USB3 Dock won't take an IP4 address on Win8.1 x64

[jallan]

I've just purchased a Belkin USB3 universal docking station (B2B122-BLK) and I am using it on a Dell XPS Laptop running Windows 8.1 x64. While the display and everything else seems fine, I can't get the network adaptor to take an IP address. I've tried both dynamic and static and neither seems to work - it always defaults to the Windows-assigned IP address.

I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling drivers and I also tried deleting a registry key that has been reported elsewhere as causing these problems (http://plugable.com/2015/01/27/the-mystery-of-the-windows-static-ip-that-wont-stick) but none of this has helped.

Interestingly, when I check out the registry entries at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\, it appears that DHCP is assigning it an IP address (although it's not getting DNS settings), but this doesn't seem to translate to getting anything in the network properties. Also, if I type 'ipconfig /release' into the command prompt, I get the unhelpful error 'the parameter is invalid'.

Diagnostics attached. Suggestions welcome.

[JamesH]

Hi,

Please try these steps:

1. Open device manager
2. Open Network adapters
3. Double click on USB Ethernet for your dock
4. Select Driver
5. Select Uninstall
6. Check Delete the driver software for this device
7. Select OK
8. Right click on USB Ethernet for your dock (now under 'Other devices')
9. Select Update driver
10. Select Browse my computer
11. Point the tool to C:\Program Files\DisplayLink Core Software\
12. Select Include subfolders
13. Select Next

Thanks,
James

[jallan]

Hi James,

Thanks for the suggestion, but after I tried that the behaviour didn't change.

James

Hi,

Please try these steps:

1. Open device manager
2. Open Network adapters
3. Double click on USB Ethernet for your dock
4. Select Driver
5. Select Uninstall
6. Check Delete the driver software for this device
7. Select OK
8. Right click on USB Ethernet for your dock (now under 'Other devices')
9. Select Update driver
10. Select Browse my computer
11. Point the tool to C:\Program Files\DisplayLink Core Software\
12. Select Include subfolders
13. Select Next

Thanks,
James

[jallan]

I appear to have fixed the problem by trying one one of the steps at http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1-networking/ethernet-doesnt-have-a-valid-ip-configuration/87c635f3-34b4-4e9e-8326-7c24750b88bf , specifically resetting the TCP/IP stack by typing "netsh int ip reset" at the Command Prompt (admin) and restarting. Not sure what was going on there, but it appears to be fixed now.