I stopped at a public library to access the Internet and pluged their network cable into my Vista laptop. Got a message that I couldn't use the network because my ip address conflicted with a computer already on the network.

Puzzled, I checked my LAN settings. tcp/ip v4 properties: Obtain an ip address automatically. Obtain dns server address automatically.

Is the network assigning me a conflicting address? Or is something else going on? And is there anything I can do if I come across this situation again? Like assign my own ip address ?

(No IT person available at the library, just a nice white haired librarian, whose comment, "Yes, some people can connect, others can't," was as far as she could go.)