DHCP in XP vs Vista/7

RWBRWB Icrontian
edited June 2011 in Science & Tech
Is there a difference in how Windows XP obtains IP information from a server vs. Vista and 7? I don't have a lot of information about a problem I've encountered, it's more of a "WTF do you think" issue. It seems that there is a peice of equipment, probably a Cisco router that is able to connect up Windows XP machines fine, but not Vista or 7..... this makes no sense to me. Vista and 7 seem to not be capable of getting an IP address from this device.

Comments

  • RootWyrmRootWyrm Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    Yes. There is a substantial difference, which is to say, DHCP handling was totally rewritten because of just how broken XP and Vista's is. No, seriously. It's so bad, that chances are the problem is that they've got an XP workaround in place. Which has a high tendency to break everything else. Catch is, there's a 90% chance or thereabouts that if you remove the fix and let the XP box try DHCP again? It won't work because it'll never respond to DHCPOFFER with DHCPACK unless it's A) the same IP B) the same lease terms and C) in the mood to.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    So why would XP work but not Vista and 7 if it's XP and Vista that is broken? Note that it seems only Windows Vista and Windows 7 don't work. It is very strange indeed. Thanks for the reply ;)
  • RootWyrmRootWyrm Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    RWB wrote:
    So why would XP work but not Vista and 7 if it's XP and Vista that is broken? Note that it seems only Windows Vista and Windows 7 don't work. It is very strange indeed. Thanks for the reply ;)

    *consults source*
    Ahem. Solar flares.

    No seriously though; it's entirely random. You could consult this Microsoft KB article but it's honestly a total load of crap about non-Microsoft servers. SOMETIMES the Broadcast flag fixes it, but even odds whether it does or doesn't. (YAY!)

    You're gonna need to grab a sniffer and take a look at the broken clients. What you're looking for is a pattern of DHCPREQ -> DHCPOFFER -> no DHCPACK. Also need to check the event logs for ID 1001 or 1003. If you have any other events (1000 through 1100) need to know what those are. Vista being a pile of crap, doesn't always log those, so only check 7 for 'em.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited June 2011
    Did you check to make sure that the vista and 7 machines have ipv4 enabled. It should be by default, but stranger things have happened and for some reason they may possibly just have ipv6 turned on.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    Unfortunately this is at a hotel in Faraway land, it's inhabitants are the Dungivafuq's. A problem ongoing since 2009 when the original server died and they replaced it with... "something else" because the hotel didn't want to purchase a new one from us, I think it's actually a Cisco router which I'd imagine should do fine unless it wasn't set up right.

    It's pretty much just a major curiosity for me now, as the hotel staff pretty much just tell the guests they are SOL if they have Vista or 7. It's peaked my interest and I think about it a lot now lol. But I have ZERO access to anything on site other than when someone calls in...

    A part of me does feel that it's all coincidence though, Vista and 7 are the 2 most common OS's I get calls from other than iPhones and whatnot. But it does seem anyone with XP we have been able to get connected, while no one with Vista and 7 have connected. I wish I could go out there and see :p
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    Wow. "Sorry, users of current operating systems are SOL."

    Talk about shit customer service.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    primesuspect wrote:
    Wow. "Sorry, users of current operating systems are SOL."

    Talk about shit customer service.

    Obviously though not the fault of the company I work for. I have not come across too many hotels that do give a crap though. It blows my mind.
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