An IP conflict occurs when two or more computers or other devices within a LAN (local area network) or the Internet acquire the same IP address. This causes one or both of the terminals involved to be disabled to perform network operations.

Why an IP conflict occurs

• Two devices can acquire the same IP address for several reasons:
• A system administrator mistakenly assigns the same static IP address to two computers;
• A system administrator assigns a static IP to a computer, within the DHCP range of the local network, and this same IP is assigned dynamically to another computer by the DHCP server;
• Also the erratic operation of the DHCP server can cause the assignment of the same IP to several terminals;
• An Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns the same IP address to two of its clients by mistake;
• A computer enters hibernation or standby mode and when it is re-activated, the IP that it used may have been reassigned.

How to troubleshoot an IP address conflict in Windows

If you receive an error such as: “There is an IP address conflict with another device on the network, Windows detected a conflict in the IP address” or some similar one. Such error can happen because your computer has a duplicate or similar IP to that assigned to another device within the same network. Many times these conflicts are solved automatically, but it can take time and may not be solved by itself.

Renew IP address. You can renew the IP address of your computer using the Command Prompt. You can do this with the command ipconfig /renew, for which you must follow the following steps:

• Open the Command Prompt. You can do this by using the Run (Windows + R) tool, by looking directly at the Start menu or typing "cmd" in the latter;
• Once inside, type ipconfig /renew and press the Enter button;
• Because the DHCP server automatically manages IP addresses, it will give your computer an available IP that is not being used by other computers on the network.
• Reconfigure static IP. If you are using a static IP, you can manually change that address to a different one. You should make sure that the new address is not used, for which you can make a continuous PING to that IP (Eg ping 192.168.0.1 -t).

Use DHCP. If it is not necessary to use a static IP address, it is best to let IP address be assigned dynamically by DHCP. The server will handle the issue better because it will know which IP addresses are free and which are being used. Update the firmware of the router. Sometimes the problem may be in a malfunction of the DHCP server, and it assigns the same IP address to more than one computer. For these cases, it is best to update the firmware of the router being used.