In a world where the internet has become a common norm, having a static IP address is still out of reach for many customers. A static IP address is hard to get due to its limited availability, but with a static IP address, the user has to deal with both its advantages and disadvantages. Today on the blog, we are going to discuss how a static IP address could be beneficial for you and what things you need to keep in mind when getting a static IP address from your ISP. In addition to this, we are also going to differentiate between static and dynamic IP addresses and which one is a better option for you. So without any delays, let’s start this learning journey.
What is a Static IP Address?
A static IP address is the one address that is assigned to you by the Internet Service Provider (ISP). A static IP address comes in the form of a 32-bit number in the form of a dotted quad. It is a unique identifier of your device on the internet. Also, these IP addresses are used by the computers to locate and talk to each other for file transfers. It is quite similar to the way people save their contacts on smartphones and then make calls to talk to them. With the help of an IP address, a user’s geolocation and the hosting service provider’s information can be easily found.
Let’s take an example to show the workings of IP addresses. Suppose you visit Whatis.com from your system. Then the website will show you the correct dotted quad number for your IP address. Also, it will map the domain name of the IP address, which is needed in order to find out the protocol being used on the device from which you have visited the website.
Why is there a Need to use a Static IP Address?
Well, if most people are not using static IP addresses, then why are they still available, and why are IPS charging such a high amount to assign them to you? Let’s break it down. Think of a static IP address as your email or your physical home address. These addresses, once created, will not be changed until you move to a different city, right? With the same address, your friends, family, and other people are able to get in touch with you easily. They can visit you anytime, as they know your home address. The people in the office can send you emails on your permanent email address because they know the information will reach you.
In the same way, a static IP address is also quite useful when you are thinking about hosting a website or running a business on the internet, or setting up a file server on the network, or using a remote access program to use your system from a laptop when you are not in the same city. The main reason why all these operations work without any issues is that each device knows that your home system has a static IP address that is stored in them. As a result, they can make contact with it in no time via a static IP address.
On the other hand, you can make the router set up a straight FTP request to your static IP address system in order to share files over the FTP connection. In case you are hosting a website, then using a dynamic IP address is quite a hassle. This is because, with every new dynamic IP address, you need to change the router settings in order to forward the requests coming from the users on your website to the new address assigned by the DHCP. If you don’t do this, your website becomes inaccessible to users as the router has no idea which device is currently working as the host of your website.
One of the things which static IP addresses do well is work with DNS servers. With the use of a static IP address, you don’t need to manually configure the DNS servers on your router in order to connect with the internet.
They are also useful in cases where the domain name of the device is not accessible to the user. Likewise, computers that have a file server in a workplace network can be programmed in such a way that they automatically connect to the server using the server’s static IP address instead of connecting with the hostname.
When to use Static over Dynamic IP address?
The dynamic IP addresses are quite useful in their own right. First, they are not limited to the supply as it uses 64-bit numbers. On the other hand, dynamic IP addresses allow IP addresses to be reused elsewhere when the system is shut down, giving more access to devices that would not have been possible with a static IP address.
But static IP addresses have their own benefits over dynamic IP addresses, the first one being lower downtime. Static IP addresses, being more premium IP addresses, are used for hosting websites, web servers, and storage servers. Also, with the use of dynamic IP addresses, the IP gets changed, and during the changeover, the system has to wait until the DHCP finds a new IP address for the system. This changeover of the IP address can take place more than once a day, week, or month. Thus, a dynamic IP address is not required because hosting services require you to be active all the time and can’t take the risk of having downtime for even a single minute.
Benefits of Static IP Address
Given below are some of the major advantages that you receive when using the static IP address on your system.
Better Naming Scheme
When you have a static IP address, your device can be reached by various other users by the assigned hostname in a much more reliable way. This is the sole reason why FTP servers, web servers, and other similar devices use static IP addresses instead of dynamic IP addresses. Besides this, there is never a need to track down the upgraded IP address of the system to locate it on the internet.
