Kinda OT: Static IP Addresses

mrogers said:

This is kind of off topic but I wasnt sure where else to post it. My ISP, Comcast says they offer static IP address. Does this mean the IP Address should be changing? Because it doesnt seem to be. I know this because when I check my log on my Gmail account, its been the same IP address for about a month. Also that log is composed of loggins from any of the 4 Macs in my household, yet they all have the same IP Address that never changes? Can someone clarify.

I did an IP lookup on my computer now, and the same IP comes up and its listed as static.

Click to expand...

Umm, static means it won't change.

A STATIC IP address will only change when someone manually changes it.

A DYNAMIC IP address will change whenever the PC/Modem/whatever first connects to a network that has a DHCP server.

(Although, Comcast dynamic addresses rarely change even after modem reboots)

A static ip address is fixed and will never change.

A dynamic ip address is assigned by a DHCP server. Something as simple as a router reboot will probably give you the same ip address but there are no guarantees. It depends on the lease time assigned.

Many people use DYNDNS to get around possible problems caused by dynamic ip addresses. It all depends what your needs are really. Hope that all makes sense?

The whole point of a static ip address (external, supplied by your isp) is that it never needs to change and generally won't unless you specifically ask them to do it (and there will probably be a charge). If you have a static ip address on your internal network then you can change it manually yourself

Pretty much every isp can offer you a dynamic ip address and generally you would have to pay extra for a static one.

Static ip's are more convenient if you host a lot of services that you want to access via the internet as you will always know where to point your dns etc... without fear of it ever changing.

If you have a good enough firewall then it shouldn't matter whether you have a static or dynamic ip address. Most hackers port scan anyways to entire subnets

Static would be more vulnerable to targeted hacking. i.e. somebody trying specifically to get into YOUR computer.

Also, if you're doing something criminal, static would make you easier to find.

Hackers have lists of dial-up and cable/DSL IP blocks. So, if somebody is simply targeting "home users" - who typically might have poor security - then you are equally vulnerable either way, and changing your address doesn't help. Your IP is still in one of the ranges that the hackers like to scan.

Everybody in your home has the same IP address (on the Internet - not internally) because they are all behind the same NAT firewall in your router. You only have one address for the entire household, and the router "translates" to your internal addresses.