static/dynamic IP - definition of??

[manhunter2826]

Can someone just clear something up for me, once and for all. I am often told that you often pay a premium if you want a STATIC IP address. And yet when I have always used a site such as below to view my IP, it is always STATIC (the same), and that's with three separate ISPs over several yrs (I don't mean they have always provided the exact same static IP, of course not, but I mean whatever ISP I have gone with they have provided a STATIC IP). Am I confusing the terminology of static/dynamic IP address as provided by the link below (it says 'WAN IP'). Thanks all.

http://www.find-ip-address.org/

 

[Servamatic]

I will give it a go...
When an ISP states that you will have a Dynamic IP address, they are basically saying you have no guarantee of the same IP address throughout your service with them.
More often than not in my experience, and apparently in yours as well, you will keep the same address, this does not mean it can't change.
Should you have to reboot your modem you could get a different IP with dynamic, whereas if you had static, you would be assured of having the same IP.

Richard S. Anderson, RCDD

http://www.servamatic.net

 

[manhunter2826]

Thanks for that. BUT it's the specific terminology that I am trying to pin down...when I use the link in my OP I would EXPECT an IP address beginning 192.168....but mine is completely different. (I do understand the difference between static and dynamic IP).

 

[biglebowski]

quoted from interweb:

A computer on the Internet is identified by its IP address. In order to avoid address conflicts, IP addresses are publicly registered with the Network Information Centre (NIC). Computers on private TCP/IP LANs however do not need public addresses, since they do not need to be accessed by the public. For this reason, the NIC has reserved certain addresses that will never be registered publicly. These are known as private IP addresses, and are found in the following ranges:
From 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255
From 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255
From 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255

 

[MasterRacker]

Are you using a router? Maybe your cable modem/isdn modem has a built in router?

What your're seeing is your Public address and Private address. 192.168.x.x is reserved for private networks (your LAN). Your router is giving you those addresses for the network in your house. Your WAN IP is your public address. That is the address given by your ISP and is the address the outside world sees.

The router does address translation between the two.

Jeff
[small][purple]It's never too early to begin preparing for [/purple]International Talk Like a Pirate Day
"The software I buy sucks, The software I write sucks. It's time to give up and have a beer..." - Me[/small]

 

[manhunter2826]

Jeff, thank you, that clarifies things. I do indeed have an all-in-one modem/router (wireless). Sitting at my laptop (wireless) when I use the link in my OP I am given IP 86.133....[have omitted the rest]. I was expecting something akin to 192.168.... Thanks.

 

[Servamatic]

Are you asking about your LAN IP or the WAN IP?
The LAN IP is the one provided by your Router to your PC, the WAN IP is provided by your ISP to your Router. Either can be Static of Dynamic.
The actual IP of either can be changed in the settings on the router providing the IP. For instance I manually configure my router to issue an IP other than the default range from the manufacturer.
Yours may be different based on how your IT set up the router.

Richard S. Anderson, RCDD

http://www.servamatic.net

 

[manhunter2826]

^^Thanks, I suspect I was asking about about the WAN IP onder: (as provided by the link in my OP). The argument basically stemmed from a conversation with a colleague of mine: the suggestion was that dynamic IPs were the norm, and that if you wanted a static IP you paid a premium (albeit low) price.

 

[Servamatic]

You are correct, the only way to get a true Static IP is to pay an additional fee to your ISP. Fortunately DynDNS provides basically the same benefit without having to pay for it.
Is there something you are trying to do but can't based on DynDNS service?

Richard S. Anderson, RCDD

http://www.servamatic.net

 

[donb01]

As others have said, a Static IP is one that is permanently assigned to you by the ISP and unofficially 'guaranteed' not to change (hello, AT&T, did you see that??).

A Dynamic IP can change at any time for any reason and without notice to you, but they do tend to stay the same for long periods if you never have your modem off for any length of time (off, power fail, cat chewed the cord, etc), or the ISP isn't doing maintenance at their facility. it is not safe to rely on this type of IP for web hosting, etc, because it CAN change. That is why there is DynDNS, which monitors your IP and adjusts if a change happens.

If you have a hard wired connection to your 192.168.... router you will also notice the IP always seems to be the same no matter what you do. Typical exceptions are if you change what port your computer is plugged in to - then it will usually change, or if more hardware is added to your network (such as a hub) and one of the new connected devices grabs the IP you were using before your computer gets to it.

If you have a wireless conenction to your router it is more likely to be different every time, but even then a lot of the time it is the same. I believe that is because the router remembers what was connected to it wirelessly and just gives you back your same settings if someone else hasn't grabbed them....

 

[manhunter2826]

Thanks don also, much appreciated. And Serv: no, the discussion was purely theoretical LOL; I am not trying to do anything specific - thanks for your help also.