If you are using Port Forwarding to forward services from the outside world, you need to assign a static IP to the machine using the machine's MAC. If you are doing port forwarding for a web service, this will not work. So you might boot up your computer one day and it reads 192.168.1.128. Your internal network uses a LOCAL IP which you designate in the router setup.ĭHCP means the router assigns a RANDOM UNUSED LOCAL IP address to your machines as they request them. So the IP assigned to you is WAN IP address to the outside world. A WAN IP is what the ISP assigns to your cable modem. WAN IP addresses are expensive and there's a limited number of them (4 byte limit) This is why they are often reshuffled around. Even then with a dynamic IP on your cable modem, you can use services like OpenDNS to direct you to your router (provided your router supports such services)
The only reason you would need a static Wan IP is if they are connecting to you to access some service on your network. since you are connecting to them they are the ones that need a static ip. To connect remotely to your clients (remote desktop connection), you don't need a static IP.
That number is assigned by the dhcp of whatever router you are using. However your LAN IP address is different.
Click to expand.What the isp gave you is a static WAN IP address.
