IP address woes

devonpie

Hi

Have a PC wired to router and a laptop connecting wirelessly. Both have been co-existing happily for about 2 years, both set to obtain IP address automatically.

One day last week started getting Ip conflict messages when both machines are on at the same time. Now, PC still connects fine however laptop either says limited or no connectivity or connects properly but won't load the internet, or if it does it is very slow.

HELP! Its Cheltenham festival tomorrow and I need my laptop working to make some matched betting bucks!

fwor

Do you have a single modem/router/wireless access point, or 2 separate boxes? If the latter, you need to be sure that you haven't got both set to run as DHCP servers, or you may get IP address conflicts.

Also, have you got your wireless set up with security enabled? If not, one possibility is that someone in the neighbourhood is sharing your network and has a static IP address that conflicts with your laptop! Ok, that one's a bit unlikely, I admit, but not impossible...

devonpie

1 single router. It's secure.

inconnu

Switch everything off, switch the router back on, wait a couple of minutes then switch the PC and laptop on. Works 95% of the time!

devonpie

inconnu wrote: »

Switch everything off, switch the router back on, wait a couple of minutes then switch the PC and laptop on. Works 95% of the time!

Cheers, didn't work when turned just the laptop on. Turned both PC and laptop on then and its back working again.

Do I need to assign fixed Ip addresses for the 2 machines?

inconnu

> Do I need to assign fixed Ip addresses for the 2 machines?

No, the router should assign them automatically.

DatabaseError

If it happens again, I'd be very tempted to give both machines static IPs

devonpie

DatabaseError wrote: »

If it happens again, I'd be very tempted to give both machines static IPs

I've noted the IPs etc from both machines now, as they are both working. I assume that I should go with these if it does happen again?

Thanks for all advise.

DatabaseError

yep...those'll do (basically any 2 from the same range...ie 192.168.0.xx and change xx to 2 and 3, or 20 and 99 etc..)

fwor

It's strange that you've had a conflict, because DHCP usually has some fairly rigorous checks in place to prevent address conflicts.

One way to avoid any possibility is to have the PC that is always at home with a static IP and the laptop (which may be used elsewhere) to get an address automatically. You then just need to set the router's DHCP range so that the static one isn't in it.

The example I use is that all of my static IPs are in the range 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.9, and my DHCP range goes from 192.168.0.10 to 192.168.0.99 - though I doubt I'll ever need that many addresses...

devonpie

fwor wrote: »

It's strange that you've had a conflict, because DHCP usually has some fairly rigorous checks in place to prevent address conflicts.

One way to avoid any possibility is to have the PC that is always at home with a static IP and the laptop (which may be used elsewhere) to get an address automatically. You then just need to set the router's DHCP range so that the static one isn't in it.

The example I use is that all of my static IPs are in the range 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.9, and my DHCP range goes from 192.168.0.10 to 192.168.0.99 - though I doubt I'll ever need that many addresses...

How do you set a range for static Ips?