All internet service providers (ISPs) offer either static or dynamic IPs, but you're unlikely to know which one you have until you try to enable web connections to your home address.
If you unplug your router, plug it back in, and find out your IP has changed then…congratulations! You have a dynamic IP. You might need a static IP instead if you're trying to host a server from home, but there are several advantages to both.
Keep reading, I'll walk you through why and how to use a static IP, the best VPNs that offer them, and whether you need to get in touch with your ISP to switch.
Why use a static IP?
A static IP is one that your ISP assigns to you and only you. Most ISPs don't hand out static IPs for free anymore due to IPv4 congestion. Simply put, the pool of available IPv4 internet addresses is depleting as more people and devices get put onto the internet. To address this, ISPs designate pools of IP addresses that they assign to users who are currently online on the understanding that not every customer is going to be online 24/7. This way, IP addresses aren't wasted when they're not in use.
With that in mind, you may want to request one from your ISP, especially if you're connecting to your home network remotely. Static IPs allow you to reliably connect to a single address, which is crucial for applications that require consistent access. For instance, if you're hosting a website or a server for email or FTP, a static IP ensures that your server is always reachable at the same address. This is essential if you're using a domain name to forward traffic to your server as, otherwise, your DNS records will quickly become out of date when your IP address changes.
Dynamic IPs change each time you reconnect to the internet. This can make it challenging to maintain stable connections for services that need to be continuously accessible. Dynamic DNS can help by updating your DNS records when your IP changes, but there's still the potential for downtime between your IP changing and your DNS records propagating. This might be unacceptable if, for example, you have web-based CCTV on your property and want to check in on your home camera system at a moment's notice.
With a static IP, you also have the assurance that your IP address is not shared with other users. Dynamic IPs are typically assigned from a pool of addresses managed by your ISP, meaning that your IP address can be used by different users at different times. If you're unlucky, someone else in your pool may have gotten your current IP banned from a service you use, or even flagged for distributing spam or malware. While you can report these issues to your ISP, it's far less time-consuming to simply use an IP you know nobody else is using.
Static IP drawbacks
It's worth noting that a static IP can't help with everything. Since a static IP address does not change, it's easier to trace your online activities back to you. This persistent online identity can be a double-edged sword—while it allows for consistent access to network services, it also means that your browsing habits, online behavior, and potentially sensitive information can be more easily monitored and tracked.
Since your IP address remains constant, hackers can more easily build a long-term profile of the services associated with that IP and attempt to breach any poorly configured devices over time using brute force attacks. A static IP also leaves you far more vulnerable to long-term DDoS attacks, too.
In comparison, dynamic IPs provide a level of anonymity as they change periodically, making it harder to link specific online activities to a single user. However, even a dynamic IP still links you to your specific ISP. If you're really concerned about your online privacy, I'd recommend you invest in a secure VPN. This way, you can hide your traffic while online and appear as though you’re connecting from a wide range of IPs completely unrelated to you.
Some VPNs even allow you to register a static IP, giving you all the advantages of an IP that doesn't change with the added bonus of a VPN's privacy-boosting functionality.
A static IP also won't help you access foreign content or bypass geo-restrictions. Although you might encounter fewer CAPTCHA checks than if you were on a shared IP, a streaming VPN is still a far more effective solution than a static IP for accessing content.
VPNs route your internet traffic through servers in different locations worldwide, making it appear as if you're browsing from a different country. This process allows you to access streaming services, websites, and other content that might be restricted in your region.
Static IPs also often come with additional costs. Many ISPs charge extra for providing a static IP address, to balance out the cost of withdrawing an IP from the pool of IPs they can assign to their other customers.
There is a finite number of IPv4 addresses, and as demand continues to grow, securing a static IP is only ever going to become more expensive. Dynamic IPs are included in standard internet service plans at no additional cost.
Final thoughts
Static IPs are useful if you want to host your own web services from inside your home network. It can be pretty convenient to keep your own media store or file server that you can access from anywhere in the world while you're on holiday.
It's also a cool way to keep older hardware useful by using it to run things like a game server, instead of having to scrap an old PC. However, it can also be fairly inconvenient if your IP gets blacklisted for some reason and you can't easily change it. It's also a nightmare to have a static IP consistently suffered distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks by a hacker with a grudge.
You may be better off using a VPN if you're concerned about being able to access content from abroad.
FAQs
What is static IP used for?
Static IP addresses are used whenever it's necessary to be able to access a resource on the internet over a long period of time. This is usually a website but could be anything from a file host to a game server.
By using a static IP address, this ensures that other clients can bookmark and consistently connect to the same resource
Do I need a static IP?
You should request a static IP from your ISP if you're trying to host a server from your home network. However, most home networks aren't designed specifically for providing appropriate bandwidth to web servers, so unless you're hosting something that can’t be hosted outside your home (such as CCTV) you should consider a hosting provider.
If you're just concerned about being blocked by certain providers, you should consider a VPN instead.
Is it safe to set up a static IP?
Setting up a static IP is generally safe. However, it can make your internet access easier to track over time or between sessions. It can also make it easier for hackers to identify your connection and launch DDoS attacks at your network specifically, so be forewarned if you're going to trade in your dynamic IP for a static one.
