How do you to change your IP address to match your other computer's IP address?

So I have a PC running XP and a MAC running Mac OS X. I want them to have the same IP address. The internet is through a huge network (College Dormitory). I'm not sure if it is through a router or not. My question is can I make both computers have the same IP address? I won't be using both them at the same time on the same network. Also, which platform (Mac or PC) would be easier to change?

Thanks!How do you to change your IP address to match your other computer's IP address?
why? that makes no sense you have to have different ips in order to direct each component. What kind of crazy thing are you trying to do. that's how the server recognizes each component on the network.How do you to change your IP address to match your other computer's IP address?
You can have the same IP address on internal network, but its not usually a good idea because the computers will clash when communicating over network resources.



I think you go to network connections and right click Local or Wireless Area Connection and select properties, then look for TCP/P settings and then instead of obtaining IP address auto, you choose the static IP address.



I repeat It is not a good idea to two devices having the same IP address.
You can't have two devices have the same IP address, if you do, it will cause a conflict. What you can do is get a router with NAT translation ability, Linksys and Netgear make them and any computer store sells them. What you can do is connect the uplink port to the main network, it will get the IP of the main network, then connect your nodes, the two computers. The router also has a DHCP server which will make dummy IPs so the two computers can have a unique address and create an internal network which gets out through the router. If done right, you share one connection with a single IP through NAT, which in simple terms, translates an internal network to an external network.
The only reason that I can think of for giving two machines the same IP is to fool a network control system of some kind... so don't.