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Conflict with another IP address

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roofman

roofman

Jedi Knight
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I see some computer gurus check this site so here goes. i have a desktop with a linkys system router going through the house with 2 laptops in other rooms. Every once in a while I get a windows warning ballon that says " there is a conflict with another IP address" or something close to that. always being afraid of bots, should I worry?
 
Does it have wireless capability? If it does, somebody may be messing with you. Otherwise, most of those default to assigning IPs dynamically, so you shouldn't be getting messages like that. Check your TCP/IP settings on your computers and see if they are set for "obtain IP address automatically".

If it is wireless, you might want to enable encryption so your next door neighbors aren't hopping on your service for free. Also, if they go doing stuff they shouldn't be it will be tracked to your house.
 
what's divvying out your IPs? A router of some sort? Is it wireless?
 
What THEY said. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/iagree.gif

I MUCH prefer to run as a Class-C LAN and WEP the wireless junk. You can set up a linksys wireless router to ONLY admit the appropriate IP addys, rename and turn off the SSID broadcast.

...in case any of you guys come slopin' 'round th' hovel, my SSID is "Promethius". /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif
 
DrEntropy said:
What THEY said. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/iagree.gif


...in case any of you guys come slopin' 'round th' hovel, my SSID is "Promethius". /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif
Click to expand...

Now that will shed some light on the situation. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif

Stuart. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cheers.gif
 
We had the same problem with our office machines. All were running Windows XP at the time, and all were automatically assigning IP addresses (the Windows default). It happened when one or more machines (with IP address X) was powered on but "asleep". Then, if you powered on another computer, it never saw that IP address X was in use so it took it for itself. When the sleeping machine was later provoked into action, 2 machines had the same IP address.

We resolved it by assigning permanent IP addresses for the computers and a network-attached printer. You can see if this is your problem by just rebooting all computers within a couple of minutes of each other - my guess is that you won't have the problem.
 
a yup... sounds par for the course with Windows. It tries to ~own~ everything, and doesn't play as well with others as it should, even when the others are its own siblings...
 
The router is hard wired to 1 laptop, and is wireless to the other. I only get the message on my home unit desk top, never on the laptops were the router starts.
 
<s>is the desktop connected to the laptops?</s>

My friends have 1 desktop and 2 laptops as well, and their desktop pops the IP Conflict message quite often, IMO. However, they desktop is connected their router via LAN cable, while the laptops are wireless. I most often see their desktop pop the IP Conflict after they bring a laptop out of "Sleep Mode". The desktop is "always on", as far as I know.

***EDIT: Is the desktop connected to the router via cable?
 
Yes.
 
Just go to static IP addys for all of 'em. XP has an "advanced" setting in the TCP/IP menu where you can assign it to secondarily use a router's assigned DHCP number if you go "roaming" with a laptop.
 
roofman said:
Yes.
Click to expand...
Well, in that case, I suggest doing what others have said about ensuring your WiFi is secured. After that you shouldn't need to worry too much about it.

The next time you see an IP conflict check the IPs of the computers on your network. If none of them have identical IPs at the time of the conflict, you may have someone sneaking in on your network. In that case, you can normally check your router and see how many computers are connected to the network and hopefully determine if the IP conflict is being caused by unauthorized access.
 
or Doc's method... statically assigning IPs to your network computers and disabling DHCP at the router.
 
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