Can’t connect to the internet because you see an error that says “Windows has detected an IP address conflict”?
If you are familiar with computer networking, then you have heard of an IP address. It is merely the digital identification number of your computer or network-enabled device in a digital network. This number should be unique so that data can be routed to the rightful owner. When the IP number is not unique, that is when you get the following error pop up because someone else on your network is using the same IP address but on their device.
Sometimes an IP address is assigned to more than one computer or device, especially if the network is not managed properly. It can also be because the network manager neglected to configure the network device properly. But in typical cases, it is the fault of the users with misconfigured devices.
In our guide for today, we will discuss why your Windows OS has detected an IP address conflict as well as provide the appropriate solutions to help you fix the issue so you can connect back to the internet in no time.
Let’s dive right in!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Restart the Router or Modem
- Release and Renew IP Address
- Don’t Use a Static IP Address
- Disable IPv6 in Network Settings
- Change Your Wireless Passcode
- Extend DHCP Pool in Router or Modem (Advanced)
- Change DHCP Lease Time in Router or Modem (Advanced)
- Change the Default LAN IP Address of Router or Modem (Advanced)
- Reconnect VPN Service
- Contact Available Tech Support
How to Fix Windows Has Detected An IP address Conflict Issue: 10 Ways.
1. Restart the Router or Modem.
If your computer or Wi-Fi-enabled device is on the default automatic settings, then there is another device that is responsible for giving you an IP address. If you are connected using Wi-Fi, most probably, your Wi-Fi router is responsible for that. For some connected directly using a network cable, there is a higher chance that they are using a modem.
It’s essential to take note that these secondary devices may have been running for a long time; hence it can tend not to work properly. This can include the management and assigning of IP addresses to all devices connected to it. To fix it, simply turn off your router or modem for 5-10 seconds and turn it back on. Wait for the device to start and provide you a new IP address.
Most likely, if you’re reading this, then you may have already done this, but it certainly helps to try it out if you haven’t.
Once after you restart your router or modem, you should be able to use the network and connect to the internet. But if you are still experiencing the same issue, you can proceed to the next method.
2. Release and Renew IP Address.
Your computer usually stores the IP address data given by the router or modem locally for faster response. Nevertheless, this can mean that you still have an IP address conflict.
After you restarted your router or modem from the previous method, you will need to proceed and refresh the IP address settings on your computer too.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Go ahead and click the Windows start icon on your computer. Type command in the search option.
- Then find the Command Prompt application in the list result and click it to launch the program.
- Now type
netsh int ip reset c:\reset-log.txtin the command prompt window and press Enter. This will clear the IP address data stored locally.
- After that, type
ipconfig /releasein the command prompt window and hit the Enter key. This will release your current IP address given to you by your router or modem.
- Finally, type
ipconfig /renewin the command prompt window and press Enter. This will allow you to acquire a new IP address from your router or modem.
Now that you have a new IP address, you should be able to use the network without any conflict.
3. Don’t Use a Static IP Address.
There is a possibility that you have a static IP address set up in your network settings. Even after you have renewed your IP address, it will still be the same because it is forced into your network configuration.
So you will need to make sure that you are not using a static IP address. Here’s how you can do it:
- Go ahead and click the Windows start icon on your computer. Type control in the search option.
- Next, find the Control Panel in the list result and click it to launch the settings page.
- Then, under the Network and Internet settings, click on View network status and tasks to open settings.
- Under your active connection, click on the link next to connections. If you are using a network cable, you should see the Local Area Network. But if you are using Wi-Fi with the wireless broadcast name.
- After that, a status window will prompt, and under the Activity section, click on the Properties button.
- Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click the Properties button to open the settings page.
- Select Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS Server address automatically. Click the OK button to save settings.
- Finally, click the Close button on the Local Area Connections status page.
Having removed the forced IP addresses in your settings, try using your computer as normal and see if you’re still experiencing the same issue.
4. Disable IPv6 in Network Settings.
The current version of the IP address format, which we usually use, is IPv4 (version 4), and one of its downfalls is that it is limited in the number of IP addresses that is available.
Since then, internet standards needed a longer version of the IP address because the numbers will not be enough for everybody to use. Some providers now are using IPv6 (version 6) for that same reason and for testing it.
This can be one reason why we may have an IP address conflict if both the IPv4 and IPv6 are in place. To remove the conflict, you will need to disable the IP Protocol Version 6 in your settings temporarily.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Go back and click the Windows start icon on your computer. Type control in the search option.
- Next, find the Control Panel in the list result and click it to launch the settings page.
- Then, click on View network status and tasks to open settings under the Network and Internet settings.
- Now click on the link next to connections under your active connection list. If you are using a network cable, you should see the Local Area Network. But if you are using Wi-Fi with the wireless broadcast name.
- After that, a status window will prompt, and under the Activity section, click on the Properties button.
- Uncheck the Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) option and click OK button to save settings.
