PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Broadband, Networking, PC Security, Internet & ISPs => Topic started by: Simon on April 15, 2003, 17:54
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I sent Pipex an e-mail enquiring about whether it would be possible to have a dynamic, instead of a static IP address. I was expecting them to say no, but I got this reply:
Dear Customer,
Thanks for the email. In order to change from a fixed IP address to a dynamic IP address, you will need to send an email to the customer service department. The email address is customerservices@pipex.net. With a dynamic IP address it would be possible to connect more than one computer to the network without assigning any IP address.
Kind Regards.
Isaul Karim.
So what do I do? It seems it might be possible to change, but what, if any, would be the pros / cons of doing so?
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It really depends on whether you'll ever want to connect a server of some kind to the Internet.
Having a static IP address makes this easier, because you can either access your server directly via the static IP or buy a domain name and point it at that static IP.
You can achieve the same effect with a dynamic IP but it takes a lot more work.
As long as you are fully firewalled, having a static IP shouldn't be a problem. Unless of course, you happen to get your IP on a blackhole list somewhere eh Rod?
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Hmm, I hate making decisions like this! The trouble is, there's no way back if I choose to switch to a dynamic IP. :-\
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I think that youll find that we are already on a dynamic IP Simon its just that its "Sticky" :-*
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Mine is supposed to be dynamic too but it rarely changes.
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Oh, that's it, confuse me!! ::) Isn't that the same thing then?
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In theory ours should change but in practice it tends to stay as the same one but it is officially a dynamic one.
It appears that some people have been asking pipex to make their IP a truly dynamic one that changes each time they connect,probably in the mistaken belief that they are at risk of being hacked by keeping the same IP :-*
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As Adept points out, a static IP is preferable to a semi-static one or dynamically allocated one if you're going to run a server.
I believe my IP was blacklisted because I was online and particularly active when a DDoS attack was taking place, but you can also inherit a cursed IP!
Blackhole servers should never list dynamic IPs because these get swapped and passed around an ISP's users, but in my case, one over-zealous blackhole list did -- with almost disastrous consequences, until I finally mangaged to release my very stubborn IP!
Anyone using a dynamic IP runs a very small risk of being given a blackholed IP address, but it should only happen with a static address if you've been very naughty.
Hope this helps.
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Well, on balance it seems that I might as well keep the static one.
Thanks for all the comments folks. :)