I have a small CAT-6 ethernet network featuring a Cisco 18-port switch and an Asus router acting as DHCP server.

Various devices connected to the switch (e.g. printer, NAS) connect to the DHCP server successfully to receive addresses in the 192.168.1.\* range. My Macbook Pro and Mac mini also connect over wifi to the router to receive DHCP addresses in the same range.

The Macbook and the Mac Mini (both latest Mavericks) fail to connect via the switch when using ethernet and end up with self-assigned 169.*.*.\* addresses. With the Macbook Pro I've tried this with three different USB to ethernet dongles, including an Apple model. Setting the ethernet parameters manually doesn't seem to help access the switch either.

This makes me think there's some configuration with ethernet under Mavericks that doesn't match my setup with the 192.168.1.\* range? I'm assuming the Cisco switch is not the problem as other devices seem to connect through it fine.

Can someone give me a hint as how to work out what's going on? Does Mavericks always try and look for DHCP servers in the 10.0.0.\* range instead? 

Thanks,

Stu