- Finally, click the Close button on the Local Area Connections status page.
After having disabled the IPv6 (version 6) IP address, try testing your computer to see if it works as normal without the “Windows has detected an IP address conflict” issue.
5. Change Your Wireless Passcode.
Another possibility could be that there are currently some unauthorized devices that are connected to your Wi-Fi network. This happens when you have a generic Service set identifier (SSID) with a predefined password that was configured by your internet provider. Your neighbor could be connecting and has forced all the IP addresses in their devices.
There could be more reasons why this case is, but the point is, you don’t have control over their devices.
But since you have control over the wireless router, the plan of action will be to change the wireless passcode of the device by going to your Internet Service Provider’s website and logging into your account and then changing it. This varies between ISPs, so it’s best to contact them and explain the issue that you’re having.
When changing your wireless passcode, make sure you use WPA/WPA2 protocol with AES/TKIP encryption. This type of security is hard to crack. It will also prevent unauthorized access to your wireless network that might cause the IP address conflict.
6. Extend DHCP Pool in Router or Modem (Advanced)
It is possible that your Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol or DHCP in your router or modem has a limited number of IP addresses available. This protocol in your router or modem is responsible for assigning IP addresses to devices that want to connect to the network.
For instance, if you increase the DHCP pool from 192.168.1.2 up to 192.168.1.11, that would only mean that you only have 10 IP addresses available to provide. If you have more than ten devices, the eleventh one can cause an IP address conflict. You can change 192.168.1.11 IP address range to 192.168.1.100 so to provide more. This can also be done by contacting your ISP or ask the network administrator in your company to do so.
7. Change DHCP Lease Time in Router or Modem (Advanced)
Another possible scenario is when your router or modem has a short lease time period in the settings. The DHCP lease time is the period of IP address lease for a computer or wireless-enabled device. That means, if the time is short, there is a possibility that the device is still connected to the network. The IP address of that device will be reassigned to other devices because your router or modem will interpret it as expired.
To avoid that, make sure that you set the lease time of your DHCP service to 86400 seconds or equivalent to 1 day. It is safe to say that every day, you need to restart your device to reconnect to the network.
By doing this, you have removed another possibility of IP address conflict. This can be done by contacting your ISP or ask the network administrator in your company to do so.
8. Change the Default LAN IP Address of Router or Modem (Advanced)
There is a chance that you are using more than one wireless device in your home or office. The most common and popular wireless devices that extend your wireless coverage are called Wi-Fi access points and Wi-Fi extenders. These devices help expand the Wi-Fi coverage in your location but can, at times, result in conflicts.
Almost all network devices have a default IP address of 192.168.1.1. This can cause a conflict with the network devices as well. To resolve this, you will need to have the default of the IP address of your modem changed to 192.168.5.1 instead. And if you have other network devices, make sure to set the IP address away from your DHCP pool.
Take, for instance, if you have a DHCP pool of 192.168.5.2 up to 192.168.5.50, then try to change the default IP address of your Wi-Fi extenders to 192.168.5.100. By doing this, you will avoid any possible IP address conflicts in your network.
This can be a little advanced for some users, but if you’re familiar with network administration, then this should help provide an idea and possibly plan a fix to solve the ongoing IP conflict issue.
9. Reconnect VPN Service.
A Virtual Private Network or VPN is usually used to protect your privacy when using the internet. It can be handy, but sometimes, like any other application, it can conflicts.
Why? Because there is a chance that your IP address can conflict with the others in the VPN environment. To avoid that, disconnect from the application and reconnect back to your VPN service. In that way, you will be re-registered as a client and should be able to get a new and unique identifier for a fresh session.
Certain VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN have the option for you to obtain a Dedicated IP as well, which is a handy tool to prevent IP address conflicts in your network. Try it and let us know down below whether this works for you.
10. Contact Available Tech Support.
We understand that a few of the solutions listed in this post can be really advanced and complicated for you to do yourself. So if you are having a hard time following these instructions, then you can always call for a technician or your local internet service provider to do it for you.
Your local internet service provider usually has an on-call technician, but you need to set up a schedule with them. You will also may want to consider the possibility that your computer, modem, or router might be defective too.
This is the case with computers, especially those which are infected with malware and viruses. For that, you may want to remove the malicious app yourself or buy original, licensed anti-virus software. In worst cases, you may need to restore your computer to factory default or reformat your Windows OS. It is possible to avail of the services of technicians from the store where you bought your computer or laptop.
Now regarding third-party Wi-Fi routers, you may need to visit the store where you purchased the product as well. They can reconfigure the device for you or have it replaced if proved defective. The usual warranty for this equipment is usually 12 months but varies depending on the brand.
This wraps up our guide on how to fix the “Windows has detected an IP address conflict” issue. We hope this article has helped you and cleared out some questions regarding network connectivity. If you have questions related to this topic, please feel free to leave a comment below. ❤
If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂
