IP address conflicts

Hi, didn't know whether or not to post this in the network category, but here goes...

In a nutshell - sometimes 2 machines want to have the same IP address (192.168.1.36)

My setup is: Win7 HP x64 (main rig, wired + wifi) going to a 4 port wifi router that also connects a WinXP Pro x86 (now dedicated torrenter & jukebox, wired only), and an Xbox360 (wired only).

The router's address (default gateway) is 192.168.1.1. It assigns (or Win7 assigns) IP address to my main rig, ethernet (192.168.1.33) and wifi (192.168.1.34)

Then the WinXP box will want to assign itself 192.168.1.36, the same address as the Xbox. With all machines' settings at "automatic", I find it strange and frustrating that from a pool of 255 numbers to choose from I get a conflict. (Note: this is a combined wireless/4-port router, before I had a monoport modem (192.168.1.1) and a 4 port wifi router (192.168.2.1), but no problems, IP addresses started at 192.168.2.2 upto 192.168.2.6) Question 1 - Why do addresses start at 192.168.1.33, not at 192.168.1.2?

Now, I've already gone into the Xbox settings and instead of "automatic", I've selected "custom" and I've even input the same numbers (IP address, default gateway, DNS servers, submask) as the auto but it doesn't connect to Xbox Live!. Ok - I reset it to auto - fine.

Question 2 - I assume I can demand the WinXP to always use, for example, 192.168.1.99, leaving 192.168.1.36 for the Xbox? HOW? The problem only seems to happen if I turn something on after the others are booted and stable, typically both PCs are running, I boot the Xbox for a bit of gameage, the Xbox will rob the WinXP address and then I get the yellow exclamation triangle in the WinXP tray telling of a conflict of IP addresses.

Thank you for patience and help!
D

Thanks for the reply kegobeer. I'm at work at the moment, so will postback info in 3 or 4 hours' time.

D

kegobeer said:

The router assigns IP addresses using DHCP. It sounds like your computer has been configured to use a static IP address that is inside the DHCP range of the router. If you ever set a static IP address on a computer you have to make sure that it's not in the block of IP addresses that the router will assign.

1) Have you configured your computer(s) to use static IP addresses? If so, why?
2) What is the make/model of your router?

OK, so I'm lost with DHCP - no idea what it is, or how it works.

1. I'm assuming by static you mean fixed, in which case I can tell you from ethernet properties --> Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) --> properties "Obtain IP address automatically" this was always checked (same with obtain DNS servers automatically). I have now unchecked these and put my required 192.168.1.99, with the same subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and my DNS servers 84.#.#.#). I have just set this to static to see if there are any conflicts...

2. Router is a ZyXEL P-660HW-D1. It was a free replacement from my ISP when my monoport modem died recently.

Thanks,

@jhansen965 - yes, I've (temporarily?) put one machine as static IP because it would always fight for control over address 192.168.1.36.

Is static IP such a bad thing?? DHCP is enabled, though I don't know what it does.

kegobeer said:

DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

D'Oh! <smacks own forehead> Why didn't I think of that...

Thanks

+1

allend66 said:

Hi, didn't know whether or not to post this in the network category, but here goes...

In a nutshell - sometimes 2 machines want to have the same IP address (192.168.1.36)

My setup is: Win7 HP x64 (main rig, wired + wifi) going to a 4 port wifi router that also connects a WinXP Pro x86 (now dedicated torrenter & jukebox, wired only), and an Xbox360 (wired only).

The router's address (default gateway) is 192.168.1.1. It assigns (or Win7 assigns) IP address to my main rig, ethernet (192.168.1.33) and wifi (192.168.1.34)

Then the WinXP box will want to assign itself 192.168.1.36, the same address as the Xbox. With all machines' settings at "automatic", I find it strange and frustrating that from a pool of 255 numbers to choose from I get a conflict. (Note: this is a combined wireless/4-port router, before I had a monoport modem (192.168.1.1) and a 4 port wifi router (192.168.2.1), but no problems, IP addresses started at 192.168.2.2 upto 192.168.2.6) Question 1 - Why do addresses start at 192.168.1.33, not at 192.168.1.2?

Now, I've already gone into the Xbox settings and instead of "automatic", I've selected "custom" and I've even input the same numbers (IP address, default gateway, DNS servers, submask) as the auto but it doesn't connect to Xbox Live!. Ok - I reset it to auto - fine.

Question 2 - I assume I can demand the WinXP to always use, for example, 192.168.1.99, leaving 192.168.1.36 for the Xbox? HOW? The problem only seems to happen if I turn something on after the others are booted and stable, typically both PCs are running, I boot the Xbox for a bit of gameage, the Xbox will rob the WinXP address and then I get the yellow exclamation triangle in the WinXP tray telling of a conflict of IP addresses.

Thank you for patience and help!
D

Lots of confusing statements in your first paragraph which I highlighted in bold.

You say that you have Win7 machine going to your router?

This is a very confusing statement as the correct set up should be modem>router>Win7 machine and other machines or switch not the other way around. You can't have the Win7 machine before the modem or router.

You don't need to use static IP's for this set up. It will work fine using DHCP provided that everything is connected in the correct order.