Unidentified Network Problem

[RIPPA]

Okay - I went to bed Saturday night and my Local Connection was working fine. Work up Sunday morning and suddenly my computer was offline connecting to an "unknown network". And then I get the message that another computer on my network is using the same IP address.

 

I have searched online and tried the simple solutions that I can understand and none of it has fixed it yet. (resetting the modem, diabling/enabling the network adapter, making sure the network adapter is up to date, etc..)

 

Obviously my wireless is still working (thus my ability to do this on my laptop).

 

Clearly this is Bill Gates' fault. Stupid Windows 7.

 

Anyway - other ideas have to fix this, I am sure, simple problem?

 

And remember I am an idiot - so it has to be something a 8 year old could understand.

[Territorial]

Edit: never mind.  After rereading his post, I realized I skipped over one little factoid.  My whole long winded explanation of how to fix the issue is null and void b/c it's not the problem I thought it was.

 

So your desktoip computer is not connecting to he internet, but the wireless devices are?  My guess would be the modem had a power fluctuation and reset the IP address, but, if that's the case, you could get back online simply by resetting the modem.  And, IP address conflicts usually knock out the wireless network, not the desktop.  You don't specify, but I'm guessing your setup is similar to mine.  Modem wired into desktop PC and also connected to router (so the desktop PC has internet even if wireless network goes down).

 

If you haven't done so already, try unplugging/resetting the modem and router at the same time.

[Raziel]

Give me your topology (devices that connect to your network, and how, be it wired or wireless), Modem and/or router type and brand.

 

Causary glance suggests a MAC address issue, or for whatever reason, your router is holding onto an old connection and won't release the lease.  That or your neighbor hijacked your wifi.

 

Solutions are simple, but will most likely require reseting the router to factory default.

[RIPPA]

Yup - it turned out to be the router.

So yeah - you are both brilliant. I had kept resetting my cable modem but totally spaced on it being with the router (The Wireless is working! CLEARLY THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE ROUTER!!!)

 

I am a baboon.

[Bustronaut]

If I just replace my main computer in the network and do nothing, will my internet connection eventually die due to a MAC issue?

[Raziel]

If I just replace my main computer in the network and do nothing, will my internet connection eventually die due to a MAC issue?

No.  Routers renew the lease on an IP address roughly every 720 seconds or so.  After a few days of the old device not connecting, the router will assign the IP again to something else.  

 

Even if the MAC table gets borked and it won't reassign, its doubtful you'll run out of the 100 default IP's that just about every home router has set up before the router dies complety, unless you use a lot of different devices.

[Bustronaut]

Sweet, thanks!

[odessasteps]

Until i saw whatfolder this was is,i thought it was going to be about problems with the WWF network launch.