ICANN has rolled out the Name Collision Occurrence Management Framework very recently (see https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/name-collision-2013-12-06-en for more info) which affects how IPs are resolved and which will affect Pervasive connections on certain networks, specifically smaller peer-to-peer networks and particularly ones who rely on a Comcast router for DHCP and DNS.

A temporary workaround for this issue is to add an entry to the Windows hosts file in order to bypass DNS and specify the IP address of the device you need to reach.

Windows Vista and newer, and Windows Server 2008 and newer use User Account Control (UAC) so Notepad must be run as Administrator.

1. Click Start, All Programs, Accessories
2. Right click Notepad and select Run as administrator
3. Click Continue on the "Windows needs your permission" UAC window.
4. When Notepad opens Select File, Open
5. In the filename field type C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts
6. Click Open
7. Type the IP address of the device you need to reach, such as the Accounting Server or License Manager Server and press tab. Then type the name of the device and the top level domain (TLD) name. For Comcast routers, the TLD is home.network. If you are using a different Internet provider you should contact them to find out which TLD to use.
   • Example:
     10.0.0.1 servername.home.network

You must contact the organization which is responsible for this change to communicate the impact this change has had for your business. You should also contact your local IT professional or Internet service provider for instructions on a permanent solution to this issue for your network.

System administrators that encounter a system error due to name collision are encouraged to take the following steps:

1. Report the problem to ICANN »
   Instances where there is a reasonable belief of demonstrable, severe harm as a consequence of a name collision should be reported.
2. Read the Guide to Name Collision Identification and Mitigation for IT Professionals (version 1.1) [PDF, 476 KB] and implement the measures outlined therein.
3. Spread the word about the potential for name collision occurrence and mitigation in your professional circle.