# After Gentoo install, no internet connection on Windows 7

## enrico68

Hello, 

I have Windows 7 and Gentoo installed on two different ssds, and, since installing Gentoo, I have noticed my internet connection in Windows is broken. I have not set dual boot up, yet, so, whenever I want to access one of them, I do it through the BIOS Boot Menu. My internet is via fiber optic cable. Yesterday I reinstalled Windows 7, and right after doing it, the connection was back, but after switching back to Gentoo, and back to Windows again, still no internet. 

Yesterday, at some point, when the Windows connection was on, and I switched to Gentoo, the Gentoo connection was broken. Today the Gentoo connection works, but Windows 7 shows no internet. Somehow, it is either one or the other. I read a lot of posts regarding this issue with Windows and Linux, and tried some workarounds, but to no avail.  

Right now, I would not know what other info to give, to have someone help me. I hope I can find a solution, thank you in advance for any support, 

Enrico

edit: a quick update: today, no matter which OS I start first, the internet connection only works with Gentoo.

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## Logicien

What have-you try as workarounds?

Do you reboot or do a poweroff when you switch from Gentoo to Windows and vice-versa? Poweroff any operating system to do a cold boot to an other. With Internet via fiber optic cable, I suppose you must use a modem. Try to reset the modem before booting an operating system.

Ask your Internet provider if something change when you boot a different operating system of the one who was working your Internet connexion. Check you Bios setup.

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## enrico68

Hi Logicien,

when I switched OS, I tried both reboot and power off. One workaround I tried was the "Power Management" of the network adapter, setting all "Wake on LAN options" set to off, it worked for some, it did not work for me. I tried switching the PC off for a while, and restarting it.

This is likely the issue:  I tried to enter " ipconfig /release" in the cmd as admin, and I get the message: "An error occurred while releasing Interface Local Area Connection: an address has not been associated with the network endpoint" Maybe this last message says it all...many have this same issue: the ip address is not given to my network, as it is somehow still with the Gentoo connection. 

I have likely used the incorrect wording, but it has something to do with the new connection not getting an IP address, as an IP address is still with the other Gentoo card.

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## Markus09

As you did not mention how the full path from your PC to the internet is, do you use a wireless connection?

I happened to have a similar problem with WiFi on a Laptop.

For the WiFi connection the network interface had two on/off switches: A soft and a hard switch.

The software switch could be modified by the net-wireless/rfkill package.

So maybe the interface is forced into an off-mode and not activated by boot?

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## enrico68

Hello Markus09,

I do not use wifi, but a fiber optic cable that is connected to a modem. The modem comes from my ISP provider, I do not know what brand it is, . I have wifi too, but, as it is slower, I do not use it.

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## charles17

 *enrico68 wrote:*   

> Yesterday, at some point, when the Windows connection was on, and I switched to Gentoo, the Gentoo connection was broken. Today the Gentoo connection works, but Windows 7 shows no internet. Somehow, it is either one or the other. I read a lot of posts regarding this issue with Windows and Linux, and tried some workarounds, but to no avail.  
> 
> Right now, I would not know what other info to give, to have someone help me. I hope I can find a solution, thank you in advance for any support, 

 

I was having the same problem here.  Not only on WLAN but also on LAN.  

To me it looks like a feature of the router keeping in memory not only the devices MAC address but also its dhcp client.  And after some time (minutes, hours, days? don't know) it forgets and then is free for the other OS used by the same MAC address.

Are you having access to the router's log files?

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## Maxxx

I had same problem and i solved it by set an static ip in Windows 10... But dhcp in gentoo.

I set a high number of static ip (for example 192.168.---.198) because any smartphone, or iPad, or any other pc with Wi-Fi, connect to my router with dinamic ip (often ip near 192.168.---.2 or 3 or 4)....  I don't know why my router don't assign correct dinamic ip, but i solved with static ip on Windows.

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## enrico68

 *charles17 wrote:*   

>  *enrico68 wrote:*   Yesterday, at some point, when the Windows connection was on, and I switched to Gentoo, the Gentoo connection was broken. Today the Gentoo connection works, but Windows 7 shows no internet. Somehow, it is either one or the other. I read a lot of posts regarding this issue with Windows and Linux, and tried some workarounds, but to no avail.  
> 
> Right now, I would not know what other info to give, to have someone help me. I hope I can find a solution, thank you in advance for any support,  
> 
> I was having the same problem here.  Not only on WLAN but also on LAN.  
> ...

