Have you checked that the DHCP Client service is running on services?
Start->Run: services.msc. Locate the DHCP Client service and make sure it starts automatically.
 
Does your Event Viewer have errors/warnings about DHCP?
 
Do you have installed/uninstalled Symantec's antivirus?

Quote:You might experience a problem with the DHCP client address if you uninstall Symantec's Norton AntiVirus but leave the application listed as a dependency for the DHCP service. If you check the System log, you might notice the following error:
 
Error 7003 - DHCP service failed to start because dependency service SYMTDI will not start.
 
To resolve this problem, perform the following steps:
 
Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe).
Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dhcp registry subkey.
Double-click DependOnService.
Remove SYMTDI from the list, then click OK.
Click here to view image
Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.

 

"bogus IP address"
 
If your referring to the 169.xx.xx.xx address then that's the address that XP uses when it cannot find a DHCP server...which may mean that your having connectivity problems. A registry cleaner has nothing to do with this issue.

Related to the post above - if you are using a router or other network and you cannot get an IP address from it (via DHCP) then you'll get a really odd looking one.
 
Try running the /release and /renew switches with IPCONFIG.
 
It's also possible that your ISP is giving a perfectly valid IP that appears to be bogus... btw what do you mean by bogus??
 
Also, verify your connection properties in network connections.

Thanks for the responses.
 
I am running McAfee.
 
I am getting the 169.x.x.x ip address and a subnet of 255.255.0.0. What's weird is that I cannot release once I have "acquired" that address. I have to manually force an ip address. The ip I get from my ISP is in the 71.105.x.x range.
 
My setup is: I connect via DSL and an Ethernet switch. I have a work laptop running XP pro that is connected continuously with no issues. The PC that is having the problem is a "recreational" PC for my family.
 
I am stumped!

You can repair Winsock and TCPIP problems with this command:
Netsh winsock reset
 
 

If I understand correctly, you have a dsl modem that goes to a switch that goes to two different computers. One computer connects fine, but the other one doesn't. Are you sharing the internet connection from the primary computer? Is your ISP sending you two seperate IPs? Most ISPs only give out one IP, unless you paid for two of them.

Also, have you tried, disconnecting the primary laptop, and seeing if the 2ndary machine can obtain an IP? If that works, your ISP is only giving out one IP.

and to follow-up some more, if your ISP is only giving you one IP address then you'll need to connect the xDSL modem to a gateway/router box that can NAT to multiple internal machines from that single WAN IP address

More information--I have had up to three PC's connected to the DSL gateway via an Ethernet switch. That is one of the reasons I thought it was hardware. I even moved the PC and directly connected it to the DSL gateway with no success. Unless Verizon has changed their support of DSL, I thought that this narrowed it down to the PC. My laptop never had a problem.
 
I reloaded XP after purchasing a new CD/DVD drive (frustration got the best of me) and it still did not work. I disconnected the DSL gateway and moved it directly to the PC and it worked. I am still working some issues out with XP and the hardware.
 
Thanks for all the moral support and assistance!

After a couple of more days of configuring reloading, I have determined that the problem has to be in my DSL modem. I have to shut it down for several minutes in order to get an IP on another computer. I have contacted Verizon ( phone support in India ) to try and resolve the problem. I already have spent too much money on this problem. What is a good DSL router and how much do they cost.
 
Thanks!
 
 

Linksys (a subsidiary of Cisco) makes very good DSL routers (I have one for my DSL connection, now shared by 3 PC's - one WinXP Pro , and two WinXP Home, though nowadays I also hook up my WinXP Pro office laptop whenever I bring it home from the office, making it 4 PC's in that case - with no problems and all using DHCP), while my cousin uses one from D-Link (also pretty good).

I can recommend the Netgear DG834 (or the 'G' wireless version). Never had a single problem with it.