'IP address already in use' error

Hi, I'm on a VDSL fibre network. When I was connected my pc/modem couldn't automatically detect an IP address. So I was given a static address and everything worked fine. I later decided to add a router as the modem can only connect one PC to it. However I was unable to get the router working so I returned to just using the modem on it's own.

Since then, every time I switch on my PC I get the following error "the static ip address that was just configured is already in use on the network. Please reconfigure a different IP address"? I don't have a network set up and the only way I can get on the internet now is once my PC has been switched on, I then have to turn my modem off, and then back on again. My pc then connects to the net without any problems.

I contacted my ISP but they've been unable to resolve it .They did gave me a new static IP address to try but I still get the same error.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you need anymore information.


My operating system: Win xp 32 bit home edition, service pack 3

modem: cellpipe 7130 residential gateway

Router: Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH

Cheers

Buggs

What springs to mind is that perhaps you have managed to configure a second IP address on the XP machine, and it is being handed a DHCP address, thus conflicting with the static that is set on the computer.

Open a command prompt and type

IPCONFIG /ALL

that should list all the IP interfaces present on the computer.

On getting the router to work, what did not work, i.e. I presume you could happily see the routers web interface? Was the problem in configuring its WAN port.

VDSL modems can present the IP connection several ways, and I am guessing you are in Canada, if so then the forums at www.dslreports.com will have more people with the same hardware to give advice.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

What springs to mind is that perhaps you have managed to configure a second IP address on the XP machine, and it is being handed a DHCP address, thus conflicting with the static that is set on the computer.

Open a command prompt and type

IPCONFIG /ALL

that should list all the IP interfaces present on the computer.

On getting the router to work, what did not work, i.e. I presume you could happily see the routers web interface? Was the problem in configuring its WAN port.

Thank you for your reply! It does sound plausible that I have manage to configure a second address on my machine. But I've checked using "ipconfig/all" and it only shows the one ip address (see the second set of ip config results below).

The reason I said It sounded plausible was that before I tried connecting the router using the static IP I was told by support there would be a good chance that with using a router it would automatically assign me a IP. So I set the internet protocol properties to obtain a IP address automatically (same for DNS server). I then added the router and my pc did then obtain a IP address automatically. I was then able to view the routers web interface.

But after using the auto configure option on the router I wasn't able to connect to the web. After lots of trial & error I then reverted back to my static IP to see if that would resolve the problem. It didn't. And since then I've had this problem. And when I try adding the router I can no longer connect to the web interface. But to be honest I'm not too concerned about that at the moment. I'd just be quite happy to resolve the IP conflict.

Below are the results of using "ipconfig/all". The first IP config results below is what I see when I first switch on my pc. The second set is what I get after turning my modem off/on.


Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xxxxxx
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8102E Family PCI-E Fast E
thernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-23-54-4F-FE-F1
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 64.215.98.148
64.215.98.149
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xxxxxx
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8102E Family PCI-E Fast E
thernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-23-54-4F-FE-F1
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . :46.31.x.x
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.252.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 46.31.x.x
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 64.215.98.148
64.215.98.149
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Do you think by uninstalling/reinstalling my Ethernet adapter drivers it would resolve this problem?

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

VDSL modems can present the IP connection several ways, and I am guessing you are in Canada, if so then the forums at www.dslreports.com will have more people with the same hardware to give advice.

No I'm in the UK on the Digital region Network.


Thanks again for your help!

Edited by MrSaffron (Mon 04-Apr-11 13:02:50)

Edited out the actual IP address for you.

What is odd is that the PC does not have DHCP enabled, but appears to be getting a DHCP address. Can you confirm that when the first set of figures were copied, that the Ethernet network interface was connected and the link lights showing ethernet activity?

In theory any router that you set to use that IP information should work, it is possible the VDSL modem is also observing a Mac rule, in which case you might find cloning the Physical Address of the PC into the WAN interface of the router helps.

You are the first Digital Region poster I've seen by the way.

In reply to a post by gomezz:

Edited out the actual IP address for you.

Thank you!

In reply to a post by ian_c:

What is odd is that the PC does not have DHCP enabled, but appears to be getting a DHCP address. Can you confirm that when the first set of figures were copied, that the Ethernet network interface was connected and the link lights showing ethernet activity?

It is indeed connected and the light is on the modem confirms this. And my local area connection status says "acquiring network address". And this is when the windows error confirming the IP address problem appears (the static ip address that was just configured is already in use.........etc).

In reply to a post by crey:

In theory any router that you set to use that IP information should work, it is possible the VDSL modem is also observing a Mac rule, in which case you might find cloning the Physical Address of the PC into the WAN interface of the router helps.

I'll have a look at doing this later. Thank you again for you help!