IP address conflict error

Hi,

I keep getting an error when turning on my computer. The error occurs whenever I turn my notebook on before my desktop. The message reads something like this:

The temporary solution is to unplug the wireless access point (disconnecting my notebook) and then unplug and re-plug in the Ethernet cable to my desktop. However, this is not an elegant solution and is annoying to do on a daily basis.

Is there some way to fix the IP address of both computers, thus avoiding the conflict, or set either to auto-assign its IP address to a free, available address, rather than one that is already is use?

Desktop running Windows 7 Ultimate, notebook running Windows 7 starter.

Many thanks,

Froskoy.

 

Make sure that both IPs are not static. It's impossible for the router to assign two one IP to two computers unless you've set them to static manually.

So make sure IPs are not static and that IPs are not assigned by MAC address (the latter only in case you've typed the same IP for two MAC addresses)

 

Are both of your laptop and desktop assigned the same static IP address from either the router or computers itself? You can't assign the same static IP address to multiple devices in the same network.

Do you have DHCP enabled on the router for it to assign dynamic (different) ip addresses to devices?

Do both computers have the same MAC address? Make sure they are different.

That's all I can think of that would cause this kind of conflict.

 

Are the wired router and the wireless AP both running their internal dhcp servers?

 

IF you do not have static IP addresses, Turn on the desktop, open an elevated command prompt, type ipconfig /release, then shut it down

Turn on the laptop and verify you are getting an IP address (can use the same ipconfig command with no parameters).

Turn on the desktop and verify there are no issues (good idea to run the ipconfig command again.