IP conflict on my home network

Hi.
If there is an IP conflict, that means that two different devices connected to your home router are getting the same IP. In this case one or more connected devices will have limited connectivity, as they will be unable to access network resources.


The following troubleshooting must be performed on one networked device at the time.

Check if the internet provider that you are using allows DHCP. Most broadband providers use DHCP.

DHCP (dynamic host control protocol) means that the IPs, instead of being static are being assigned each time by the router.

If you use DHCP, then ensure that all devices connected to the network are not set on Static IP. If there is a device that must be set on static (eg. a network printer), then change manually the device IP to a different one. Ensure that the new IP belongs to your network range.

Reset the network settings on all connected devices. On computers remove the network adapter from the installed hardware devices list in control panel.
Restart computers one by one, after removing the adapter, and allow the network card to reinstall, using driver disk when needed (ensure that you have the drivers first). It will set itself to DHCP by default.

If that does not work, then you can try changing MAC address on Windows. The MAC address is an unique identifier that is assigned by manufacturer to any Ethernet adapter. The MAC address is used by the router to determine IP. To this purpose see: Changing MAC addresses on Windows .

If still no luck , then the next step would be resetting and re-configuring the router again, using the settings given by your ISP. Ensure that you have your Internet Service Provider configuration settings before resetting the router

At this point it may be worth testing a different Ethernet adapter (eg an USB adapter), rather than resetting the router.

If all that does not work, then either the router, or one of the two network adapter is probably defective. In some case virus or malaware can also cause IP conflicts.In that case ensure that the computer is clean, and eventually replace the router, after testing PC network adapter.

Note:If your home LAN uses static settings instead of DHCP, simply check that the IP set for each device is different.

Regards.