Windows System Error - IP address conflict

[123gad]

Hi,
I have a xp home pc, wired to a linksys router, with cable modem, also I have 2 laptops connecting wireless to the internet, also Vonage is hooked up to it too I have this setup for at least 4 weeks or even longer. Since the last few days I receive an error message on one of my laptops (always the same) and the desktop: Windows system error - IP address conflict with another system on the network.

I tried to repair the connection, but was not successful, my laptop gets the signal but cannot accquire an IP address, after I unplugged my router from the electricity, it's working now, any ideas how to prevent that in the future - also I had one laptop networked to the desktop, now that's not working anymore either and I was not able to set it up again - I'm clueless, also this laptop does not get the error message.

Thankful for any help.

 

[franklin97355]

Check your IP addresses with ipconfig.

The answer is "42"

 

[Nelviticus]

Your router is supposed to allocate IP addresses automatically for each device (i.e., PC) that connects to it. I'm guessing that it malfunctioned somehow and tried to allocate the same address to two machines. Re-starting it fixed the problem as it was able to re-allocate new address to each machine. It was probably a one-off, so unless it happens again I wouldn't worry too much about it.

As for why the laptop connected to the desktop no longer works, this could be because after re-starting your router the desktop PC now has a different IP address to the one it had previously. The laptop's connection might be configured to point to the desktop's old IP address.

On the desktop machine, go to a command prompt and run 'ipconfig' to find out its current IP address. On the laptop, go to its 'network connections' and check the properties of the connection that you use. Check the properties of the 'internet protocol' item. I *think* that 'preferred DNS server' should be your desktop PC's IP address, but I could be horribly wrong as I'm not a networking expert.

Regards

Nelviticus

 

[gbaughma]

If you're using XP...

Start --> RUN --> CMD <Enter>

Type IPCONFIG /RELEASE <Enter>

IPCONFIG /RENEW <Enter>

... see if that solves your problem.



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[attrofy]

I had a similar encounter with a vonage router about a year and a half ago. I was also running Zone Alarm at the same time, and this was my only tip off that something had changed. In short, the resolution was the Vonage and my cable modem were competing for which network would be the gateway. I found the IP of the vonage router (I don't remember it, but it was a default like 10.0.0.1 or something silly) and was able to log to it and make it look to my cable modem for IP info.
However, within Zone Alarm I had a similar conflict, where I had two networks now installed, and had to ensure the correct network was "active". Of course, things have changed a bit since then, and networking has gotten simpler, and the softwares have changed. I would check the vonage boards, as well as possibly contact their tech support. There is a lot of remote diagnostics they can do to your vonage router.

In short my guess is your wirelss and Vonage device are both trying to pass through the gateway info to your network. Release & renewing the IP address as gbaughma suggested will probably help.

My guess is also that both devices are trying to be "transparent" to your network, and are both vieing to be the "first in line" after the modem, and both possibly vieing to assign IP's. Vonage probably isn't acting as DHCP, but may be passing the info through from your cable/dsl modem. I know with Lynksys, their routers will not bridge to other routers - you need to use just a standard WAP (Wireless Access Point). They don't offer the same software options in their Routers as they offer in their WAP's (at least this was true 3 months ago). Because of this, if the Linksys and Vonage are in conflict, they are both trying to act as routers. It is possible that the Linksys has even tried to assign an IP to the Vonage, and is trying to route the Vonage trafic through the LInksys. I am not sure how your devices are wired, but my guess is it needs to go modem, Linksys, Vonage. And most of your network connections need to tie into your Linksys (wired and wireless). If this is a different configuration then what you have, it is a good bet that one (or some) of your IP addresses renewed their configuration, and found that something else had taken their lease. Since you specified it had been about 4 weeks - which is a standard default for many IP leases - it is a good bet that your 30 days on one IP tried to renew to a used IP.

If renewing and releasing the laptop doesn't fix the problem, you may need to do the same with the Linksys and the Vonage IP's. This can be harder, and sometimes takes a restore to factory defaults for the LInksys. Linksys also has a new network configuration tool ont heir website that helps. But I would check with Vonage Tech support before going to those lengths.

Sorry for being so long winded.