Re: Preventing IP conflict

On Thu, Dec 20, 2007 at 04:32:34AM +0000, T o n g wrote:
> It's now the third time that I bumped into such situation. All of sudden I
> suffer from network delay and package lost, can't ping DNS server but can
> ping some IPs that is connecting to my box.
>
> I have suspected my cable, kernel version, etc, etc, and until today,
> after rebooting into Window$ and noticing the warning message, did I
> realize that all above is caused by IP conflict -- there is another box on
> the network using the same IP address as mine.
>
> We know it is definitely because of the malfunctioning of our
> organization's DNS server. But if I report it to our technical services,
> I know for sure that I am the person to be blamed: "Why are you using
> Linux? We are primarily a Window$ shop here. Linux is not supported".
>
> That's the life that I have to live in. I'm wondering if there is anything
> at my end that can prevent/eliminate the problem.
>

The network administrator will have the policy for assigning IP numbers. If its dhcp, your box will be given one. Other wise, you will be assigned one.

In neither case can you just pull an IP out of the air. Even if you don't currently conflict, you may at some point. All you need is an IP number, what OS you use is beside the point.

If the problem is "malfunctioning of [your] DNS server" and you get a warning when you boot windows, then the problem isn't linux-based and you can just report the windows error message.

One off-the-wall clue. Recently it was mentioned on a thread that the MAC address is now mutable by drivers. If the windows box is set to set the MAC address to something specific while Linux just uses the built-in MAC address, they will get different IP numbers from a dhcp server. This may or may not be an issue in your case.

You have a political problem best served with a political solution. If you don't own the network to which you are connecting, you have to work with the people who do.

Doug.

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