Network problem?

I have a Dell Studio Desktop running Windows 7. My network seems to consist of the desktop, printer and router

The following message has appeared and I have no idea what it means or what to do with it. I tried to investigate the Windows System event Log but couldn't make any sense out of that either.

"Another computer on this network has the same network address as this computer......":confused

 

Fuzzy...

Maybe the below will help:

http://iowacitytechnologyservices.c...ork-has-the-same-ip-address-as-this-computer/

and this thread:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...-network/4eed87e2-45fd-4ff7-ae29-9a9fb664a8cc

Hope this helps. Looks like this is a fairly common problem.

 

So that routers know which device they are talking to they issue each device as it connects with a unique IP address, something like 192.168.1.8, the last number being the one that has to be unique to each connected device. The error you are getting can arise where one or more computers or devices is using a fixed IP address and tries to connect after another device has already connected and been given the same address by the router. So the question that has to be asked is whether your router is secure, which is achieved by setting a network password in the router. If you have not set such a password yourself then quite possibly the router, and therefore your internet connection are both open to anyone nearby with a wireless computer or mobile phone. If you want help sorting that then just let us know the router make and model.

In the meantime you should be able to resolve the address conflict by reading and acting on the Microsoft thread AtlBo has linked you to.

 

(Dell Studio 540, Windows 7-64, Service pack 1, Linksys WNT 160N V2 router, wireless connection)

Thank you for all your suggestions. Since that message only appeared the one time and doesn't seem to be affecting anything, I've decided to ignore it but will keep all your suggestions on file "in case".

Does anyone know why my network quits operating when I turn off ONLY the monitor? All the lights go out on the router. :confused

 

The fact that you only got this message once is consistent with the scenario I suggested - that someone else with a wifi device had managed to log on to your router and been allocated an IP address. That should never happen - check that your router has wireless security active.

I would think that the second problem is being caused by a power surge and if not rectified could damage your router. Are you daisy chaining several devices off of a single power outlet? If so you need to do something about that.

 

My router has wireless security active (WPA2-Personal) and a Security key.The only reason I have a network is for the convenience of visitors who arrive with their laptops, tablets, etc.

Everything is connected to a power bar: CPU, monitor, modem and router. Is this too much for 1 wall outlet?

 

We've seen this once or twice in the past few years.
No, no one has logged into our network. I have MAC filtering on, I've limited the addresses to exactly all the devices in the house so if someone guesses the password, they'd receive the message about no working addresses available, and I've also checked the router logs for incoming and outgoing traffic. I suspect one device had an address and for some reason, the router assigned the same address to a 2nd device. I've also disabled remote management so no computer outside our LAN, even one of our own computers at a hotspot, would be able to log in and change the settings.

I checked the routing table, the message disappeared and all devices could connect on different IPs with no problem.

 

It's possible then that a visitor was using a device he had configured to have a static IP and which happened to be in the range normally allocated automatically by the router. I've been using a home network for donkey's years and the only times I have ever seen that warning have been when someone on the network was using a fixed IP.

Shouldn't be but it may only take a slightly loose connection on one of the cables to cause a power hiccup, or even a fault in the monitor switch itself. After losing a perfectly good router to a thunderstorm I always keep a surge protector on the power line to my router. I'm sure that would fix your problem.