I recently bought a new computer. I threw out the oldest one, and took out its d-link wireless card, and put that into the second oldest computer, attaching the new one directly to the router via an ethernet wire. These are all PC machines. I also have an Imac G5 in the kitchen. Frequently, when the newly wireless computer is on, it says I have an IP conflict, and the Imac keeps dropping its internet connection, so I assume the conflict is with that. What is causing this conflict, and how can I fix it?
WAG: do two of the machines have the same static IP address assigned somehow? Or are they all set to DHCP?
I am not a network person.
The easy fix is to reboot everything at once (router included). The router keeps a table of what computer is using what IP address. Let’s assume the addresses it will give to the computers is .2, .3, .4 and .5, in that order. So you reboot the router and it loses track of who’s got what address. But everything keeps working because everyone already has an address. Then you reboot the computer that was using .4… So the router says, “oh, I need a new address for you…let’s see, .2 is available” and suddenly you have a conflict.
There are ways to figure out exactly which computers have the problem and fix them up without rebooting, but “reboot everything” is a pretty simple solution most people can grasp.
On reread, that was a lousy explanation. I was trying to demonstrate hypothetically how you could have gotten into this situation, and it’s possible that I just confused the issue further. But the bottom line is still: shut everything off, then turn everything on.
Not confusing at all. I understand what you are saying, although I have no understanding whatsoever of how any of this stuff works. It also explains why, when the internet stops working on one of my machines, and it does this fairly frequently, it can be repaired by unplugging the router OR repairing the internet connection. Either would force the router to give a new address.