resolving an IP address conflict

[digo]

So a couple of days ago I noticed that I could no longer access a machine at one of our sites (intermittent), namely an old SymmetrE point server running on W2K. When I finally get in, I noticed the system log is full of errors, source: Tcpip, event id 4199 - duplicate ip address on the network.

I find out there's a new IT guy on board at this school - so I mention to him the ip address in question, and asked him to check for any new devices on his network.

3 days later...
I hear nothing back, so I forward him a screenshot, and provide him with the MAC id of the offending device.

IT guy: nope, I checked everything, the problem must be on your end.
me: huh... system log says otherwise, problem began on 10/23, error logged every 12 minutes...

So I searched for the vendor here: http://coffer.com/mac_find/
mac id starts with 00:08:BD

Pop quiz - guess who is a subsidiary of TEPG-US?
here's a hint - Industry: Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Construction Materials

[dapper]

Does the address 100 Simplex Drive give any clues?

[digo]

Does the address 100 Simplex Drive give any clues?

ding ding ding. We have a winner. Yes, a Simplex alarm panel!
But I guess that was too difficult for an IT guy from a school district to discover on his own. He probably asked the OS X dude in the multimedia dept about a mac address.