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Laptop stuck on "Identifying" network

Last response: in Wireless Networking
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I've got a Dell Studio laptop running Windows 7 that I'm trying to get onto a wireless network with a Quest DSL ("Actiontec") modem. I can see and "connect" to the network fine, but in the Network and Sharing Center, it's stuck "Identifying" the network, so I can't get online.

My NIC is a Dell wireless 1397 WLAN Mini-card, showing no errors in device manager.

My IPv4 is set to obtain IP address and DNS server address automatically.
My TCP/IPv6 is set to obtain IPv6 address and DNS server address automatically.

When I run an ipconfig /all, my:

IPv6 address is fe80::c8a5:4afb:22b7:D 165%16
IPv4 address is 169.254.209.101
Default gateway is blank
DNS suffix is blank

The modem does NOT have MAC address filtering on.

The modem has all green lights and CAN access the internet with another desktop, which is how I'm posting this.

Please help! Thanks!

More about : laptop stuck identifying network

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Laptop Expert

Control Panel >> Network and Sharing Center >> Change adapter settings

Right click on the wireless network card and choose Properties.

Choose the Wireless Networks tab

Under the Preferred Networks delete your network profile
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"Control Panel >> Network and Sharing Center >> Change adapter settings

Right click on the wireless network card and choose Properties. "

At this point, the only tabs I have are "Networking" and "Sharing". I can't find "preferred networks" under either one.

If I go to: Control Panel >> Network and Sharing Center >> Manage wireless Networks, I can highlight and remove the network. Tried doing that and reconnecting with no luck. Still just stays at "Identifying..." with a busy cursor.

Winsock fix might work as Emerald has pointed out. Try that first before moving on to my suggestions.

If it's a problem negotiating an IP address that involves two interfaces that are separate from one another, it's usually an issue with the router's configuration if Winsock doesn't fix it.

I know that some routers don't like it when clients attempt to negotiate IPv6 addresses. Disable IPv6 in TCP/IP Settings and try to reconnect with that interface.

Can you ping 127.0.0.1?

(EDIT): And I just realized that none of these steps involves a router setting :lol: 

The laptop worked fine at my home network, just started having trouble at this one (I'm at a relative's place).

Ran the winsock fix with no luck, although I think it added access to my ethernet connection, which might work now. Still need to try that.

Disabled IPv6 - no change.

Tried 127.0.0.1 - "webpage not available"

I'm going to be heading back home today, so it's going to be a moot point soon. Hopefully all my mucking around won't have screwed up my home connection. I'll be trying that later today and will report back.

Thanks!

Back home now and still no luck. So now I know it's a setting on my laptop and not a problem with the network or the router. The router here is a Linksys WRT54GL. It was actually working here a few days ago before I left, and now all my monkeying around has screwed it up :(  The one thing I remember changing at my folks place (upon instruction from Qwest support) was to set IPv4 or IPv6 (I don't remember which) to get address automatically, where previously it had an assigned address. This does nothing to explain why it wouldn't work at my folks place, but it might explain why it worked here before and now does not. Any idea where on the router setup I could find what addresses to try?
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