I connect my laptop installed windows7 to my Windows server 2003 domain with DHCP Server installed, it's ok.My IP configuration as below:- Automatic IP and DNS config (to using DHCP Config)- Alternate configuration:IP: 192.168.0.98 / Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0/ Gateway: 192.168.0.1 / DNS Server 1: 192.168.0.2 / DNS Server 2: 203.162.0.181.My Laptop: - Windows 7 beta 7000, Realtek RTL8139/810x NICWhen i turn off my DHCP Server and try to restart my laptop, it can't using alternate configuration to connect to the network (without DHCP server running). I've tried many times, the problem still be there.I see the IP configuration by using Ipconfig command that my IP is 169.254.0.xx (not is my alternate configuration), so i cant access to the internet.What is problem here? How can i use alternate config for my laptop to connect network if my DHCP is down?Thank.

If your DHCP server is down you are SOL. I have tried to use static addresses behind my NAT but no joy. Seems Microsoft want to force DHCP and make advanced LAN topologies hard to implement. I have an old WRT54G and its not smart enough to cope. IT/Developer, Windows/Linux/Whatever I need a new web server, the antique IBM 300GL has a 137GB disk limit, for my chess site. I wanted to post many more downloadable files, the existing 30GB disk is insufficient.

I tried to reboot my laptop some times and it works again, win7 used my alternate configuration, but sometime, it doesn't work, i don't known why. May be it isn't stable

I may be wrong, but I believe you are using "alternate configuration" in a way it wasn't attended for, thus why it doesn't work the way you want it to everytime. Try downloading software that lets you change your profile (ipv4 configuration). I just searched quickly and found one you could try althought I'm sure there are thousands: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/oazswitchnetconfig.aspx?msg=946546#xx946546xxSo my suggestion is to first try not using alternate configuration and just use auto or static settings that you can change with a program whenever you change networks.--OR--Although this is just a guess because I don't know enough about your network (like why you would turn your DHCP server off and why you are using one in the first place?,what are you trying to connect to when it is off?i.e.:are you trying to connect to the Internet through a hardware router hooked up your ISP <that may or may not have a DHCP server itself>?). But assuming I know your network config, this is what I would try first... leave everything as you described it in your first post, except delete the dns servers from the "alternate configuration": DNS Server 1: 192.168.0.2 / DNS Server 2: 203.162.0.181. So DNS Server 1 and DNS Server 2 are now blank. It should now try and use your alternate ip and gateway when it connects to a network and obtain the DNS server addressesfrom the gateway. But again, this will only work if my assumptions about your network layout are correct since you didn't provide this information. Good Luck!!! Brandon Ouellette

I try to turn off my DHCP because i want to test Windows7 network configuration, yes i know that alternate configuration wasn't tend to this purpose (use instead of DHCP), but i'm wonder how win7 will configs IP setting if i connect my laptop to another network that doesn't have DHCP (like a public network, or another company where i come to work sometime).... If a company network doesn't DHCP server, i will have to manually reconfiguration my setting :( . I don't like that, it's inconvenience. and i don't like to use third-party software for that, i make sure that it works in windows XP.

If the other network (like a public network, or another company) doesn't have a dhcp server then Windows 7 will try and use the setting you have in alternate configuration. But if the gateway, dns, ... ip addresses in your alternate configuration don't match up with the server(the computer/device/gateway connecting you to the network), then you won't get connected to the network because it doesn't have a dhcp server to give you the right settings. So the only way to connect to a network that doesn't have a dhcp server is to put in the ip settings manually that the server will accept(ip address and subnet are in range, gateway points to Internet gateway's ip, DNS to a proper DNS server ip within the network, etc...)But usually (almost all the time), a public network has a DHCP server set up for this very reason. And your alternate configuration shouldn't keep you from connecting to a network with a DHCP server. If it does interfere, it's probably because your alternate config has a DNS server or gateway ip listed that could actually be a legitamit address within the newly connected network. Meaning, instead of using the DNS server/Gateway Settings from the DHCP Server, your computer would use the ip settings from your alternate config, assuming you want to use those settings instead(if they are acceptable within the connected network).So my suggestion is to delete the DNS server ip's(and possibly your gateway if all else fails)from your alternative config because the DHCP server will assign those. I don't see why any network wouldn't have a DHCP server, for this very reason. If there's no DHCP server, you will have to manually change from automatic to static settings when you switch between it and other networks, or get software to make switching easier.I hope this helps!Peace Brandon Ouellette

Thank you Brandon. I understand all problem you showed above. And in actually, almost public networks have at least one DHCP server. But i just want to test the working of Network in Windows 7. And in a particular case, i have a home network and don't want to setup DHCP on my ADSL modem, so i would like to setup an alternate IP configuration to use my laptop at home. That's all. Thank you again.

