Member Avatar for bornok15

Hi all,

I'm currently fixing a network that has a problem with the internet connect coming from the server. The server uses 2 lan cards that has similar ip addresses ex. and with DNS 255.255.255.0. The DSL connection is attached to the .11 LAN on the server and the .12 LAN is attached to the switch where all the other PCs and wifi routers are connected. I'm a using a customized HOTSPOT software to share the internet connection coming from the server but when i tried t0 connect from a winXP pc the OS provided an IP address that is not similar to the server which caused the WinXP pc not to connect to the server or the wifi routers.

Anyone who could help me out with this? Thanks!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by 1r1sh

Dani AI

Generated

Quick diagnosis and how to proceed

The two most likely problems are (a) the client never got a valid DHCP lease and fell back to a link‑local address, and (b) the server’s two interfaces are effectively placed in the same IP network so the server cannot act as a proper gateway/NAT for the LAN. ’s prompt about ranges and ’s pointer about the OS assigning a fallback address are on target. Also note: the value shown as a DNS entry in the original post looks like a subnet mask — be sure terms (DNS vs subnet mask vs gateway) are not being mixed up when you check settings.

Practical checks to run now (client and server)

Run these on the Windows client and the server and compare results:

ipconfig /all
ping <server-internal-IP>
route print
netsh interface ipv4 show config
arp -a

Look for: whether DHCP is enabled, what DHCP server is listed, the IPv4 address and subnet mask, and the default gateway. If the client shows a self‑assigned/link‑local address, either the hotspot software’s DHCP is not running or DHCP packets are blocked. Temporarily set a static IP in the server’s internal subnet (with the server’s internal IP as gateway) to verify basic connectivity and DNS forwarding.

How to fix it

Do one of the two correct designs: either put the LAN behind the server on its own private subnet (RFC1918) and use NAT/ICS or RRAS to share the DSL link, or bridge the networks only if they must truly be one layer‑2 domain (rare and fragile). Do not assign two NICs on the same host to addresses in the same subnet — that causes routing conflicts. Ensure the hotspot software is bound to the internal NIC and providing DHCP (UDP 67/68) and that the server is allowed to forward/NAT traffic (Windows firewall or RRAS settings).

Further reading

  • APIPA / link‑local background: RFC 3927 and .
  • Windows NAT/routing options: .

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for UrbanKhoja

Is the XP pc on the same IP range as the sever?

Member Avatar for 1r1sh

Hi all,

I'm currently fixing a network that has a problem with the internet connect coming from the server. The server uses 2 lan cards that has similar ip addresses ex. and with DNS 255.255.255.0. The DSL connection is attached to the .11 LAN on the server and the .12 LAN is attached to the switch where all the other PCs and wifi routers are connected. I'm a using a customized HOTSPOT software to share the internet connection coming from the server but when i tried t0 connect from a winXP pc the OS provided an IP address that is not similar to the server which caused the WinXP pc not to connect to the server or the wifi routers.

Anyone who could help me out with this? Thanks!

Let me guess, is the ip address something like 169.254.xxx.xxx?
If that's the case, it is coming from the advanced settings for you LAN card, which means Windows is giving you the IP address. Is the XP machine set for DHCP? If it is and cannot contact your DHCP server (via DNS) you will have your un-routable ip address. Also, do you have your server set up to route ip traffic to the second LAN card? You may already know this stuff and have it set, that is bridging LAN connections.

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