XP loses network info

[BernieM]

Here is my problem. Got a laptop that I connect by wire to a router. It's running XP SP3. Somehow, every time it is turned off, it forgets the DHCP settings to connect to the router. It is a Belkin, and it assigns 192.168.2.x IP address. At boot up, the laptop remembers the settings of a FORMER router, with 192.168.10.x. The network notification area shows that it is connected, when in fact it isn't. I am convinced it has to do with the services, etc. But I never know which one for sure. Once I make sure that different services related to network connections are started and automatic (or system), then things work again. Why do I have to go through this? Assigning a specific IP address in the properties of TCP/IP doesn't help. It can ping the router successfully, but it won't go on the internet. Also, I checked the Firewall exceptions. They are all go for IE and for Firefox, which I am using as a browser. What am I doing wrong or ignoring?
Thanks in advance for your tips to help me solve this.

[liljim]

Forgive me if this is something you already know, its the best i know to explain

Your router is the DHCP server, your laptop is the client. Being a DHCP client, its not suppose to remember anything other than to get a new ip from the DHCP server (router) everytime it boots/reboots or ip lease time expires. It (usually) will not jump back on the same ip address but yes it should jump back in the same block that the router is set to use. Its odd for me to see a router assign a 192.168.2.X, commonly its .1-.0- or indeed .10. In the router settings, you should have a DHCP server setting page that will allow you to tell the router what range of ip's its allowed to assign from. Example being start at 192.168.1.1 and end 192.168.1.255. Also try running the xp configuration wizard on the notebook and see if it corrects the problem.

Heres a screenshot of router settings, wont be exact of couse but an example none the less

[BernieM]

Thanks for the reply.
Yes, my router is set up that way, to assign a range.
And yes, my system has 192.168.2.x. Every router is a little different. A Belkin router assigns numbers with 2.x.
So far the PC has 'remembered' the correct IP every time it's coming up. My suspicion is that it had to do with specific network services that were not starting on the PC. However, there are many services with weird names. I don't know precisely which one was the problem.