What can cause an IP address conflict?

An IP address conflict occurs when two devices on the same network are assigned the same IP address. This situation leads to confusion for the network as it cannot determine which device should receive data sent to that specific IP address. Each device on a given network requires a unique IP address to function properly without interference.

In the case of option B, if two devices have the same IP address, they will both attempt to communicate over the network using that address, resulting in packet loss and connectivity issues for both devices. This can manifest in symptoms such as being unable to browse the internet or connect to network resources.

The other options represent situations that can affect network connectivity or device behavior but do not inherently lead to an IP address conflict. For instance, a device connecting to multiple networks (option A) may experience routing issues but does not create a direct conflict with IP addresses unless specifics of the networks are not properly managed. Likewise, losing connection to a network (option C) or manually changing an IP address (option D) may lead to its own problems, but they do not create a conflict unless the altered IP coincidentally matches that of another device within the same network, which is not a direct cause of conflict by itself.