee shop wifi will not give me IP address, but gives everyone else IP address. But static IP works!
> Well, I'll assume that your M90 connects to other wireless access
> points correctly.
Oh yes -- even this coffee shop's other store in another part of town.
>
> Does the coffee shop really use WPA-PSK encryption? Very very few
> coffee shops and public hot spots use encryption. Are you sure that
> "password" you're using is for WPA-PSK, or might it be for a login
> splash screen once you're connected?
It would appear so. No splash screen (presumably in a browser). I
tried other options for encryption and the 25-letter password they
gave me (composed of three english words) was only appropriate for WPA-
PSK and perhaps one other encryption type. Sorry, I'm not there now so
I can't remember what the other form was. I work a lot from coffee
shops and typically there's NEVER any configuration other than the
password, therefore they seem to use the most user- and barrista-
friendly wireless configurations, seemingly just the router the phone
company supplies (the phone company this week is called AT&T, formerly
SBC, formerly Ameritech, formerly Ohio Bell).
>
> If you wanna double check, try this DHCP test tool:
> <http://www.weirdsolutions.com/weirdSolutions/files/products/desktopSo...>
> If you get a DCHP offer as a reply, then there's something screwy with
> your XP IP stack. I've seen DHCP failures with XP that I could not
> fix. However, it was where all DHCP would not work with any wired or
> wireless router (and required a registry cleaned to fix). This seems
> different. I've also seen VPN shims and failed spyware removals mess
> up the DHCP client. However, again it should fail with all wired and
> wireless connections, not just one, and apparently that's not the case
> here. Weird.
Thanks! I'll give it a try.
>
> Any clue what they're using for a wireless router? Deploying new
> routers, with antique firmware seems to be a common practice. Methinks
> this is the most likely culprit.
Most coffee shops don't hide their router -- you can point a browser
at the gateway address -- e.g. 192.168.1.254 -- and really go to town
viewing all the status pages.
>
> Have you tried to reboot your M90? I've found that running Wireshark
> sometimes causes my various NIC interfaces to go nuts which requires a
> reboot to clear.
I reboot probably weekly. I'll try that from the coffee shop and then
try to connect. Good suggestion.
>
> Also, are you perhaps spoofing your MAC address on the wireless card.
> That's usually harmless, but strange MAC addresses (i.e. all zeros or
> 1's) can do odd things.
I don't think so. I'm writing from a different laptop so I can't
confirm. Everything on this laptop -- bought only in July -- is pretty
much as-installed-by-Dell.
>
> --
> Jeff Liebermann je...@cruzio.com
> 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
> Santa Cruz CA 95060http://802.11junk.com
> Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
Re: Coffee shop wifi will not give me IP address, but gives everyone else IP address. But static IP works!
>
> Typically, I go to the counter and ask them to restart the router.
> "Because it seems to be down" usually works. Who are they to argue
> whether it's working for other people, since they are not on their
> computer actively going to Myspace, or wherever it is baristas go to
> these days. What might have happened, as what happens from time to time
> with my friends, is the router seems to have a long DHCP lease time, and
> only a small number range of IP addresses it's willing to give out.
Very interesting -- if they're using the default from-the-phone-
company installation, it might not be configured for public access. I
never thought of that
Sadly, there's probably nobody associated with the coffee shop who
knows ANYTHING about wifi. You ask them about the lease time and
they'll tell you 24 months, water and sewer extra. :)
> That's typically from not knowing how to properly install a public
> access point, or at least one that will encounter more than 50 MAC
> addresses a day, or however long the lease lasts. Attempting to fix the
> issue may be more difficult, and perhaps requires more social
> engineering on your part. Perhaps they run a router that happens to be a
> DD-WRT compatible device. TFTP a better alternative for them and make
> it, well, better!
>
> Sorry for the block of text.
Re: Coffee shop wifi will not give me IP address, but gives everyone else IP address. But static IP works!
Jennifer R <james.raden@gmail.com> hath wroth:
>Most coffee shops don't hide their router -- you can point a browser
>at the gateway address -- e.g. 192.168.1.254 -- and really go to town
>viewing all the status pages.
That would probably be a 2wire router. I'll guess a 2801HG. Those
usually come with the latest firmware and seem to have few problems.
However, I did have some problems with old Intel Proset drivers on a
laptop and this router when in WPA2-PSK-AES mode. Worked fine with
TKIP encryption, but wouldn't connect in AES. Then, I updated the
Proset driver, and the laptop lived happy ever after. I never did
figure out if it was actually the driver, or if I had fixed something
corrupted in the installation.
Coffee shop wifi will not give me IP address, but gives everyone else IP address. But static IP works! 
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