To do this, it takes into account the device’s local IP address. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to tell your printer apart from your smartphone or air purifier, for example. What we draw from this is that every device with Internet access must have a unique private IP address, including Windows computers. If you’re getting the Windows has detected an IP address conflict error on a computer, it means that another device in your local area network is already using that local IP address. Here’s what it looks like:

What does it mean when Windows has detected an IP address conflict error occur?

This error message indicated that more than just one device on your network uses the same IP address. Obviously, this should not happen. Your router is meant to automatically assign unique IPs to all devices connected. Luckily, for the most part, the issue is caused by minor irregularities within your network configuration. It is possible that due to some errors your router used the same IP address for two or more devices. This happens when you have not reset your router in a long time. Some users report also having it happen when they connect older devices that have not been used in a while. Some attribute the Windows has detected an IP address conflict to a hacker attack. That can happen, but very rarely. It is difficult to access a network or connected device without an account and a password. You can check all connected devices with the help of a network monitor. If there is an unrecognized device, change your credentials immediately.

How do I fix the Windows has detected an IP address conflict network error?

Conclusion

To sum up, you can fix PC network errors like the Windows has detected an IP address conflict message by restarting your router, resetting your IP address through Command Prompt, and refreshing your network settings. Don’t worry if you won’t have Internet access after using the ipconfig/release. You’ll get back online after inputting ipconfig/renew, which sends a request for a new IP address from your DHCP server. Network conflicts can be often resolved by flushing your DNS servers and resetting Winsock, which is in charge of your TCP/IP configuration. It’s the IP equivalent of turning your Internet off and on again. For instance, your VPN might have trouble attempting to reconnect to the web when your PC wakes up from hibernation mode. SPONSORED Dedicated VPN providers have a larger set of features than the inbuilt VPN such as split tunneling, kill switch, and built-in ad blockers. The best VPNs for Windows 10 have top-level encryption, a large number of servers across the globe, as well as support for multiple devices and operating systems. But you can fix the problem by forcing your PC to obtain a dynamic IP address automatically from your ISP. Private Internet Access supports both static and dynamic IP addresses. If you have trouble with modifying the static IP address on your PC, try forcing this option using PowerShell or Command Prompt (our guide shows how). The steps above apply only to your Windows computer. If you want to be thorough about it, then you should disable IPv6 connectivity in your router admin panel. And, if this doesn’t fix the problem either, then make sure to update your network drivers to the latest version. You can do this manually or by using a driver updating tool. In our example above, we listed the free and public DNS server addresses provided by Google Public DNS. However, if you use a premium VPN service like Private Internet Access, you don’t have to worry about DNS issues. While staying connected to the VPN, PIA redirects your network traffic through its private DNS servers to make your Internet connection faster and protect you from DNS hijacking. But you can also disable or reconnect to your VPN, use a dynamic IP address instead of static, disable IPv6 connectivity if you don’t use it, change your DNS servers, as well as reinstall your network adapters and update your network drivers. How did you manage to fix the network error? Did you use a solution not listed in this article? Let us know in the comment section below.

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