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I have an imac upstairs with a wireless router. Connected to this is a Dell laptop downstairs. When the Dell gets turned on, the Mac gives me the following IP Configuration error:

IP Configuration 10.0.0.2 in use by 00:0b:7d:15:a9:32, DHCP Server 10.0.0.1

But both the Dell and the Mac continue to work, i.e. connected to the internet. What's going on here?

For some reason, the Dell is being given the same IP address as the Mac.

This can cause some types of Internet activity to fail, especially anything involving direct connections (for instance, video conferencing, hosting LAN or Internet games, and so on).

The wireless access point has a DHCP server built in to prevent this problem from happening. The fact that it is happening almost certainly means that one of those computers--or maybe both--has been given a static IP address and is not getting its IP address via DHCP.

OR one of the computers (the pc odds are) obtained a lease on .2, the router got rebooted, and the pc didn't notice, and didn't expire/renew, and continued using .2

then the mac dhcp'd and the router gave it .2 which is where it will start when rebooted.

on the pc, do a 'release and renew' on the dhcp, betcha it fixes it

macs are very good at catching loss of router, switching to a 169, and then re-dhcp'ing when the router comes back.

On the Mac, under System Preferences>Network, the settings are:

(Location AT&T Yahoo>Show AT&T>TCP/IP)
Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
IP Address: 10.0.0.2
Router 10.0.0.1

Should I change either the IP address or router address on the Mac? Under Network Status, it says AT&T is connected via IP 10.0.0.2

"on the pc, do a 'release and renew' on the dhcp"

How do I do this? Windows xp

open a command prompt and type

ipconfig release

ipconfig renew


Our pc tech says there IS a way to do it from the gui, but actually this is easier. haha. silly windows.