You can manually configure an IP address in the correct range to connect to
the router. You can also configure an "alternate" manually configured
address in the same correct range for the adapter to use instead of the
automatic addressing fall-back address.
For whatever reason your WiFi adapter is not able to connect to the router.
It could be RF interference from external sources, settings
misconfiguration, a wrong encryption setting or even incompatibility between
the adapter and router chipsets. There can also be incompatibilities between
various manufacturer's implementations of WEP or WPA encryption or their
implementation of the WiFi standard (especially extended forms of 802.11G
or N). If it is your own router you can try switching it to use one of the
less frequently used channels, like 1 or 11 (6 is often crowded, being a
common default selection). Disable extended 802.11G or N modes (range,
speed boosting) to see if that helps.
The gateway address is the router's address so I don't quite know what you
meant by " gets a proper address (though rarely the gateway address...)".
Getting a an address through DHCP that isn't from your router means you're
connecting to someone else's network, which would suggest that outside
interference is at least part of your connection problem.
"Julian" <msforums@tiger2.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:%23mzvZbNaIHA.5208@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Thanks Seth - not a million miles from what I was thinking...
>
> What is annoying though is that I have seen Vista apply this address
> during the process of acquiring an IP address from a wifi router
> that*does* have DHCP, and from which Vista *usually* (but not always),
> *eventually* (~10s later) gets a proper address (though rarely the gateway
> address...)
>
> I guess an adapter simply can't-not-have an IP address so Vista gives it
> this while it is waiting... and I can't tell whether the router isn't
> speaking to Vista in Vista's language or whether Vista just aint't
> listening on those occasions when it gets stuck with this address.
>
> However, you have answered the orginal question - thanks!
>
> --
> Julian I-Do-Stuff
>
> Some Vista stuff, but mostly just Stuff at http://berossus,blogspot.com
> "Seth" <seth_lerman@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:58C7AC46-656E-40DD-B512-A08C576D7DE1@microsoft.com...
>>
>> "Julian" <msforums@tiger2.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>> news:OETYebLaIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>I have this in my registry, and since when Vista flubs wifi connections
>>>it sometimes comes up with a 169.... (though can't recollect if it is
>>>precisely 169.254.183.232) address (via ipconfig) I wondered whether this
>>>was the cause...
>>>
>>> Q: What is it, where did it come from, do I need it, (how) can I get
>>> rid of it?
>>
>> That is an "Auto config" address. When Windows detects an active network
>> connection, but is unable to obtain an address form a DHCP server it
>> configures a 169. address automatically this way if there are multiple
>> machines that you wish to interconnect they will have (hopefully) unique
>> IPs on the 169. subnet.
>>
>> To get rid of it, either supply a static address, a DHCP server to give
>> an address or disable the network interface.
>>
>
Linear Mode
