IP Address Subnet Being Changed

[llee]

I've had an issue plague me for over a couple of months now. At home, I have a Linksys router (192.168.1.1) configured to use DHCP starting at 192.168.1.10. The previous nine numbers are reserved for static routing like the printer, server, switch, internet phone, etc.

Here's the odd part. Whenever my parents stop by their laptops will attempt to connect to my network via wireless (dynamic ip on both). They should have ip addresses like 192.168.1.14, 192.168.1.17, etc., but instead they have different subnets e.g. 192.168.7.14, 192.168.7.17. I've double checked every setting in the router's administration interface to no avail. But what strikes me as intriguing is the fact that my macbook is able to connect to the network wirelessly using DHCP with no issues.

Does anyone have a clue as to what's going on?

 

[Fardringle]

My first guess would be that they are actually connecting to your neighbor's wireless.

If you are sure that this is not the case, check your router to make sure it doesn't have the wireless hotspot settings enabled (this makes it so that individual wireless clients can access the Internet but are isolated and cannot communicate with each other).

 

[Gooberlx2]

You've checked their tcpip properties to make sure they haven't assigned themselves those ips? Perhaps due to being setup that way for their own home network?

 

[llee]

both of my parents' laptops are unable to access the network and internet unless i go into tcpip settings and manually assign an ip address. this is of course impractical should they switch networks.

nope, all laptops are configured to let the router assign an IP.

 

[kevnich2]

Sounds like your router has a hotspot setting. Once their computer gets a 192.168.7.x IP, find the default gateway address and try typing that into a web browser and see if it loads anything, see if it's actually your router. Either their connecting to someone else's router, or your router has a hotspot feature that they are connecting to - as the poster above me indicated.

 

[llee]

the router configuration page is inaccessible to all laptops that are on the 192.168.7.xxx subnet

 

[Crusty]

the router configuration page is inaccessible to all laptops that are on the 192.168.7.xxx subnet

No of course not, you need to go to the IP address listed as the default gateway on the laptops to try and pull up any sort of configuration page for the router they are connected to.

If the laptops are on a neighbors wifi instead it will be obvious, likewise if your router is setup in a hotspot mode that should be even more obvious.

 

[masteryoda34]

You could also try plugging them in via ethernet cable to see what result that yields.