I think that it has to do with your DHCP config... Probably with the 'full driverpackage', you also get a utility installed along with the driver, this utility might alter some settings that make everything work out of the box - at least in your case. 90% chance that your router is set to be a DHCP server, which means the router will decide which client gets which IP address. That's why you'll have to enable '', like this: Start > Control Panel > Network Connections > Local Area Connection > Properties > General > Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) > Properties > Obtain an IP address automatically If this doesn't work, please let me know.