Marked As AnswerMark L. FergusonMVP, ModeratorSunday, April 19, 2009 10:30 AM Mark L. Ferguson, Honestly, did you read this thread before you marked that post as the answer? I'm just asking because I don't see how that post is the best choice for someone looking to this thread in the future with a similar problem.ANDMicrosoft, you said, "When a community participant sees an MVP in a technical community, whether in a newsgroup, as a user group host, a conference speaker, or a respondent in forums, that community participant can be confident that the information shared by the MVP will be of the highest caliber and will help every user make the most of the technology."I disagree.

Hi everybody!This is my first time post in microsoft forum. I'm facing the same problem here. At work, the network here use static IP, static DNS, static DNS etc. However, in my house, I'm using DHCP (the network maintained by our university). Currently I'm using Windows 7 Professional x64, and each time I want to connect to my work LAN, sometimes it works but most of the time it failed. I used alternate configuration for my work LAN and left the general to obtain an IP address automatically and obtain DNS server address automatically for my home LAN.I have used Windows XP before, but there were no problems using XP with this kind of configuration, but not in Windows 7. Do you guys have any suggestion on how to force Windows 7 to use the alternate configuration each time I boot into my lovely Windows 7 at my office LAN? I don't have any problem to connect to my home LAN. And I know that obtaining the IP from DHCP is the first priority of Windows 7, BUT it failed to use the alternate configuration IF there are NO DHCP server exists.Many thanks for your attention.Best regards,Rizuan

I run my shop like a corporation, with corporate computers, LAN gear etc. Simply because the gear is much more reliable and can last for eons if needed. I run everything except my Linux web server with DHCP. The Linux box needs it as the port forwarding needs to be able to find it behind the NAT. I use a class C subnet, and I have my Linksys box set to support 230 IP addresses with a few for static servers. Vote if answered or helpful, I am running for Office (joke)! IT/Developer, Windows/Linux/Mainframe Server: IBM PC 300GL, Pentium III 667, Linux Server, has a 137GB disk limit, making it useless for upgrading my chess site Workstation: Asus M2NBP-VM CSM motherboard, AMD 4200+ 65W CPU, 2GB RAM, ATI x600, 320GB storage with 160GB for backups, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Signature Edition.

I've just seen this also. If no DHCP is found then my laptop refuses to use the alternate IPv4 configuration - it just sticks with the previous DHCP applied one. Looks like a bug that's appeared since the release candidate. :-(Gregor

Looking at the status as the adapter goes through its 'Identifying' stage, it appears to retain the DNS settings given by the last DHCP server found. Then it sets the APIPA 169.254.x.x then it decides that it'll use the previous DHCP assigned address after all. It could be that the network identifying mechanism has been given a serious cleverness boost and it's now making new assumptions about what a 'different' network is from previous Windows. However http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725638.aspxsays it should flip to the alternate IP settings if a DHCP server isn't found and it's not doing that on my laptop. That'sgoing to be a proper pain forme.Gregor

I have tested the networking and the DHCP works fine when there is a server to honor the request. I do not use the alternate as I use only DHCP or static, but not both. The alternate is designed for static IP networks only, not mixed DHCP and static. This has been the case for all versions of Window from Windows 3 onwards.Vote if answered or helpful, I am running for Office (joke)! IT/Developer, Windows/Linux/Mainframe Server: IBM PC 300GL, Pentium III 667, Linux Server, has a 137GB disk limit, making it useless for upgrading my chess site Workstation: Asus M2NBP-VM CSM motherboard, AMD 4200+ 65W CPU, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA 8600GT, 320GB storage with 160GB for backups, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Signature Edition.

I have tested the networking and the DHCP works fine when there is a server to honor the request. I do not use the alternate as I use only DHCP or static, but not both. The alternate is designed for static IP networks only, not mixed DHCP and static. I'm not sure what you're suggesting here because, while it's all true, I don't see how it's applicable to my scenario which has DHCP disabled (i.e. server off).I'm testing a theory that it might be some strange reaction to my router (which never serves DHCP) but Win7 has started using the alternate address after I rebooted the router. It could also be a knock-on from issuing an "ipconfig /release" command. I'll report back when I get an answer.Gregor

