No valid ip address

[toonbadger]

Moved into independent living flat recently. It has 3 Ethernet wall sockets in lounge marked 1-3 and 1 in bedroom marked 4. It has  what I believe to be a 8 socket d-link switch box in hallway cupboard (power switched on). It has an Ethernet cable feeding into box from outlet wall Ethernet socket marked with my flat number. Also has 4 Ethernet cables going from box to Ethernet wall sockets marked 1-4.

Have BT Smart Hub 2 connected to Master Socket 5C / Openreach Mk4. Internet wireless works fine, as does  using Ethernet cable when plugged direct from laptop to router hub. 

However, when I connect laptop into wallsockets 1-4 internet does not work, and I get Ethernet error messages - unidentified network - no internet. Connectivity - no network access. On trouble shooting - problems found - “Ethernet doesn’t have valid IP address.

Any suggestions much appreciated. Tried switching router off an unplugging for 10 seconds, restarting laptop and hallway switch to no avail. Router has DHCP server enabled.

[rbz5416]

In the short term you need to disconnect the cable from the socket with your flat number on it, & plug that into the SH2.

Long term you need to ascertain, from whoever is responsible for maintenance of the flat, what that numbered socket is & what i connects to. Is it just a socket or does it have other labels of lights on? A pic may help.

[toonbadger]

Fffff

photos as requested. Not sure what you mean by plug into SH2? Have contacted people responsible for flat maintenance, hoping would get quicker response here.

[rbz5416]

The D~Link switch is distributing whatever is on port 27 to the ethernet ports 1-4. But we don’t know what’s on port 27. So instead, you need to feed it from your SH2 router. So as I said, remove the cable from port 27 & plug it into the SH2. Although given how short it is that may be difficult. There is usually a longer cable supplied in the box with the SH2 that may be better.

Obviously we don’t know the distance between the master socket & the cupboard, so you may need an even longer cable.

[toonbadger]

I believe I did as you instructed. Removed cable from port 27 and fed cable from SH2 into port 27. See photo. Switched everything off / unplugged cable from Master Socket for 10 secs, then switched all back on. Unfortunately same result. But Hope this gives you insight to underlying problem.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@toonbadger 

No, its the lead going into the Ethernet switch you need to connect to the SH2. Leave port 27 disconnected. Its the lead that is dangling down on the left, that you need to plug into the SH2.

You could remove that cable, and plug the lead from the SH2 directly into the left hand port of the Ethernet switch. if its easier.

I suspect there is already an Internet service feeding the flats supplied by another company, and you have to pay them to activate it for your flat.

As you have already paid for BT Internet, that would be pointless, until your contract ends.

[iniltous]

Your flat ( No.27 ) presumably had ( and may still have using the appropriate contract with building management ) Ethernet access via the d-link switch ( delivered from a common point /system within the building )  …this service including the 4 Ethernet sockets around your flat is no use to you as you don’t subscribe to it ( assuming it’s still available to subscribe to )

Your own personal internet service via your BT SH2 , isn’t part of the building Ethernet infrastructure, or the part of it  ( the sockets ) within your flat , expecting the Ethernet sockets around your flat to somehow a be part of your BT service is fanciful, why would it be ?, but the Ethernet sockets within your flat can be utilised with a little ‘work’ .


If you want to make  any or all of the  4 Ethernet sockets usable , you to need to remove the connections from the d-link ( they are currently only of use if you use the in house service , which presumably is a service you could pay for , assuming it’s still available ) , the easiest thing to do would be to relocate your BT router into the cupboard and connect the Ethernet sockets on the hub to the Ethernet sockets the d link is currently connected to ….obviously you would need to extend the wiring from the master socket so the hub can be located in the cupboard, and reuse the 4 small cables disconnecting them from the d-link and connecting to the BT hub Ethernet sockets .

An alternative ( which reuses the d-link , so assumes it’s working ok ) is to run a single Ethernet cable from the BT router to the cupboard with the d-link , and connect one Ethernet port on the bt router to the ‘input’ side of the d-link (   where the current cable from building Ethernet service is connected , which comes from the  socket with your flat number on it  ) so the connection you provide runs from one of the the BT hub Ethernet sockets  , to the d-link input socket and then the d-link distributes ( as it does now ) to the 4 Ethernet sockets in the flat ( obviously the d-link needs switching on and be working ) .

Without any intervention, the Ethernet sockets in the flat are connected to a service you don’t subscribe to .