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Do you know why people use a static IP address? You have come to the right place. There is a big difference between a Static IP and a Dynamic IP. Your ISP or network provider can change a dynamic IP based on a reservation determined by your network card’s MAC address.
The DHCP reservation is associated with a lease that expires every few hours. But a static IP doesn’t have a reservation and stays the same throughout.
In this short guide, you will learn:
An IP address is like a home address for your Internet device. It is a number that identifies a device on the Internet. Just like your house has a permanent address, your device has a unique Internet address that identifies you to websites and services, providing details like your ISP and the country you are located in. You can check your IP address by typing “IP Address” on Google search, and it appears as a number, for instance, 39.34.151.150.
Any IP address manually assigned to your device (which you can also manually set yourself, but as you continue reading this article, you’ll see why that’s dangerous and unwise) is considered a Static IP address. We call it static because the it (a number) doesn’t change.
Your Internet service provider may not assign your device a static IP address based on your agreement with them. It can either be IPv4 or IPv6. It is best suited for hosting a server, accessing devices from an external source, or maintaining communication streams.
Your ISP always assigns a public IP address to your Wi-Fi router. Then, the router assigns private IP addresses to all connected devices. The websites and pages you visit online can only check your public IP address.
When you type “What is my IP” on Google, it will show your public IP address assigned to your router by the ISP. However, if you are using a VPN for some reason, then the IP address will be assigned by the VPN provider.
The public IP address remains the same on every device. See below.
On a desktop computer:
On a mobile device:
Private IP addresses are assigned to devices on the home Internet network. For instance, if there are three connected devices, then there will be a different private IP address assigned to each device.
Private IP addresses are also numbers that have specific ranges. If you use your home Internet network, private IP addresses might fall between 192.168.1.x or 192.168.2.x or so on (but could also be in a 172.16.x.x or 10.x.x.x range). Also, the Internet router has an internal IP address, which might be 192.168.0.1. In this way, the router assigns IP addresses between 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.254, but this does depend on your router network settings (and can be changed to one of the other networks as mentioned above ranges).
You can’t change your public IP address because ISPs assign them to home networks. But consider using a VPN if you want to use a static IP address. A VPN can assign your device a fixed IP address without notifying your ISP; this is the safest way to proceed with a static IP without the risk.
Setting it up would be different on each device. There are some general steps you can follow:
Know the pre-requisites
If you need more clarification, you can ask your network administrator or internet service provider for these details.
A step-by-step guide
Click “OK” or “Apply” to save the changes. The network settings will be updated, and your device will now use the static IP address you specified.
The following are why a static IP address may be beneficial:
You might need a static private IP address to forward incoming requests to a specific port that is running a server. If you restart the server (computer), it may use a new and unique IP address assigned by the router. Ultimately, the incoming requests will have no direction, and the server won’t correctly work because outside people connecting to the server only know the old IP.
Some older-generation routers and gaming consoles require you to open ports. Without port forwarding, you can’t play multiplayer games with your friends. However, if you are using a new-generation router, it uses a Plug’n’Play system to open ports on its own.
There are many use cases of Static IP addresses, which benefit our daily routine. Some of them are:
The static IP address can be beneficial but has some drawbacks to consider:
Static IP address | Dynamic IP address |
Fixed identity | Changing identity |
Consistency | Variability |
Easy remote access with security | Flexibility for regular Internet usage |
It might cost you a bit | Cost savings |
Needs to be setup | Assigned automatically |
Best Answer: Firstly, you must manually set a static IP address and change the router configuration. It must be done on the router level rather than on your computer. If you do so on a device that needs the static IP, you may experience IP-related conflicts on the network.
In simpler words, if you set 192.168.0.7 as a static IP address on your smart TV, for example, then the router might assign the same IP address to another device at some point if it’s not set on the router level. Hence, this will create IP-related problems, and one or both networks will fall offline due to the conflict. If you do this from a public IP address, that’d be setting a much more dangerous precedent. Don’t be surprised if your ISP bans and blocks you from returning online.
To set it up on a Raspberry Pi, you can follow these steps:
Replace [interface_name] with the actual interface name (e.g., “eth0” or “wlan0”). Set [desired_ip_address] to the IP address you want to assign to the Raspberry Pi. Specify the appropriate [subnet_mask], [gateway_ip_address], and [dns_server_ip_address] according to your network configuration.
7. After the reboot, the Raspberry Pi should use the assigned static IP address. Look for the inner section in the output, which should display the static IP address you have given.
The easiest way to use the same IP address is to reserve it. If you do this, you can ensure the devices use the same IP every time you restart them. For private IPs, instructions are available on reserving IP addresses based on the router you are using at home. Whether it is Linksys, UniFi, Netgear, or TP-Link, visit the DHCP Setup and do it yourself. You must call your ISP or network provider for public IPs and pay a premium. Static IPs don’t come for free.
But we have a more straightforward solution that doesn’t require that phone call. You can also choose a VPN, a Virtual Private Network, to route all internet traffic through a static IP address. If your ISP is not offering it, consider using a VPN with a dedicated IP add-on, which will fix your problems.
Static IP addresses offer stability, ease of access and consistency. For hosting servers and remote access, you have the power in hand to use it reliably. The question here comes when manual efforts of setting up the static IP address tires you or your ISP provider keeps track of you.
Worry no more! PureVPN can ease your worries with its vast and exclusive list of dedicated IP addresses just for you.
If you have not subscribed for a static IP address from your ISP and need to know
about it, here’s what you can do:
– Click the network icon in the system tray to open the network
menu.
– Then, select “Open Network & Internet Settings.” On a Mac, click the Apple menu, choose
“System Preferences,” and then select “Network.”
– Look for the connection you currently use to connect
to the internet, such as “Wi-Fi” or “Ethernet.” It will usually have a green indicator showing that it’s
active.
– You can find the IP address associated with it. On Windows, click on the active connection
and select “Properties.” In the Properties window, you should see the IP address listed under the IPv4 or
IPv6 section. On a Mac, the it is displayed directly in the Network settings for the active
connection.
– If it remains the same every time you connect to the internet, it is likely a static. If
it changes frequently, you may have a dynamic.
There are two ways to get the static IP address. Either you contact your ISP provider and ask for it, or you can use VPN services which are more reliable.
Many VPNs claim to be the best in the market. You can not rely on anyone when it comes to your digital security. PureVPN has a top-notch security policy when it comes to providing services. Having PureVPN’s static IP address will keep you secure from data leakages and will never get you exposed.
A dedicated IP within a business VPN enhances company security by providing precise access control, mitigating risks associated with IP issues, enabling robust authentication, and improving monitoring for enhanced security measures.