utilizing Static IPs from ISP

[fergy623]

I am not sure as what to do with static IPS from the isp, I am also using a dlink 624 router as this is what I was told I had to use. I am a little confused as I am not a network guru yet. I have 2 personal computers, 1 more for my business, and 1 IP camera which all was fine till I was told to use a router from my isp support. Now with the 5 static ip addresses I was issued this is becoming a little to much to grasp. Is there anyone that could have some input on this or links to help? I don't really have the time during dlinks support hours of operation as I am in Canada

[tommie gorman]

Welcome to the forum fergy623. Just wanted to say hi.

[Guest thecableguy]

I am not sure as what to do with static IPS from the isp, I am also using a dlink 624 router as this is what I was told I had to use. I am a little confused as I am not a network guru yet. I have 2 personal computers, 1 more for my business, and 1 IP camera which all was fine till I was told to use a router from my isp support. Now with the 5 static ip addresses I was issued this is becoming a little to much to grasp. Is there anyone that could have some input on this or links to help? I don't really have the time during dlinks support hours of operation as I am in Canada

You have not given much to work with but I'll bite.....your application of the router will be much different than most.  In the simplest of terms, most people get a router so they can connect multiple computers to a single IP address.  The router acts as DHCP server assigning an internal (or private aka 192.168.x.x.) IP address to each device connected to the router (wired or wireless).

In your case you will not need to use the routers DHCP function.  You will however need to setup the beast and that is the trick.

I am concerned about a couple of things.  Why do you think that you need 5 static IP addresses.  In most cases they are not cheap (at least $10 per month per).  I know you have a camera and some other devices but with some creative configuring you can punch holes in that router and pass the appropriate traffic to the right device with only one IP.  It also depends on the make and model of your router and how flexible it is.

Hows about some more information about your desired applications and with a little luck we can give you a better idea of what to do.

[just-]

give us some more information and we might be able to help you configure your home network

tell us a fake ip address or the real one if you are comfortable with it

the 5 ip you have been given

you will need to set static ip address in you machine and in your router

im sure we can give you a hand on this

let us know more about your configurations and what you want to achive

[Swimmer]

The idea of static IPs is kinda of a thing of the past in the consumer world.  Like just about everyone has said, with DHCP on routers most providors provide 1 IP, normally dynamic, per customer. 

A few things about static IPs first.  Static means it doesnt change.  This has it advantages and its disadvantages.  First if you are going to host anytype of server or service on the internet having a Static IP makes it about 300% easier.  Second, since it never changes it does leave you open to DoS attacks and other little fun exploits that some people run.

Now for a solution.  This depends on what you want to do.  There are two things to consider:

1) Security-  Since you are have static IPs they are never going to change.  Which means that if you have spyware or your computer become a portal for hackers, it is that much harder to get rid of.  In comes the router.  I believe that the ISP recommened this for your safety and your computer well being.  What the router is going to do is filter out about 99% of all request that come from the internet looking for ports that are open on the computers themselves.  Of course the router can only be so effictive.. I would still recommend installing local firewalls, software such as zonealarm, to protect incase something does get throught the router.

2) Easy of setup- The other thing that you need to consider is how easy it is to maintain.  If you are going to use an IP camera the most important thing about using a device like that is to make sure that IP stays the same.  Either way you are going to have to assign a static IP address for the camera so that the firewall rules go through the router correctly.  This also means that you are going to have to open ports for the camera to be acessable over the internet.

Since you already have 5 static IP addresses I would recommend keeping the router.  I have one of many solutions that you could use.  You could also disable DHCP but then you would loose some of the secuity of a router.

[Guest thecableguy]

Swimmer's network diagram is an excellent way to create your network.  Assuming you take his/her advice you will also be able to reduce the number of static IP's you are renting as well (unless of course you really think you need 5 <<---please think long and hard about your desired application....you probably only need 2, 3 at most)

[Swimmer]

my guess is that it is some type of business package.. it seems that most of the Big Pipe's business deals have static ips so that you can run servers off of them.

[Guest thecableguy]

my guess is that it is some type of business package.. it seems that most of the Big Pipe's business deals have static ips so that you can run servers off of them.

I tend to agree unless he had the misfortune of getting one very hungry sales agent or one who just was clueless as to what he really needed (trust me....that could go either way)  Many cable companies will not give statics to residential subscribers unless they upgrade to a business package.  What's worse is some residential sales agents will sell subscribers additiional dynamic ip addresses (thinking they are static, and communicating it as such) not really understanding what they are doing or even knowing what the difference between an additional dynamic ip address vss an additional STATIC ip address is.  Since many ISP's do not force changes on their dynamics very often a subscriber will go for months thinking they have static because their address kept renewing and they were lucky at the draw.  But thats another topic altogether....anyway, look forward to hearing from him to see what he actually wants to accomplish.

[fergy623]

Thankyou all for your input as this is far better support than service providers can give.

My hardware as it stands is dynex switch, DI-624 dlink router, and DI-704up dlink router. Linking together at the first building where the internet is a wireless or Motorola Canopy 900mhz subscriber module, this is connected to the Switch that is connected to the DI-624. also from the switch is Cat5 cable to the 2nd building where I have the DI-704up connecting the home computers, printers. The DI-624 has 2 Business Computers and an IP camera. The diagram of swimmers is very close for the first building, and I could connect the camera to the switch. I am on a medium business package with xplornet and this includes 5 static ips. the subnet mask is 255.255.255.224 and the static are all in order xxx.xxx.xxx.xx1 through 5

[Swimmer]

I would try it and see if that resolves your address issues on your camera.. I do think there is a huge security risk in having a camera out on the net, from a hardware standpoint.  I dont there the is really anything that the can do to it that could cause it to malfunction or shoot laser beams out of the lense..  

