[02/03] Changing Machine IP address's

[r1chyb]

Background Hi here is my problem. Im a system admin and we have just completed a scheme of giving new pc's to disadvantaged children throughout our town. Now we have over 200 machines gone out but they have not been configured with a static IP address so they can access the Internet.

My Aim
Ok so what i want to do is create a program in VB.net to send a bispoke version out to each house to change the machines IP address, Subnet, Default gateway and Proxy server + port

I have found a example here

http://www.dotnetjunkies.com/Article/2BDAC1D8-B277-4A82-B3E7-5B23B910D2B4.dcik

but it requires a registry key of something like {597C3BDC-2773-4426-A934-8D8CF49C8F7C}
but i wont have 200 of these keys so thats not really and option unless they are generic as all of the machines have the same network card.


Does anyone have any ideas

[Lerroy_Jenkins]

Wouldn't it be easier to create a small help file? Telling them exactly what to do?

A step by step guide.

[r1chyb]

Possiby but i think we would get alot of phonecalls, plus this is what my boss has asked for

[Lerroy_Jenkins]

Well... I don't know enough about the RegEdit for IP add etc.

One very sloppy route, that I would recomend using as a last resort is to create a program that basically the user presses a button, and does everything, It opens My network places, it right clicks on this goes to properties, it changes to IP settings and inputs the data itself.

This can be done via Sendkeys.sendkey () (Which I am looking into at the moment for myself). So each time it gets to a new step it sends a different key to the computer.

But as I said before, this is very sloopy and a very big cut through a corner idea.

[r1chyb]

I have found some information on the following netsh
So i can do the change to a static IP through dos using this command

netsh interface ip set address "Local Area Connection 4" static192.168.0.1 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1 1

But when i put that into vb.net using the shell command like below

    Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
        shell ("netsh interface ip set address "Local Area Connection 4" static 10.81.112.3.0.10 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1 1")
    End Sub

I get an error with the Local and im not to sure if the double quotes around the words "local area connetion 4" are causing a problem as the command box apears but nothing else withit.

[Lerroy_Jenkins]

Inside your code, you have 3 ". Surely you need 4?

[r1chyb]

ok now i get no errors with this

 Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
        Shell("netsh interface ip set address" & "Local Area Connection 4" & "static 10.81.112.3.0.10 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1 1")
    End Sub

but it still doesnt work

[Lerroy_Jenkins]

What happens if you try

Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
        Shell("netsh interface ip set address Local Area Connection 4 static 10.81.112.3.0.10 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1 1")
    End Sub

[r1chyb]

Does not change the IP
It needs the double quotes around the Local Area Connection 4

[r1chyb]

I have found the ControlChars.Quote but im not to sure how to use it in a long string like this

[dbasnett]

If you have just one LAN connection you can use something like this

netsh interface ip set address local static 10.0.0.9 255.0.0.0 10.0.0.1 1

Notice the use of local instead of "Local Area Connection x".

Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
        Shell("netsh interface ip set address local static 192.168.0.1 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1 1")
    End Sub

[r1chyb]

Thanks for your replay both of you i think i have sussed ths part with this code

    Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
        Shell("netsh interface ip set address ""Local Area Connection 4"" static 192.168.2.2 255.255.255.0 192.168.2.1 1")
    End Sub

I was over complicating things with the code i was using before. Now i need to change the proxy server address in internet explorer 7.. Any ideas

[dbasnett]

C:\>proxycfg /?
Microsoft (R) WinHTTP Default Proxy Configuration Tool
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

usage:

proxycfg -? : to view help information

proxycfg : to view current WinHTTP proxy settings

proxycfg [-d] [-p <server-name> [<bypass-list>]]

-d : set direct access
-p : set proxy server(s), and optional bypass list

proxycfg -u : import proxy settings from current user's
Microsoft Internet Explorer manual settings (in HKCU)


I have not used it, so read up on it before you try it. I think there is another option -i, and you may need to restart for changes to take affect.

[r1chyb]

Iv just checked and that command doesnt seem to work on vista.. the machines are running vista

[stanav]

I think it's better to create a .bat file instead of an vb.net exe. Using a batch file, you don't have to worry whether the correct .net framework has been installed on a computer or not.

PS: for setting proxy via command line in Vista, read this article:
http://blogs.msdn.com/wndp/archive/2...ows-vista.aspx

[r1chyb]

I dont need to worry due to the fact all of the machines are exactly the same. All 250+ are vista home basic.

I found the command for adding the proxy on vista
its done using the netsh command again which is different from xp...

so if anyone in the future is looking @ this thread look at cmd.exe netsh /?

Thanks everyone... Also juust a note the proxy change needs a restart to work,.

[azfar]

I am trying to add an arp entry in vista but I am failed.
I am trying follwing command

Shell ("netsh interface ipv4 set neighbors ""lan"" ""10.0.0.200"" ""00-10-54-CA-E1-40""")

Any help from you guys.

[ljohnway]

Another possible approach is to use an undocumented Win32 call

From old VB6 code:
Public Declare Function SetAdapterIPAddress Lib "iphlpapi" Alias "#135" (ByVal szAdapterGUID As String, ByVal dwDHCP As Long, ByVal dwIP As Long, ByVal dwMask As Long, ByVal dwGateway As Long) As Long

If interested, I could dig out some associated code.

[dbasnett]

ms-dos arp static entry

arp -s 192.168.1.1 00-aa-00-62-c6-09