"IP Address Already in Use" Error in ISPmanager — Resolution Guide

When attempting to add a new IP address through the ISPmanager interface (Settings → IP Addresses section), you might encounter the following error message:

Error in IP address module. IP address "x.x.x.x" is already in use.

Root Cause

This issue occurs when an IP address was previously added to the system but wasn't properly removed by the control panel. The database entry remains, preventing the address from being added again.

Resolution Steps

Step 1. Server Access

Connect to your server via SSH.

Step 2. Database Access

Launch SQLite and open the IP address module database:

sqlite3 /usr/local/mgr5/etc/ispmgr_ipdb.db

Step 3. Diagnostics

Check for the problematic address in the database tables:

select * from ips;
select * from ranges;

If the IP is present, you'll see entries similar to:

2|123.345.678.901|2|example.com.|off|off
2|123.345.678.901|||2|alias

Step 4. Entry Removal

⚠️ Important: Delete entries by their ID (the first number in each line), not by the IP address itself.

Execute the deletion commands, replacing problematic_ip_ID with the actual identifier:

delete from ips where id = "problematic_ip_ID";
delete from ranges where id = "problematic_ip_ID";

Step 5. Verification

Confirm the entries have been removed:

select * from ranges;
select * from ips;

Step 6. Exit Database

.quit

Step 7. ISPmanager Restart

Terminate the control panel process:

/usr/local/mgr5/sbin/mgrctl -m ispmgr exit

Once ISPmanager restarts, you'll be able to add the IP address through the panel interface without errors.