[Guest thecableguy]

I would try it and see if that resolves your address issues on your camera.. I do think there is a huge security risk in having a camera out on the net, from a hardware standpoint. I dont there the is really anything that the can do to it that could cause it to malfunction or shoot laser beams out of the lense..  

Shoot lasers out of the lens......now that could be quite entertaining........heeerrrreeee intruder truder.....Zaaap! Buhahahahahah

[Swimmer]

haha yeah.. never know what those hackers/spyware/viruses will do to your system..

[Guest thecableguy]

haha yeah.. never know what those hackers/spyware/viruses will do to your system..

I was thinking more of him sitting at home....deliberately leaving the office door open with some type of inviting thing in the window and watching via the laser webcam as the first of many would be burglars tried to break in only to be foiled remotely by his trusty laser cam.  To have the full effect he would need to be able to talk to his would be intruders...yep...thats a must....I can just see it now....."u u u uhhhhh....don't touch that...." Zaaaap off go the right toes........"u u u uhhhhh can't touch that either" Zaaaap......off go the left fingers......."don't come back now......yaaaa hear" KaaaaBlaaaam.....one last blast in the **** as the burglar exits the building in horror......NOW THATS WHAT I CALL A REAL FPS GAME!!!

[Swimmer]

now.. let take you idea.. and bring it to life and reality..

http://www.usmechatronics.com/old_page/turret.htm

some college students made a airsoft gun that uses video recognition to id targets then shoots.. check out the videos.. strap your ip cam that that...  Wow this got off topic... back to topic!

[Guest jeffwalker9999]

talking about video surveillance

check out this site

http://www.visec.net/index.php?agentid=wpprof

[knightshade43]

This is just a thought but if you have 5 static IPs why not just use a switch instead of a router and hard set your IPs on your equipment just a thought.

[Swimmer]

you could do that.. but this way there is some security from the router.. you dont need to have you computer sitting on IPs that never change.

[just-]

Swimmer u think u could make a simple network diagram of the guys network

after his discription of his house i am totally lost

also

fergy623 are you stuck somewhere now?

where do u need help ?

[Swimmer]

sure.. give me a few..

This is what I got out of it.. I am pretty sure it is close..

[fergy623]

Ok humour me with lazers. LOL. I could try that but won't till this network is up and running smoothly or at least I will be a little more educated in home or office networking. I tried to change the ip of the business computer and lost all comunications with the router. Probably because all need to be on the same subnet mask.

[fergy623]

I was never sure as to where to put the static ips or if the subnet mask should be changed as well, in the routers that is. So the routers are accessable from the computers. 

Swimmer u think u could make a simple network diagram of the guys network

after his discription of his house i am totally lost

also

fergy623 are you stuck somewhere now?

where do u need help ?

[fergy623]

you have drawn an exact picture of how it is setup at the moment and your previous picture is how it was earlier, I want to set this up so I can utilize the routers protection as well as the ease to control my systems from anywhere else on the net.

sure.. give me a few..

This is what I got out of it.. I am pretty sure it is close..

[Swimmer]

Ok humour me with lazers. LOL. I could try that but won't till this network is up and running smoothly or at least I will be a little more educated in home or office networking. I tried to change the ip of the business computer and lost all comunications with the router. Probably because all need to be on the same subnet mask.

let me think about it tonight and get back to you tomorrow..

[Swimmer]

Ok humour me with lazers. LOL. I could try that but won't till this network is up and running smoothly or at least I will be a little more educated in home or office networking. I tried to change the ip of the business computer and lost all comunications with the router. Probably because all need to be on the same subnet mask.

Alright here we go.. If your computers are still hook into the router.. I dont think there is a way to get them assigned a static IP from beyond the router.  You could turn off DHCP but that would pretty much end about 50% of the security..  You might be able to do this with like a cisco router but that is going to cost $3000 or more.

Here is what I would do.  Leave all of the computers on the router.  This way you can share network apps, printers, and whatever else you need. Move the camera off the router and on to the switch.  You will still be able to access it as long as you know that physical IP address of the camera.  Moving a computer onto a static address is only going to cause problems.  If you need to print something, i think, you are going to have to VPN in and get a local address anyways.  So there is no real sense in doing that and it make it about 1000% more complicated than it needs to be.

Also.. if you want to control the building #1 computers or want to be able to print from building #1 to building #2 all you are going to have to do is turn off DHCP I believe on building #2s router.  This way the 624 is handling all of the IP addresses.  You might see a slight slow down in network speed due to the increased client load on the router.  As consumer routers aren't really made to support lots of machines.

One other thing..  if the Cat5 running from building #1 to building #2 is more than about 100meters, 300 ft?, you are going to run into endless collisions making your network pretty much kill itself.  However, it seems to be working ok now.. So... I am going to guess that it is less than 100 meters.

If you are interested in learning the best way it by trial and error.. unfortunately you are running a business.. so down time isnt really an option.  Let us know if you need any more help.

[fergy623]

Thankyou Swimmer as all is working very well, as I followed your directions and this seems to be funtioning well. The only concern is why my little network icon down below by the clock on both computers are lit up continuously and whren I right click on them to check status, it seems to be sending and receiving data continously without and internet programs running. I was wondering if you might suggest a simple network tool that would allow me to see which program is using any bandwidth when the computer is idle.