IPConfig question

[Whitemtntn]

The users on my network do not have administrative rights to their computers (NT Workstation 4.0).. We use TCP/IP configured with DHCP.

Some of them have laptops, which they take home and then attempt to use their cable modems. The O/S does not get a new IP address on the new network. It simply keeps the old one and they can't get on the web---
Sometimes if they reboot 5-6 times, it will say, oh yeah, new network! and get a new IP address, and then it works.

Since they are not admins, they cannot run
ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew
which of course would do the trick.

This is a PROBLEM. In NT, is there any way to give them the right to run this command w/o making them admins, or to write a script that performs a "run as admin" for these commands?

Thanks,
WhiteMtntn

 

[PAndersen]

When you are logged in as administrator, go to My Computer, C:\Winnt\System32\ipconfig.exe. From file menu, select Properties > Security > Permissions and give full rights to all users.

 

[jrbarnett]

NT4 on a laptop is not a good idea, given its lack of plug and play capabilities. I would seriously consider upgrading them to Win2K if at all possible. In terms of this, it lets you "Run as" which lets you specify that IPCONFIG.EXE can be run as local administrator.

John

 

[McLarnon]

If you upgrade the laptops to W2K it should pick up the new IP address automatically when you first dial up from home after being in the office.
I have other user laptops who use 98 and for them I leave a short cut on the desktop to winipcfg, so they can release the ip address after being in the office. I make this part of their home dialing up procedure and most of them seem to have no problems using it. I can still lock down other parts of the O/S using an application called 'Storm Windows' without effecting winipcfg.
Another idea might be for them to remove their laptop batteries, Ethernet cards and power cable, and then putting it all back together. I've found this to work in the past when trying to reset the ip.

Afraid I have to agree with jrbarnett though that NT is not a good idea for a laptop.

Regards
McLarnon

 

[jrbarnett]

Something else I thought of: You can get a graphical version of IPCOnfig for Windows NT4/2K/XP called WNTIPCFG (English language only).

It is available from:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/wntipcfg-o.asp

Although it only mentions 2000, I have heard it works fine on NT4 and XP, but have not personally tested it.

John

 

[wolluf]

WNTIPCFG works fine in NT/2k/xp - but presumably still has same permission issues.

 

[Whitemtntn]

Well, I appreciate everybody responding, but in the end-- no help.

Giving full permission to ipconfig.exe does not work.
(its not about permission to the file, but to change the system configuration)

I do realize that W2K is much better for laptops and would solve the problem, but unfortunately, that's not a viable solution at this time. I am stuck with NT for these particular laptops.

The WNTIPCFG graphical utility has the same permission problem-- its just a GUI interface for the same command.

It's amazing to me that you can't give this right in
Policies, User Rights (in User Manager)
Did Microsoft not foresee this as a problem? I guess not.

But thanks all, if you have any other ideas--
-WhiteMtntn

 

[jrbarnett]

What is the DHCP lease time on your network set at? The logged in user, whether they have full access or not, doesn't need to automatically renew after a long timeout?
The DHCP service should run as a system user, not under the current user account so timeouts are automatically handled without the users intervention required.

John

 

[Kjonnnn]

We have plenty of laptops that go from the network to home use using NT. So I dont think NT is the issue here.

 

[Whitemtntn]

MY DHCP lease time is set to 7 days. I can lower that, but even if I lower it to one day, They will go home the same day they get a new lease and it won't expire till the next day....

I don't know how you have your users setup on your network...
The issue here is they don't have administrative permissions to their machines. Only admins can run ipconfig /release /renew.
When they logon- it doesn't just automatically do it unless the lease is up.

-Whitemtntn

 

[jrbarnett]

That, therfore is the answer. Can you issue a lease for say 10 hours instead. That way, if they login at 9am and finish at 5pm, go home and plug their system in at home, the other DHCP will pick it up for 7pm. By the time they finish and bring the laptop in the following day, over 12 hours will have passed so it gets a new address.

Just an idea.

John

 

[Whitemtntn]

I think that's an interesting idea, and I may test that to see if it works..
But a 10 hour lease time for my whole company (100 people) may not be such a good idea for the increase in network traffic it will cause.
I guess I could try creating a (10 hour)Scope just for the laptops, and make all the IP addresses in it Reservations so they keep renewing with that particular scope. But I foresee when they come back to our network from home, with their broadband IP address, and their laptop sends out a DHCP request to our network, they may get an IP address from the wrong scope, unless I include that Reservation in each scope?
(I'm just thinking out loud)

-WhiteMtntn

 

[jrbarnett]

Why not hard code an address for each of the MAC's of the laptop NIC's.
Of course, the one flaw in my argument is that it assumes the cable ISP DHCP leases are around 10-12 hours as well.

John