It is common when you setup your Wi-Fi network connection at home or office to have two options of IP addresses, one static IP address and another dynamic; it depends on you. If you are using a dynamic IP address in your home network connection, this may affect your network because the dynamic IP address changes at any time. Therefore, you should not use dynamic IP addresses in your small home network. Static IP address, which is always preferred by everyone to put in a home network as it never changes easily. Stay with us we will explain in detail why you should use a static IP address in your home network.
Contents
Here are some quick tips that are explained in the following section.
1. Improved reliability for critical equipment
A device on your network that always has a set IP address is called a static IP address. However, static IP addresses do not vary over time, while dynamic IP addresses do.. This consistency is important for devices that need to maintain a stable connection.
Here are some important network connections that are important to keep stable. Such as home servers, network printers, IP cameras and security systems.
Home Servers
If you run a server for media streaming, file sharing, or gaming, you should use a static IP address because it is fixed and never changes if you are using more than one server in a large organization. You can use a dynamic IP address because there are multiple servers that cannot be assigned a static IP one by one.
Network Printers
A static IP address is a unique one that is always assigned to users on each network device. Static IP addresses prevent problems with printers becoming unreachable if their IP address changes, which It makes it easy to print documents from any device on your network.
IP Cameras and Security Systems
In the same way you can use static IP for home security systems and ip cameras, having a static IP address ensures that you always have uninterrupted access to live feeds and recordings.
2. Easy remote access
A static IP address is perfect for those who work from home or need remote access to their network resources. Because static IP addresses make the job easier. Having a static IP eliminates the need to frequently update your connection settings or worry about IP address changes disrupting your access when using remote access tools like VPNs. This is quite helpful when accessing home servers, cameras, or other networked devices from a location other than your home network.
3. Continuous port forwarding
An effective way to route outbound Internet traffic to specific devices on your home network is to use port forwarding. VoIP, hosting servers, and online gaming are among its most frequent uses. Because the device’s internal IP address remains constant, port forwarding is more reliable when using static IP addresses. Updating port forwarding rules when IP addresses change can be cumbersome and disruptive.
4. Easy network management
A static IP address makes managing a home network a simple process.
Device identification
Knowing that every device on your network always has the same address makes it easy to identify and manage devices thanks to static IP addresses.
Troubleshooting
Having static IP addresses makes troubleshooting easier if you encounter network problems. You can quickly find and diagnose problems with specific devices without the added complexity of changing IP addresses.
5. Improved security
Although not a substitute for other security measures, static IP addresses can offer a small security advantage. Since the IP address does not change, you can more easily configure specific firewall rules and security settings. Additionally, if you are using security software that relies on IP address identification, having a static IP can help manage and secure access.
How to use a static IP address
Using a static IP address is fairly easy to set up. This can be done through the router page or directly on the device.
It will look something like this.
You should follow the given instructions, which are quite simple, to set up a static IP address on your home network.
- If you want to assign an IP address, you need to router for this process, so you need to enter the IP address 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 to use any browser.
- After accessing the router, go to the settings menu to find the section related to DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). You’ll often find it under Network Settings or LAN Settings.
- Most of the more than one option is available; you have to choose static IP address option. The IP address and MAC address of the device you want to assign is required. A MAC address is a unique identifier for network devices.
- Next, you need to configure the network settings to use a static IP address. This includes manually entering the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers.
- Finally save your changes and reboot your router and device to ensure the new settings take effect.
Conclusion
As you are aware, there are two kinds of IP addresses that are typically utilised while configuring networks. There are two types of IP addresses: static and dynamic. People prefer dynamic addresses in large organisation network setups since they have more switches, routers, servers, and other network devices.
While dynamic IP addresses offer flexibility and ease of setup, it are changed with time. An IP address that is fixed and never changes is called a static IP address. Some home network configurations can greatly benefit from the consistency, reliability, and control that a static IP address offers. In your home network, you should use a static IP address if you want to maintain consistency.
