An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a decimal number that defines the routing of the internet user. In simple words, it can describe as the address of your device connected to the home or business network. The address is made up of four sets of numbers that are separated by commas. The IP address of each device is unique; hence it becomes simple for the network to differentiate them.
An IP address conflict occurs when two devices are on the same network and try to access the same IP address. When this situation occurs both the PCs end up not being able to connect with network resources and perform desirable tasks. To be more precise, if you connect a PC, a laptop, and a smartphone to the same network, there should be three unique IP addresses.
However, if two of these devices share a common IP address, then it is virtually impossible for the network to establish a connection.
If this is not the cause then this issue can arise due to internal DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) malfunctions, which leads to confusion regarding which system is using which addresses.
How to Fix Windows has Detected an IP Address Conflict
Therefore, this guide provides you with some troubleshooting tips which will help you to overcome the issue of IP address conflicts.
1. Restart your Router
Restarting your router is one of the basic solutions for this issue. Moreover, the router is responsible for assigning IP addresses to each device that is connected to the network. So, it can be a possibility that your router failed to give a different IP address to a device. Thus, resulting in this flaw.
In order to restart your router, locate the power button on your router and turn the device off. This action will shut down your network temporarily and will disconnect you from the internet. Now, wait for a few minutes which is 4 to 5 minutes. After that, turn your router back on.
After turning it on check whether your error is solved or not. Since this is a temporary solution but can definitely solve your issue.
2. Use netsh and ipconfig Commands
For this step, you will be required the support a Command prompt. So, in order to get rid of “Windows has Detected an IP Address Conflict” follow the steps given below.
1. Firstly, open the Win + X menu by pressing Windows Key + X. Then, choose Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
2. Now, when command prompts open, type the following commands.
- netsh int ip reset
- ipconfig/release
- ipconfig/renew
3. After writing these lines of code, close your command prompt and check whether you are successful in removing this error or not.
4. There are some other commands which are preferred by some of the users. You may type the commands mentioned below in order to solve this error.
- netsh winsock reset catalog
- netsh int ipv4 reset
- netsh int ipv6 reset
3. Make Sure that You’re Not Using a Static IP Address
It is often observed that some users prefer using a static IP address. Since this makes it easier for the users to find a specific device on their network.
Nevertheless, if you prefer a static address then there is a maximum possibility of IP address conflict. Since it can occur that another device has an identical IP address. So, it is very crucial to have a dynamic (automatic) IP address.
Follow the given steps to set your IP address dynamic.
1. Select Windows+X and click on Network Connections from the menu.
2. Now, locate your connection on the list, then right-click and opt for Properties from the menu.
3. After that go for Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and select
4. After performing the above step, you are inside the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties window. Further, choose to obtain an IP address automatically and obtain the DNS server address automatically option. Click on OK to save your changes.
5. Finally, making these changes, restart your system, and check if the problem is solved or not.
4. Disable IPv6
Internet Protocol is basically divided into two types, IPv4 and IPv6. The majority of users prefer to use IPv4 instead of IPv6. Hence, most of the devices are not compatible with IPv6, and that can lead to this issue. So, if you face this issue most of the time then there is a need to disable your IPv6 from your computer. To do that follow the given steps.
1. Begin with opening the Network Connection window, locate your connection, choose Properties by right-clicking it.
2. Then, a list of numerous items will appear on your screen, from that choose Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and uncheck it. Now click OK to confirm your changes.
3. Now, check whether disabling IPv6 brought you any luck or not.
4. If you are a master of all this stuff, there is an option of disabling IPv6 for all network adapters. To achieve that you need to modify your registry by following the given rules.
5. To start with, open your Run window by pressing Windows+R. then, type Regedit. Press Enter or OK for confirmation.
6. When Registry Editor opens, navigate the following in the left pane.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters
7. Now, in the right pane, search for DisableComponent If DWORD isn’t available, create it by right-clicking inside the right pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Enter DisableComponent as a new DWORD.
8. After that, open Properties by double-clicking on DisableComponent Change Value data to 0ff and click OK to save changes.
9. Lastly, close Registry Editor and restart your PC to apply changes.
You can observe from above that there are two methods to disable IPv6. So, it’s your choice to disable IPv6 for a specific adapter or for all of them. Hence, in order to disable IPv6 for a specific adapter then follow the steps from the beginning. And if you plan to disable it for all the adapters then go by modifying your registry.
5. Close VZAccess Manager
VZAccess Manager is software that provides you access to the internet. So here in this scenario, it is observed that an issue of IP address conflict arises after disconnecting from the VZAccess Manager.
Hence, the possibility of an occurrence of this error is when you close the VZAccess Manager without closing its application. This will cause an error message “Windows has detected an IP address conflict”.
So, to solve this problem it is recommended to disconnect the VZAccess Manager and close an application completely and with proper care. After doing as suggested check whether your flaw is solved or not.
6. Disconnect your Ethernet Cable or Disable the Wireless Adapter
It is a common complaint that user encounters “Windows has detected an IP address conflict” while trying to access a new IP address. So, it is suggested to disconnect your Ethernet cable. After that, wait for a few minutes and connect your cable again.