I'm testing a theory that it might be some strange reaction to my router (which never serves DHCP) but Win7 has started using the alternate address after I rebooted the router. It could also be a knock-on from issuing an "ipconfig /release" command. I'll report back when I get an answer.Gregor Nothing to do with the router. The only way for me to get the alternate configuration to work (as described) is to issue ipconfig /releaseipconfig /renewcommands if the laptop has got settings from a previous session with DHCP enabled. The automatic network detection appears to be clever enough to detect the presence of a network but seems to ignore DNS. It happily sits there refusing to look at the alternate configuration (that would work) with DHCP off and, instead, stays on the last DHCP set values with their incorrect DNS. Still, I have a workaround now..Gregor

That is one way, but as I suggested DHCP universally is a better way.Vote if answered or helpful, I am running for Office (joke)! IT/Developer, Windows/Linux/Mainframe Server: IBM PC 300GL, Pentium III 667, Linux Server, has a 137GB disk limit, making it useless for upgrading my chess site Workstation: Asus M2NBP-VM CSM, Athlon64 X2 4200+ 65W CPU, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA 8600GT, 320GB + 160G backup, Windows 7 Ultimate x64.

That is one way, but as I suggested DHCP universally is a better way. Sorry, in my case that's not at all helpfulbecause my DHCP server isn't always running so then I want fo fall back on the alternate config.However, regardless of the oddities of my local network, the featureshould work as per theTechnet documentation:"At the office, the laptop uses a DHCP-allocated TCP/IP configuration. At home, where there is no DHCP server present, the portable computer automatically uses the alternate configuration, allowing easy access to home network devices and the Internet. This enables the portable computer to operate seamlessly on both networks without manual IP reconfiguration."I don't think my solution is great but, at least, it allows you to operate as described above. Itworked in the 7 relase candidate, Vista and XP.Gregor

I am having a simular problem...In my case I have an ad-hov network which networks two devices... it does not need internet. Prior to Win 7 using the alternate configuation for connecting to this network word great. However with windows 7 what I have found is that I can connect for a moument - then it drops.. when I look at the settings my alternate configuration has been "reset" back to getting an automatic private IP address. This happens while it connected an communicating. The Alternate configuration should work and if I have set it SHOULD NOT CHANGE back automatically..

You really need to have some networking hardware to be able to work effectively.Vote if answered or helpful, I am running for Office (joke)! IT/Developer, Windows/Linux/Mainframe Server: ASRock P4-2GHz, 1.5 GB RAM, Linux Server, need IDE/SATA disks for my chess site Workstation: Asus M2NBP-VM CSM, Athlon64 X2 4200+ 65W CPU, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA 8600GT, 320GB + 160G backup, Windows 7 Ultimate x64.

Nothing to do with the router. The only way for me to get the alternate configuration to work (as described) is to issue ipconfig /releaseipconfig /renewcommands if the laptop has got settings from a previous session with DHCP enabled. The automatic network detection appears to be clever enough to detect the presence of a network but seems to ignore DNS. It happily sits there refusing to look at the alternate configuration (that would work) with DHCP off and, instead, stays on the last DHCP set values with their incorrect DNS. Still, I have a workaround now..Gregor Thanks for the workaround. This helped me too. Hey Vegan Fanatic, there are plenty of reasons to use static IP addressing, like testing ethernet hardware. So there's no reason to keep answering if you're not solving the OP's actual question.

My server has a DNS service on it and its able to keep everything fine in my shop as its able to update any changes in IP address here as my ISP only has DHCP available and we agreed to sync our DNS servers so my domains will work no matter what the IP address is. By the same token my gateway is smart enough to keep everything running fine too. I have experimented with the IP4 alternate and found it to be dodgy at best. IF the DHCP is down for some reason, the tests I did failed. As the OP was using the build 7000, the RTM is 7600 so that build is not supported anymore. Vote if answered or helpful, I am running for Office (joke)! IT/Developer, Windows/Linux/Mainframe RaidMax Smilodon, 680W, Asus M2NBP-VM CSM, AMD X2 4200+, 2GB DDR2-800, HD2400 Pro, more details on my site, need a new boot disk, existing one is 5 years old

I was having the same problem with my installation of Windows 7. The problem went away after I re-enabled IPv6. The DNS entries as well as the rest of the settings were applied without issue.

