Dynamic or static IP addresses - what are they and which one is better for you?

Every device you use whether it’s a smartphone, PC, laptop, or tablet has an IP address. So before you start thinking of deleting your IP address don’t. The only reason is that you can’t – an IP address is necessary to connect to the internet. 

What is an IP Address?

When you think of IP addresses, you think of “digital addresses”. It’s what makes your device unique to a network connecting billions of devices accessing the internet. Think of it like your home address; it consists of the country, city, town, zip code, neighborhood, and house or apartment number. For example, if you order something to your home address, the delivery service will know how to get there. Because you submitted all the information required, they can pinpoint your exact address among the millions of addresses registered in their systems. 

For devices, the IP address is like your home address; it’s unique and can only exist on your device. There are two different types of IP addresses: private and public. The ISP (internet service provider) distributes IP addresses which are sequences of numbers to any device connecting to the internet or a local network. 

Private vs Public

IP addresses are categorized into private and public, and they’re both assigned by the ISP. A private IP address doesn’t mean that it’s safe and in its essence “private” – it’s still visible by external factors. These IP addresses are used in a corporate setting to maintain a secured network between their devices. Some organizations also warrant the use of private IP addresses to restrict the internet access of internal users to increase security. 

A public IP address gives you access to the internet making you open to communication. Every device has a public IP address when connected to the internet whether it’s static or dynamic. People use it when streaming music, reading articles, or messaging their friends. A public IP address can’t connect to an internal network like a private one.

Dynamic IP Address

A dynamic IP address is an IP address that changes every time you connect to the internet and when a router resets. If you’re using Wi-Fi at home, then chances are you have a dynamic IP address provided by your ISP. 

Unique dynamic IP addresses are assigned by Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers. They circulate and redistribute new IP addresses to everyone registered in their system. Besides assigning an IP address, they also assign a subnet mask, default gateway, and a DNS server to the user’s device.

Since the dynamic IP address changes all the time, the IP address isn’t given to a device but leased by the DHCP server. With billions of devices online, you’d think how are there enough dynamic IP addresses circulating the networks. The DHCP server has a time frame of roughly 24 hours to make sure it doesn’t run out of IP addresses in its scope. It’s out of your control if you want to keep the IP address or not. 

Static IP Address 

Unlike a dynamic IP address, a static IP address doesn’t change. Once a device is assigned a static IP address by its ISP, the number sequence that signifies the identity remains the same. A dynamic IP automatically also provides you with the designated IP address, a subnet mask, a default gateway, and a DNS server. But on a static IP address, you need to fill these in manually to connect to the internet. It might not seem like a hassle when entering one or two devices. But it becomes a problem when you’re entering the information into thousands of devices. 

If you’re running a business with an office, then it’s best if you insert static IP addresses for certain devices like printers or routers. That way it’s easier to connect to them without troubleshooting or other failures. 

What should I use?

The answer is dynamic. It’s always better to have an IP address that changes every 24 hours than a constant one. Also considering that you don’t have to fill in the basic information when you connect your device to the internet. With a dynamic IP address, your ISP can know which area and country you’re in, but can’t not the exact address. 

This means it makes it difficult for someone to track your location. But not impossible. 

How to Protect your IP Address.

Having a VPN installed is the best way to hide your online identity, stay anonymous, and safeguard your data. A VPN is a virtual private network that creates a back-to-back encrypted tunnel so that websites you visit and your ISP won’t know where you are or what your destination is. Your traffic will still flow through your ISP, but they won’t know what you’re doing or where you are. 

A VPN connects you to their servers around the world and gives you an IP address according to the country you choose to connect to. That means you can connect to a server in Spain if you live in the United States. 

In all cases, your IP address is your online identity – you wouldn’t want strangers snooping around your house, why would you want anyone online to do the same?