If you are not an Ethernet cable user then it is recommended to disable your wireless adapter in order to solve your problem.
1. First of all, press Windows key+ x and select Device Manager from the menu.
2. Now, locate your Wi-Fi adapter by going inside the Network adapters section. Right-click it and choose Disable from the list.
3. Then give some time to your adapter after disabling it. Then in a few moments, right-click the adapter and go for the option of Enable.
4. After performing these steps check if you are successful in removing this glitch.
7. Change Your Router Encryption
Changing router encryption might work for you. Since many of the users have recommended using this fix in order to solve this problem. To do this firstly, you have to open your router’s configuration page and log in using your details. Further, search for the Wireless section and you should see the encryption field available.
For some users, altering the encryption from WEP to WPA2-PSK[AES] fixed the problem. So, make sure to give it a try. To add further, you should also go for various other encryption methods until you find the one which is best for you.
But, some of the encryption methods might come with danger and are not safe. On the flip side, some of them might offer better protection.
Does change the encryption method worked for you? if yes then it’s great news. But if not then follow some fixes which can fix this problem.
8. Reconnect to Your VPN Service
Generally, VPN is used when you need to protect your privacy online. In other words, VPN is used when your information on the internet is very confidential. But, sometimes using VPN can cause an issue of “Windows has detected an IP address conflict”. It is observed by many users that this issue arises when the computer wakes up from sleep mode.
So, VPN does not respond when you activate your system from sleep mode. To get rid of this error you need to restart your PC and reconnect to your VPN service. After doing this, it is expected that error due to VPN is solved precisely.
9. Change DHCP Range and Set Your IP Address Manually
If you are tired of this error, you might be able to fix it by setting a static IP address on your PC. Before dealing with IP make sure that you need to change DHCP as DHCP is the one that assigns an IP address to all devices that are connected to your router.
Get access to your router’s configuration page in order to change DHCP’s working. After that, the set address range from 192.168.1.5 to 132.168.1.50 in the DHCP section. Hence, all devices that are connected to your router will have an IP address between these two values.
So now, set a static IP address by following these steps.
1. Firstly, open Network Connections Choose Properties from the menu by right-clicking on the connection.
2. Select the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) address option and again choose Properties.
3. Now, inside the Internet Protocol Version 4 properties window choose to Use the following IP address and fill in the all details. Make sure you enter all DNS information as well. For IP address, use 168.1.51 or any value which lies outside the range of DHCP.
4. After this click OK to save your changes.
5. If you are not aware of which values to enter, you can refer to Gateway, DNS, and Subnet mask addresses by checking the status of your current connection.
6. Begin with locating your connection by opening Network Connection Then, right-click on your connection and go for Status from the list. You can also double-click on the connection to open the Status window.
7. After reaching inside the Status window, click on Details
8. Then, it is easy to locate information from there.
So, now it is ensured that your address is unique on your network since it is outside a DHCP range. This might reduce the chances of IP address conflicts.
10. Change the IP Address of Your Wireless Router
If there is a presence of both modem and wireless router, then there is a chance of a “Windows has detected an IP address conflict” error message.
So, to overcome this issue it is recommended to change the IP address of your wireless router. Changing the address of the wireless router to 198.168.2.1 fixed issues for many users. So, give it a try it might work for you.
11. Disconnect all Network Devices from Your Network and Restart Your Router
Two devices having the same IP address are termed IP address conflicts. This comes under a serious issue with any of your network devices.
To overcome this error, we have mentioned restarting your router. But it may not work every time. So, you will have to disconnect all devices for your network.
1. Begin with turning off your router. Followed by disconnecting all devices from your network. This comprises of laptops, Smartphones, tablets, and any other network gadget. If you have connected your PC via Ethernet cable, then there is should not be any connection between them.
2. After these steps of disconnecting all devices, begin with connecting your router to its normal form and wait till it starts completely. Now, turn on and start connecting your other devices one by one to your router. This will ensure that you have a unique address assigned to devices.
3. After connecting devices, one after the other may have solved your problem. This fix will work only after you turn off your router.
12. Change your DHCP Lease
DHCP is a value that explains the validity of your IP address which is mentioned in seconds which is a lease time. After lease time is over, your device will acquire a new IP address for establishing a network connection.
The flaw with DHCP lease time arises due to the very short duration of DHCP lease time. To overcome an error with lease time you need to increase this time period. To do this, open your router’s configuration page and go to the DHCP section. Now locate lease time and change it to 86400 seconds or time of your convenience.
Lastly, save the changes and check if this error message “Windows has detected an IP address conflict” still annoys you.
Conclusion
To sum up, the conflicting IP addresses can lead to complications when using the network. And there are some causes due to which it occurs in your system. One of the root causes is the same IP address is used by more than one device. And the other one is a malfunction in DHCP.
So, keeping in mind all these causes, this guide is designed for you to find the desired solution for your error. Therefore, do not hesitate in giving your feedback. Please let us know which method worked for you in the comment section below. And thank you so much for reading this.