"Acquiring network address" problem

I have a problem with my laptop. I cannot seem to connect to my wireless router at home. I see the strong signal and put in the correct passkey, but all I see is "Acquiring network address." I had another laptop using a PCMCIA Wireless card and could not connect. So at first I assummed it was the router problem, then I just bought a brand new router.

Then it still doesnt work and gives me the same message. My brother laptop however works. The thing is that my laptop is newer than his. I have no idea what the problem is.

It just keeps trying to connect forever and forever, has that message "Acquiring network address."

I read on some posts that it could be a DHCP problem? I have no idea how to fix that.

Can someone help?

Thanks.

Hi there
This can often be an issue with security encryption. There may be a wrong key entered or the client adaptor does not support the encryption used.
To try and solve this first change the SSID on your AP so your laptop will be forced to create a new profile. Then set security to basic WEP 64bit and try to connect again. Update the wireless adaptors drivers.
If you have any third party Firewalls, try and temporarily disable them to make sure they aren't blocking it.
Good luck
Dale

Dale

I've just come across your response to MrPooper's problem. I don't know if it fixed his but it was certainly the answer to mine, so I've had to register to say a big thankyou.

Without folk like you, who are prepared to share your knowledge freely, folk like me would still be communicating via drawings on cave walls!

Thanks again,

Paul

thank you so much your awesome this solved my problem aswell i am so greatful!!!!!!

I don't believe i have to register to voice my excitement that i got my laptop to go wireless.
But here goes.. ok after reading so many blogs and forums on the problem, and having tried everything.. my laptop could not go wireless BTW i am not very good with networking and technical stuff, call me a NEWBIE, it did go wireless before perfectly, but now it gives me 'Acquiring network address' (stalls), and connectivity status: Strong.

But thank god for younger brother who came back from holiday, who stated the obvious.
The problem was that my laptop was carrying a out of date wireless card, or adapter, still works perfectly but is not compatible with the new wireless router. New wireless router, or more up to-date wireless routers carry many new features, which my old wireless card cannot access. So one solution is to limit the new features on the wireless adpater, to make it compitable with your wireless card. or get an update wireless card or adpater.

hope this helps if everything else fails

best wishes

I am having the same problem, but I am not sure how to change the SSID name as previous posts have recommended. When I click on properties for my network the name under SSID is grayed out. The ones I can change are Network Authentication (currently set to WPA-PSK) and Data encyption (currently set to TKIP).

My wireless network was working fine and then went on vacation for a week. When I powered things back up, I've been getting the Acquiring Network Address loop that leads to Limited or no Connectivity.

Thanks for any help.

I work with computers all the time, and have been getting stuck with this message a lot. Bumbling through like everyone else. I found a solution today and have a theory on how it happens. I believe it happens when the data structure that is passed to set up the network is damaged it simply stops working and gives you the message “ Acquiring Network Address” Which actually that is what is is trying to do.
How or why for us I don't think matters much. This is a solution that I had come up with when I had three laptop computers on the network and a identical laptop that was on the other day working and today not working.

I found and deleted the network place off the computer. The computer then recognized it as a location I could sign into. I selected it and had to enter the network key. And it came up the first time.

Don't know if it will solve all the problems that I have read about. But it certainly worked for me.

Good luck

Frank

ok...... I had to register to send my thanks to GoWifi's response. After visiting countless forums (literally hours on googel,lol) all i had to do to fix "Acquiring Network Address", was too go to my router, reset my WEP key and enter the new one. Make sure the key is the right format,mine is 128-bit. I did those things and it seemed to do the trick ...thanks again and good luck to all with this issue

I have been trying to resolve this "acquiring network address" issues for about a week. Computer successfully logs onto a couple of networks but not at one site where I have three other laptops and a wifi phone connected.

Tried just about everything I could find on the net but nothing worked . . . . . . well I just solved it and as embarressing as it is I thought I would share the solution with you all.

Capitalisation - yep the WPA code as written down used capital letters and numbers but the entry needed to be in lower case - an error in transcription during the last reset and I just kept on keying it in as written down.

All I can say is sometimes you need to think a little laterally and go back to first principles.

Cheers

hi everyone, wondering if someone can help me.

i dont know much about networking, so i will first explain best i can what the problem is with my laptop

brand and model: acer aspire 5100-5674
wireless router: Linksys
windows OPS: Windows XP all service packs installed (pretty sure about that)

PROBLEM:

i just bought a new hard drive, the guy who reinstalled everything in my computer put windows VISTA (which i previously had and hated and previously already took off and reinstalled XP) anyway, i had to reinstall XP again coz i hate vista. I downloaded all drivers for xp from ACER website. Some worked , others didnt.

I finally installed all the drivers for the wireless network, think im using atheros 802. I never had problems before (first time i replaced vista with xp and had to reinstall everything) but now i keep getting an "acquiring network address" message even though everything appears to be connected but i cannot access internet browsers or connections.

I read some responses on the forum, but call me computer illiterated... i cannot understand where to go and find all those things everyone wants to change and such...

help someone please?

I've finally gotten past the "acquiring network address" problem. My problem was just like Mr. Pooper's. And I did the GoWifi solution.

I just needed to update the driver for my laptop's Dell wireless card (to the latest driver available from Dell's site.)

Then when I tried to connect again, the acquiring network address message only came up for about 5 seconds, then I was connected.

Good luck!