Why would a lappy be running a DHCP server?

[Fat Tone]

I set up a Smoothwall network, Green (LAN) = 192.168.1.x, using DHCP. There is also an Orange nic, 192.168.0.x, no DHCP, with one PC attached. It worked fine for 6 months.

Anyway, suddenly all the PCs on the Green LAN started picking up IPs in the 192.168.2.x range. It looks like they are coming from a laptop which is connected intermittently and only started happening once he started messing with Bluetooth.

So, could it be his Bluetooth handing out IPs on the wired LAN, or what else? Its just a standard Window XP laptop with Office software, afaik.

Incidentally, often doing a 'repair' on the network connection doesn't renew the IP. I have to do ipconfig/release and then ipconfig/renew TWICE as the renew always fails the first time.

All ideas welcome.

TIA

T.

[DukeP]

Beats me..
But the ipconfig /release thingy happens to me all the time.
Eventually I started handing out fixed IP's to people, and let the ones that didnt know how to config, settle for DHCP (and faith!).

~~DukeP~~

[Rob(QG)]

If he's ticked "share this connection" that would set up his machine as a DHCP server.

[Fat Tone]

Thanks - I'll check that out (pardon the pun!)