To configure TCP/IP for automatic addressing

1. Open Network Connections.
2. Right-click the network connection that you want to configure, and then click Properties.
3. On the General tab (for a local area connection) or the Networking tab (all other connections), click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
4. Click Obtain an IP address automatically, and then click OK.

Notes

* To open Network Connections, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.
* You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.
* Windows XP uses Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) to automate Internet Protocol (IP) configuration of network connections.

By default, the computer first tries to contact a DHCP server on the network and dynamically obtain configuration for each installed network connection, as follows:

o If a DHCP server is reached and leased configuration is successful, TCP/IP configuration is completed.
o If a DHCP server is not reached after approximately 60 seconds or leased configuration fails, the computer uses the setting on the Alternate Configuration tab to determine whether to use APIPA for automatic TCP/IP configuration or to configure TCP/IP with the alternate configuration. When APIPA is used, Windows XP uses an address in the APIPA IP address range (169.254.0.1 through 169.254.255.254) and the subnet mask is set to 255.255.0.0.The range of IP addresses (from 169.254.0.1 through 169.254.255.254) used for APIPA is reserved by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). Any IP addresses within this range are not used on the Internet.