Network Management

IPAM import of IP address custom fields fails with "Overlapping with Subnet"

This article explains why IPAM can return an "overlapping with subnet" error when importing IP addresses with custom fields. It also summarizes the primary workaround: enable Duplicate Subnets in IPAM System Settings and then retry the import. The standard import workflow for IPAM is available under My Dashboards > IP Addresses > Manage Subnets and IP Addresses > Import > Import spreadsheet.

First published date

5/15/2026 5:31 PM

Last published date

5/15/2026 5:31 PM

Overview

When importing IP addresses and updating custom fields in SolarWinds IP Address Manager (IPAM), the import can fail with an error indicating "overlapping with subnet".

Symptoms

  • Data is imported by selecting Import with IP address.

  • The required custom fields are already created in IPAM.

  • The import fails with an overlapping with subnet error while attempting to update custom fields on IP addresses.

Product section

IP Address Manager

Cause

IPAM supports overlapping address spaces only when the environment is configured to allow them. SolarWinds documentation states that hierarchy groups can be used for overlapping IP addresses, and IP conflicts are only detected when they occur within the same hierarchy group.

Resolution

Enable duplicate subnets in IPAM, and then retry the import.

  1. Navigate to Settings > All Settings > IPAM Settings > System Settings.

  2. Enable Enable Duplicate Subnets.

  3. Re-run the spreadsheet import.