Gretawire
  • November 7, 2009 09:43 AM EST

    what does this mean?

    I just tried getting on the internet in my house via laptop wireless and got the message that my IP address was in use and thus could not log on.  What does that mean? (I am able to log on with my desk top hard line / cable.)

Delores In Chas WV

Since you are traveling to all of these foreign countries you could be seen as a suspected America Spy....just look at the places you have traveled this last year. Foreign governments might think your computer ID a good place to put a WORM for their viewing. I really think it is a roving, router problem; however, someone could be using your Identify....that is always possible???? Do you LifeLock? Maybe you should because of your status at FOXNEWS...that not really news channel.

November 7, 2009 at 3:08 pm

N. PA

Sounds like gizmo and gadget overload.

November 7, 2009 at 1:40 pm

averageben

... and if any of your neighbors have routers with the same IP address, and any of them are also unsecured, well you've all just got a mess .. your machine could be trying to connect to their network, so on and so forth ... depending of course on the direction of the wind and how many frogs might have jumped in the pond during the past hour

November 7, 2009 at 12:56 pm

averageben

... or ... you could just call Fox IT and ask them what they did to break it :)

November 7, 2009 at 12:37 pm

averageben -- very long-winded geek

... it could be a number of things (could even be the use of two different adapters on the same laptop -- the ethernet port and the wireless adapter) (or two different logins). On larger networks this is common. Often you can fix the problem by requesting the lease be renewed. On Windows, you can do this by right-clicking the connection and clicking "Repair", or by typing ipconfig /renew at the command prompt. (often saves a restart) I cannot remember how to do it in OSX. ... or ...

November 7, 2009 at 12:36 pm

averageben - long-winded software engineer

... it does not necessarily mean that someone else has gained unauthorized access to the network, if there were any other computers at hour house connected to the network at that time. Most DHCP servers assign IP addresses in a specific order, which means that one other computer on the network could easily cause the problem. ... as Janet mentioned, it took an hour for her settings to take affect. This is because DHCP will typically issue a one-hour lease by default ...

November 7, 2009 at 12:28 pm

averageben - software engineer

Darned if I know :) ... It is a DNS problem, more specifically it has to do with your DHCP server (the service that assigns IP addresses). Depending on how your network is configured, it could be the wireless access point, or it could be another router. (Some wireless routers are configured as access points, and do not have the DHCP server enabled). If your laptop was already on when you tried to connect, it likely still had an IP assigned from before ...

November 7, 2009 at 12:21 pm

CSS

Even if someone else is picking up your signal, it shouldn't prevent you from logging on??? I have 3 laptops and 2 PC's that all use the same wireless router. Hence, my router is secured and all devices have to input a passcode.

November 7, 2009 at 10:34 am

Patsy

Someone in your area is picking up your signal.

November 7, 2009 at 10:22 am

JANET MACLEOD

I just figure it out. I put the same name on this new laptop as my old laptop when I was setting the new laptop up in the hotel. When I got home, my old laptop is already accessing the internet. My new laptop has the same name as the old one and can't access. I changed the new laptop name into something else. Restart. Doesn't work. Turn off the new laptop. One hour later, start the new laptop again. And it works now. So now my new laptop and old laptop are accessing the internet, which is my intention. I don't know how this happen but all I did is changing the laptop name! I know I am answering my own question but I can't believe I figure it out without knowing how or what exactly happen. Took me 5 hours to come up with this and it finally works!

November 7, 2009 at 10:07 am

Jonathan

Information Technology Professional response - It depends. Help Desk Response - Reboot.

November 7, 2009 at 10:03 am

Live News

Neighbors can pick up your wireless signal, often, and get online with their laptops.

November 7, 2009 at 10:03 am

Bob Milby

Sounds like your laptop has a static IP address and it is conflicting with another computer that has a dynamically assigned one from your router. If nothing has changed recently, the easiest thing to try is shutting down all other computers and try again with the wireless laptop connection. Temporary fix, but that should work until you can get the laptop to accept a dynamic address.

November 7, 2009 at 10:01 am

Michael Whalen

Greta try rebooting your router. I think maybe it might have assigned the same ip address to your desktop and laptop.

November 7, 2009 at 9:58 am

Good Article

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November 7, 2009 at 9:57 am

thomas wv

Greta, there was a warning a few weeks back that wireless connections could be compromised I would go slow and call your wireless provider

November 7, 2009 at 9:57 am

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