"Local Area x" does not have a valid IP config

Hi, I'm a newbie to this forum,

I've only just gotten this problem on Win 7 and I have even tried a few of the solutions from this forum, but no luck. These are the solutions I've tried:

0-Disable>enable device
1-Swap ethernet cables, unplug router and modem, and windows troubleshooter
2-Uninstall>reinstall device driver
3-Update/Downgrade device driver with win7 and vista driver
4-Removing Bonjour
5-Resetting IP using 111.111.111.111 in TCP/IP v4, using cmd ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew

That is in order or attempts, and all have failed so far, still coming up as LAN x having and invalid IP config... Although, with attempt No. 5, the ipconfig /renew command timed out trying to contact the DHCP server.

Here is the command text from ipconfig /renew and ipconfig /all respectively:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\PirateMasterATK>ipconfig /renew

Windows IP Configuration

An error occurred while renewing interface Local Area Connection 2 : unable to c
ontact your DHCP server. Request has timed out.
An error occurred while releasing interface Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1 : The sy
stem cannot find the file specified.

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::806b:dc27:3706:4e61%19
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.78.97
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter Hamachi:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 5.159.138.188
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 5.0.0.1

Tunnel adapter isatap.{D0936961-CED2-47E2-86EE-81DF842FA05F}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter 6TO4 Adapter:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter Reusable ISATAP Interface {CF433874-269A-4F27-BF27-DD60A72326AD}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Tunnel adapter Reusable Microsoft 6To4 Adapter:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2002:59f:8abc::59f:8abc
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

C:\Users\PirateMasterATK>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Pirate
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 48-5B-39-EE-34-8D
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::806b:dc27:3706:4e61%19(Preferred)
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.78.97(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 306731833
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-13-35-EC-56-00-1D-60-47-C0-FF
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Hamachi:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Hamachi Network Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-23-C3-9F-8A-BC
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 5.159.138.188(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.0.0.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, 4 October 2010 1:09:15 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, 4 October 2011 1:50:04 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 5.0.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 5.0.0.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter isatap.{D0936961-CED2-47E2-86EE-81DF842FA05F}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter 6TO4 Adapter:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft 6to4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Reusable ISATAP Interface {CF433874-269A-4F27-BF27-DD60A72326AD}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Reusable Microsoft 6To4 Adapter:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft 6to4 Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2002:59f:8abc::59f:8abc(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

C:\Users\PirateMasterATK>

My motherboard is an ASUS M4A87TD/USB3, my router is a D-Link DI-524, and my modem is a Thompson 9867.
HELP!!!! It's confusing and frustrating me and I'm lost on what I can possibly do to fix it...

*Please note, I'm only a novice when it comes to software components and terminology, and only a fraction better with the hardware components, so if it's not too much hassle, can I please get it dumbed down?

Thanks, PiBone.

Ah, fair enough. The only thing I found was that it was working before with that router for a good 5-6 months, but as you have stated, it had limitations. That could be the problem then, thanks for the links as well, if it happens again or anything changes I'll let you know.

Thank you for your quick reply.

PiBone.

If you have the version B4 I would definately install the firmware in the link but so far that is the only recent firmware I found.

I've seen many complaints about that router and it seems like there are just a few updated firmware's but only for certain versions.

Alrighty, have done now and am using my newly updated firmware to post this. Thanks again chev, all seems to be fine ^^

Hi guys!

I have had the same problem for a few days now, and have searched numerous forums and gone through hell and high water to fix it. nothing helped until I found the ultimate solution that will help everyone:

CALL YOUR ISP, TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY CAN CONFIGURE A NEW IP ADDRESS FOR YOUR CONNECTION. IT ONLY TAKES ABOUT HALF AN HOUR.

During this time you must keep your router/modem turned off, and after the ISP has fixed the problem (in my case it took half an hour) you must restart your machine with the router/modem on and connected. From then on it should be like nothing ever happened.

Just for the fun of it, here's a list of things I have tried without results:

release/renew ipconfig
restarting modem/router and computer about a zillion times
changing LAN card
creating a static IP
resetting winsock in command prompt
reinstalling Win7
reinstalling XP (I had a dual boot and I did both, losing all installations)
manually entering IP address
disabling/enabling local area connection
plugging and unplugging LAN cable
uninstalling and reinstalling LAN card driver
resetting modem/router using the reset button

And after all this, all it took was just a phone call.
This is because your ISP is THE ONLY authority when it comes to configuring your IP address. In this case, it can only be done from the outside. This is also the reason why Microsoft didn't announce any patches or fixes for this problem, because it is not their problem and responsibility.

Only one question remains, WHY is this happening? Noone has been able to answer this, and I have read tons of forum posts about it. Maybe even the guys that made Windows 7 don't know it.

I am going to copy this post on several other forums because I have seen the trouble that people are having with this problem.

If you find out why this is happening, please post it here.