Higher Level Of Protection
A static IP address is like a statement that never changes once it has been written, while a dynamic IP address is more like a change. With the use of a static IP address, you get an extra layer of protection for your home network because there is no constant change in the network, so it remains closely intact, giving no space for hackers to attack the network.
Shorter Lapses in Connection
If you are someone who is working with a dynamic IP address, then you will surely notice some lapses in the connection every now and then. Some of them might make your internet inactive for a few seconds or minutes. But some might require you to restart the router. It is due to the fact that the ISP system is not able to recognize your IP on the network. When your IP address is changed, it becomes hard for the ISP to locate your system. With a static IP address, there is no change in IP address. As a result, you don’t have to worry about the lapses at all. This is quite useful for those who are heavy data users and want to have network uptime all the time.
Download and Upload Speeds are Faster
As we said earlier, with static IP addresses, you don’t have to worry about discrepancies in the network as there is no chance of the IP address frequently. Because of this, the speed of accessing the content is usually better. If you are on DSL, the speed difference is pretty minute. But with high-speed broadband users, the difference can go up to more than one megabit per second. As a result, if you are someone who is constantly downloading and uploading large files on the internet, then it is advisable for you to go with a static IP address instead of a dynamic IP.
Room for Remote Access
If you have a static IP address, then you can easily make connections with your system located in your home. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. As long as you have the internet, you can access the computer remotely with ease due to the presence of a static IP address. This allows users to work on confidential projects with ease while they are on the go. Also, you can connect to the VPN quickly and safely browse the internet without revealing your geolocation. The VPN connection will have no disconnection as there will be no change in IP address from time to time.
Access to Accurate Geolocation Data
With dynamic IP addresses, you are not going to get the accurate results of geolocation tracking. This is something that helps businesses a lot in tracking down their potential customers and starting the remarketing of their products. Apart from this, a business can benefit from it in a number of ways. For example, accurate geolocation can be used for asset location, content customization, load balancing, and, most importantly, fraud detection. With the use of accurate data, one can keep track of incidents that happen in real-time and keep the content in check.
Reduce the Loss of Important Message
If you are using a static IP address, then your network will have no downtime whatsoever. But this isn’t the same as dynamic IP addresses, as it frequently causes a change in the IP address. During the changeover of the dynamic IP address, any message or user that visits your website that is being hosted on a system that uses dynamic IP will not be able to send the message or open the website. With static, your address will remain the same no matter what, so when someone tries to connect with you, you can easily receive their message.
Easier to Locate Devices
It becomes easier for users to locate equipment that is connected to multiple systems in the office. For example, a printer on the network is connected to various devices present on the same floor. Anyone can send in the command to print a document, and the printer will perform the task. But to make the printer receive all the requests from different users, it needs to have a static IP address that doesn’t change, so all the devices know the IP address with which they can send the print request to the printer.
Disadvantages of using Static IP address
Let’s talk about some of the issues which you might face when using a static IP address in your network.
- With static IP, a user needs to take control of the configuration of the IP in the system manually. On the other hand, with dynamic IP, the user has to do nothing as everything is done by automation in DHCP.
- Besides, due to the IP being the same throughout the internet connection, malicious actors have a maximum window to take down the security of the IP address and get inside the system to leak confidential data.
- Lastly, setting up a static IP address requires you to have knowledge of networking, and it is quite expensive compared to a simple dynamic IP address. As a result, if anything goes wrong with the static IP, then you need to get professional help to get things resolved.
Wrapping Up
So this is what a static IP address is all about. If you are someone who is hosting a website on their server, then having a static IP address becomes a necessity for you. In addition to this, for file transfer systems and printing machines, a static IP is more reliable. But keep in mind the cons that we have discussed above, even though they are fewer in number than the advantages. In the end, it’s up to you to choose which IP address option suits your requirements the best.