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gizzzo

I used to use ThinkVantage's Access Connections to manage my network connection profiles on my Thinkpad. I just recently uninstalled it because I decided to just rely on the Vista has natively.

Since our office requires static IP, I set that up at the LAN properties.

Everything works fine when I start from a clean boot. It's when I undock and redock to the docking station that problem starts.

I lose the static IP configuration. Instead Vista assigns:
IP: 169.254.77.37 (supposed to be 10.11.2.xxx)
Subnet: 255.255.0.0 (supposed to be 255.255.254.0)
Gateway: blank
DNS: correct

I now find myself having to do a reboot everytime I just need to undock and go to a 30 minute meeting when I used to be able to undock and redock without any problems whatsoever.

Why does Vista assign this random IP when it is hard configured?

How can I solve this problem?

Thanks.

DIIRE

Hi Gizzzo - Welcome to PCHF!

When you undock are you clicking undock first or just undocking the notebook.

If you didn't have problems before uninstalled the Thinkpad software then I would reinstall it. I know XP sometimes had problems with docking and undocking and it looks like Vista has inherited the same problems.

gizzzo

Thanks for the response. I have eliminated the way I undock as the reason. I have been undocking redocking correctly as specified by IBM and have not have had any problems with my IP config until I decided to not use the Thinkvantage Access Connections to manage my connection profiles and instead use Vista's.

The thing is, there really is no profile to manage. It's static IP. I've used Windows 95, NT, 2000, NT etc. The behavior is the same. If it's static, the OS remembers what you set. I really do not understand why Vista does not.

Any other suggestions or solutions?

Originally Posted by DIIRE

Hi Gizzzo - Welcome to PCHF!

When you undock are you clicking undock first or just undocking the notebook.

If you didn't have problems before uninstalled the Thinkpad software then I would reinstall it. I know XP sometimes had problems with docking and undocking and it looks like Vista has inherited the same problems.

gizzzo

any help here? thanks

Originally Posted by gizzzo

I used to use ThinkVantage's Access Connections to manage my network connection profiles on my Thinkpad. I just recently uninstalled it because I decided to just rely on the Vista has natively.

Since our office requires static IP, I set that up at the LAN properties.

Everything works fine when I start from a clean boot. It's when I undock and redock to the docking station that problem starts.

I lose the static IP configuration. Instead Vista assigns:
IP: 169.254.77.37 (supposed to be 10.11.2.xxx)
Subnet: 255.255.0.0 (supposed to be 255.255.254.0)
Gateway: blank
DNS: correct

I now find myself having to do a reboot everytime I just need to undock and go to a 30 minute meeting when I used to be able to undock and redock without any problems whatsoever.

Why does Vista assign this random IP when it is hard configured?

How can I solve this problem?

Thanks.

DIIRE

Well I don't think you can just solve it. You could try contacting to Microsoft and ask them for a possible fix, considering it was also a problem in XP.

The easiest solution to your problem is to use IBM's ThinkAdvantage as it works correctly and you can undock and redock as often as like without having to restart. Notebooks are very specific - IBM/Lenovo have customised all the software and components to work properly together, which is why you don't have the same problem when you use their software.

You could try doing a repair on the connection each time you redock and see if that helps the problem, but otherwise there's not much more you can do.

gizzzo

I finally gave up and reinstalled Thinkvantage Access Connections.

This time it no longer works. Same problem. Even when I created a named profile in AC, whenever I apply it after a redock, the same thing happens: Vista does not set the IP and subnet mask though everything else is ok. I still have to reboot to get my IP back.

very very annoying and unproductive.

Something is definitely wrong either with the registries, the OS
itself or the adapter.

Originally Posted by DIIRE

Well I don't think you can just solve it. You could try contacting to Microsoft and ask them for a possible fix, considering it was also a problem in XP.

The easiest solution to your problem is to use IBM's ThinkAdvantage as it works correctly and you can undock and redock as often as like without having to restart. Notebooks are very specific - IBM/Lenovo have customised all the software and components to work properly together, which is why you don't have the same problem when you use their software.

You could try doing a repair on the connection each time you redock and see if that helps the problem, but otherwise there's not much more you can do.

DIIRE

Try this - connect to your work network. Then click Start > Networks > Network and Sharing Center > click Customize > Click Merge or delete network locations.

Delete all the other networks listed in the window. Click close. See if this helps your problem.