Have you ever received an IP address error message when you turn on your computer or wake up from hibernation? This happens when two computers on the same LAN have the same IP address. When this happens, both computers are unable to connect to network resources or perform other network operations.
Here is the most common error message that appears when there is a problem with an IP address:
IP address conflicts with another system on the network
You may also see a different error message for the same problem:
This IP address is already in use on the network. Configure a different IP address.
This issue, although rare, can occur for the following reasons:
- two computers are assigned the same static IP address
- One computer is assigned a static IP address that falls within the DHCP range for the local network, and the same address is assigned to the computer by the DHCP server
- The laptop goes to sleep and then turns on when connected to another network that has already assigned the same IP address to another computer
- If you have multiple network adapters, your computer’s IP address may conflict with itself
- If you have multiple wireless routers connected to the network and DHCP is enabled on more than one device
How to resolve IP address conflicts
There are several ways to solve this problem. I’ll start with the simplest and continue. First, restart your computer. Yes, this usually fixes the problem automatically! If not, continue reading below.
Renew IP address
Renew IP Address
You can release and renew your computer’s IP address using the command line. Click Start and type CMD.
At the command prompt, enter the following command to release your IP address:
ipconfig / release
Depending on how many adapters you have installed on your computer, you may see several results from the above command. For Ethernet ports, you will see the Ethernetx Ethernet adapter heading, and for wireless cards, you will see “Wireless LAN Wi-Fi” or something similar.
Please note that if your computer is configured with a static IP address, you will receive an error message The operation failed because no adapter is in a valid state for this operation. In this case, skip to the “Reconfigure Static IP Address” section.
After running this command, you need to run the command to renew your IP address, which it will try to get from the DHCP server.
ipconfig / Renew
After a few seconds, you should see the results and the IP address should be listed next to the IPv4 address.
Reconfigure Static IP
Reconfigure Static IP Address
If your computer is using a static IP, you may also want to consider switching to a different static IP. The current IP address may conflict with the set of IP addresses that the DHCP server issues.
By following the instructions below, you can also obtain the IP address directly from the DHCP server rather than manually entering the IP address. You must obtain an IP address from a DHCP server to execute the above release / renew commands.
To do this, click on “Control Panel”, go to the icon view and then click on “Network and Sharing Center”. On the left, click Change adapter settings.
Right click on the network adapter that is currently used to connect to the Internet and select Properties.
Click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP / IPv4), and then click the Properties button.
Here you can choose to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server (obtain an IP address automatically) or enter a static IP address (use the following IP address).
If you are unsure what you are doing, you should always get an IP address automatically from a DHCP server. DHCP already knows which addresses are busy and which they can issue.
If the release / update commands don’t fix your problem, the problem might be with your router.
Wireless Router
Wireless router
One solution that fixes a lot of problems is to simply restart the wireless router. If it works for weeks or months, sometimes the software will crash. A quick reboot should fix most of the problems. After restarting the router, it is recommended that you restart your computer as well.
In some rare cases, a real DHCP server may malfunction and assign the same IP address to multiple computers. In this case, it is best to try updating the firmware on your router. Most people never update their router’s firmware, so problems like this can occur. This is not the easiest activity in the world, but it will probably be worth it if you haven’t done it for a long time.
If you still have an IP address conflict, please post your problem here and I’ll try to help you! Enjoy!
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