I have said 100 times before, leave the default network settings along and it works fine. I suggest using proper networking gear and not try to use workarounds. Inaugurated! That you for your support for my 2010 MVP! Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews

@OP, I'm using windows 7 x64 with latest updates as of 2011/01/24. The alternate configuration settings seem to be working correctly in the following scenario: General Configuration setup to use DHCP, nothing set in advanced settings. Alternate configuration should be setup with the correct IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and primary/secondary DNS and WINS servers for the subnet on which you want the system to operate when not using DHCP. However, we are experiencing a problem with the alternate configuration with laptops when logging in to windows after reboot or resuming from hibernation. When the laptop logs in after reboot or resumes from hibernation, the system attempts to obtain a DHCP lease. Once this fails, it applies the alternate configuration. This is to be expected. However, under windows XP, this was virtually instantaneous from the user perspective. In windows 7, this process takes 2 minutes to complete. If a user attempts to connect to a mapped network drive or connect to the internet prior to this 2 minute window, it is highly likely the network drive will fail to respond and need to be remapped. If they wait until the 2 minutes has passed, they will be able to connect to the drive just fine. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find a way to prevent this from happening. Researching this issue is what brought me to this thread. I suspect that the problem you experienced were either related to the build you were using or the settings you had configured for your alternate configuration (i.e. incorrect subnet mask, gateway, dns, etc). Give it a try now and let us know if you are still having the same problem. If anyone knows how to reduce this 2 minute time loss that seems to have appeared in Windows 7 or even if you just know why it's happening, I'd be glad to here from you. -------------Comments to other users------------------- @Waiting For The Return... I'm going to look into the IPV6 issue. We do not use IPV6 and were considering turning it off on our desktops and non-travel laptops. If this is truly and issue, I better address it before it becomes a problem. Thanks for the heads up. @Vegan Fanatic, You haven't said anything useful here at all and anyone who reads this post should ignore everyone of your comments (especially your "proposed answer") for the sake of clarity and to not get distracted from the real issue. I'm glad you have networking hardware that you seem to like and work well in your environment. I'm sure if everyone ran their business like you, hardware and software vendors would be happier and more profitable than they are today. Trying to tell someone not to use a workaround to a problem they have in their environment is just plain silly. Everything that has been developed into windows and other software and hardware solutions has been an attempt to make things work the way users expect and desire. And, when a work around makes things work and improves productivity, that's an investment worth making. We use static IP addressing because we are small enough to do so, can use it as a security measure (ie. IP traffic logging, preventing others from plugging into our network and getting a DHCP address, etc), and golly, we just plain like it. So, while DHCP is certainly an efficient way to make sure things play nicely with our OS, we are not going to let the OS dictate how we run our business. I have an MVP too but you wouldn't hear me shoveling a "one size fits all" philosophy here. BTW, Your "[y]ou really need to have some networking hardware to be able to work effectively" comment is absurd. The whole point of having an "Alternate Configuration" tab is for networks that do not support DHCP (i.e. the poster's ad-hoc network). If both are connected to each other and configured under alternate configuration as desired, I see no reason why they shouldn't expect it to work. It's good practice to have a network device such as a wire(d)(less) hub/switch/router between the devices but not required. It surely would make it easier to manage. But your statement does little to promote understanding of the technology or reason for saying such things. I'm glad you are not a moderator or I'd expect a lot more poorly chosen "Answers" on technet! @Mark L Ferguson, There is no answer to this question on this thread yet. Brandon Ouellette at least helps explain some of the issues the OP may be facing. You probably marked this as the answer because the OP stated he he will have to manually reconfigure the settings and seemed to be satisfied with his solution even though it wasn't really one. I agree with Brandon that anyone who reads the top 2 posts to this thread would probably find themselves at a tremendous disservice. My faith that the solutions on technet are valid has been reduced by your acceptance and participation in this regard. Does technet not have a way for moderators to accept the fact that they were wrong and "unanswer" the question?

I have lots of experience with networks, wired and wireless. I have lots of network hardware in the shop too. My MVP is for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 IT, and I am getting increasingly good with Visual Studio. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews

I am actually running into this issue as well, its really quite annoying actually... if anyone comes across a permanent solution to this it would be great as the solution proposed by Brandon does not seem to work for us (Gives a disconnected state error), but I am going to keep digging and see if I can force it somehow. @ Vegan Fanatic: Good for you that you have lots of network equipment and experience! But really your "Solutions" fail to address any of the problems being discussed, and really you are trolling. Yes DHCP is the ideal way of doing things, but just because it is ideal for most situations does not mean that it is the be all end all solution... so stop suggesting it. For myself and the others, it obviously is NOT the solution we need, what we need is an alternate configuration tab that works properly. If you are going to continue to spout drivel, please take it elsewhere and let the people who are actually interested in resolving this issue, work towards a resolution; your comments are not helpful and only serve to confuse others who are looking at this issue.

I have found alternate settings only work with static address schemes. So your DHCP server should leave some space for a static address pool. You will need the gateway IP, machine designated IP and then a few DNS servers.My MVP is for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 IT, and I am getting increasingly good with Visual Studio. Developer | Windows IT | Chess | Economics | Hardcore Games | Vegan Advocate | PC Reviews