 

Hi charles17,

that is exactly what I thought. For example, last night, after rebooting from Gentoo into Windows 7, I had no net connection. I just forgot about it and left the PC on, and after a while, the connection was back. How did you resolve? And no, I do not have access to the router's log files.

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## enrico68

 *Maxxx wrote:*   

> I had same problem and i solved it by set an static ip in Windows 10... But dhcp in gentoo.
> 
> I set a high number of static ip (for example 192.168.---.198) because any smartphone, or iPad, or any other pc with Wi-Fi, connect to my router with dinamic ip (often ip near 192.168.---.2 or 3 or 4)....  I don't know why my router don't assign correct dinamic ip, but i solved with static ip on Windows.

 

Hi Maxxx,

is it safe to set a static IP? Does it mean you just set it once, and forget? I will try this option out tonight, if I can figure out how to do it.

edit: I saw how to set it, there are many tutorials on this, and it is safe. Will report back later tonight with my results.

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## ct85711

Setting a static IP is relatively safe, as long as you know something won't try to use the same address.  If you set the static IP address yourself, while your router is providing DHCP, there is the potential for issues, it then lies down to how many devices are on your network.  Typically, DHCP assigns an IP address sequentially starting from some number based off it's internal assignment table stored in it's RAM.  Unless you have a ton of devices on your network, you should be fine if you assign your computer an IP address, say in the 200-254 area  (for the last octet).

Otherwise, typically all of what DHCP stores in it's table is only in it's RAM memory, so when it is restarted the memory is wiped.  Beyond that, it keeps track of the device MAC and the assigned IP address.  Even after the address expires, DHCP keeps the entry in a little while longer just in case the device doesn't come back online and what an IP address (which would get it's old address again).

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## NeddySeagoon

A couple of causes I can think of.

When you use dhcp for network setup,  The router and the operating system both store the lease expiry time.

When the PC starts up an checks its dhcp lease expiry and finds its lease is still valid, its supposed to ask for the IP address in the lease.

The router is not expected to revoke a valid lease.

That's fine when you only have a single OS.

When you switch OS, the lease (saved in the OS)  may have expired, so the OS asks for a new lease.

The router looks up its table of current leases and thinks that the requester already has a valid lease.

Some routers handle this better than others.

The right way to fix this is to surrender the lease on shutdown.  In linux,  its an option to dhcpgd. It might even be the default.

I have no idea how Windows works.

There is also a bit of a hack for some chipsets only.  Let windows have the hard coded MAC address and set a MAC address

manually in Gentoo.  This way the router thinks its assigning leases to two different systems.  Windows an Gentoo will get

different IP addresses.  

With WiFi, there is a more subtle feature. Many WiFi chip set need firmware. If you do a reboot (no power off), the firmware may not get reloaded.

Different drivers may need different firmware.  The only fix for this is power off when you switch operating systems.

If you really want to mix dynamic and static setups in the same subnet, look at your router setup.  It will have a configurable range for dhcp.

Set that range for say x.x.x.2 to x.x.x.129  (Do not include the router itself in the range)

How you can safely use  x.x.x.130 to x.x.x.254 for static assignments.

Some routers allow you to still use dhcp but you can force a given MAC address to always have the same IP.

Check your routers setup

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## enrico68

Hello everyone,

first of all I want to thank you all for your precious support, that helped me understand better other parts of an OS (network setup) and resolve it. As a NeddySeagoon says, I believe the issue resides with my modem, that somehow is not capable of dealing with two different OS at the same time. 

As a test last night I started up first Gentoo, and the connection was there, and then I powered the machine off, restarted it, loaded Windows 7, and as expected there was no connection. So, with Windows 7 running I switched the modem off, and unplugged it for a few seconds. Upon restart of the modem, internet was back, right away. That says it clearly it has to do with the way my modem deals with the IP request on two different OS, within the same machine.

I set up a static IP for my Windows 7 OS, and now I have internet on both OS, it doesn't matter whether I start Gentoo or Windows 7 first, so the problem has finally been resolved. I now have two OS, and can enjoy both, at the same time. 

Enrico   :Wink: 

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