My router is working perfectly, and all other computers use automatic DHCP to get an IP address (all hard wired--no wireless). This one laptop lan connection kept getting stuck "identifying" the network, until I set a static IP in the ipv4 config properties (win7).
Why would that resolve the issue?
ipconfig /release
andipconfig /renew
before you did the static IP? And did you also reboot your DHCP server/router? I've had it where certain devices will connect just fine, while other won't be able to. A reboot of the router always worked and a reboot of the computer never hurt.