6 min

Fix IP Conflicts in 6 Minutes — Network Stability Made Simple

⏱️ Read time: 6 min • Labels: Networking, Troubleshooting, LAN, IP

TL;DR: If two devices use the same IP address on your network, they’ll fight for it — causing disconnections and “IP conflict” errors. Learn how to find and fix it using simple commands like ipconfig, arp -a, and ping. Then prevent it forever with DHCP reservations.

🔍 What Is an IP Conflict?

An IP conflict means two devices on your network are trying to use the same IP address. Your router gets confused and doesn’t know where to send data — so one or both devices lose connection.

💥 Why It Happens

• Someone set a static IP inside your DHCP range.
• A cloned PC or VM kept the same IP as the original.
• A second router or access point is running its own DHCP server.
• Someone didn’t record their manual IP settings.

🧠 How to Find the Conflict (Windows)

ipconfig /all arp -a ping 192.168.1.50

Check the IPv4 and Physical (MAC) addresses. If one IP shows two different MACs at different times, there’s a conflict.

🐧 For Linux or macOS

ifconfig arp -a ping 192.168.1.50

⚙️ Fix the Problem (Quick Plan)

1. Renew the IP:
   ipconfig /release then ipconfig /renew
2. Move static IPs outside your DHCP pool.
   Example: DHCP = 192.168.1.2–192.168.1.100 → Static = 192.168.1.200
3. Create DHCP Reservations: Assign fixed IPs to MAC addresses so devices never change.
4. Turn off extra DHCP servers: Only your main router should give IPs.

🧾 Quick Example

Device	IP	Type	MAC	Note
Router	192.168.1.1	DHCP	—	Main gateway
Laptop	192.168.1.10	DHCP	AA:AA:AA:AA	OK
Printer	192.168.1.200	Static	BB:BB:BB:BB	Safe (outside pool)
Camera	192.168.1.50	Static	CC:CC:CC:CC	⚠ Inside pool — risky

Video :

🛡️ Prevent It Next Time

• Write down your static IPs (or reserve them in the router).
• Keep statics outside your DHCP range.
• Don’t copy system images without changing the IP.
• Scan the network occasionally: nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

Note: This post is meant for learning and safe troubleshooting — not hacking. Always work on networks you own or manage.

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