Setting up static IP address with NTL BB

kevpatts

Hey, I will require a static IP address for work soon enough and I called NTL to enquire about buying one. They say that they do not provide that service but...

The Rep on the phone said that "it is possible and people are doing it all the time" but that she couldn't tell me how to do it or she would lose her job.

I decided to try it. I'm using a Linksys WRT54G running Talisman basic firmware from Sveasoft.com. When I set the IP to "Static IP" address in the basic options tag in the router setup, it acquires the current DHCP settings and slaps them in as Static settings. I click Save, the router reboots, and I have no internet access. I can still access the router on 192.168.1.1 but nothing else.

Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Kev

Bogger77

What the rep was suggesting is that there is a very slow turn over on IP addresses, so while your on DHCP, you'll have the same address for weeks.
In that case, just find out your IP address and use that.

Your Router remains set to dhcp.

paulm17781

kevpatts wrote:

Hey, I will require a static IP address for work soon enough and I called NTL to enquire about buying one. They say that they do not provide that service but...

The Rep on the phone said that "it is possible and people are doing it all the time" but that she couldn't tell me how to do it or she would lose her job.

I decided to try it. I'm using a Linksys WRT54G running Talisman basic firmware from Sveasoft.com. When I set the IP to "Static IP" address in the basic options tag in the router setup, it acquires the current DHCP settings and slaps them in as Static settings. I click Save, the router reboots, and I have no internet access. I can still access the router on 192.168.1.1 but nothing else.

Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Kev

If they change the IP address your connectivity is gone. I would think the CS agent was telling you porkys as it is the Server that determins your IP not you.

kevpatts

paulm17781 wrote:

If they change the IP address your connectivity is gone. I would think the CS agent was telling you porkys as it is the Server that determins your IP not you.

What do you mean "when they change the ip address", they can't change my ip address, that's the point! Anyway, they're not. If I then go back to DHCP on my router I get assigned exactly the same details.

Surely the connectivity to NTL works similarly to connecting to a standard DHCP enables router in that you can connect using DHCP (as most NTL users do) or you can specify a static address yourself and the router will still reserve that address for you. All DHCP consumer routers behave this way.

I'm not asking whether when they rotate their pool of addresses will I still have connectivity, I'm asking why my initial attempt failed.

Regards,
Kev

paulm17781

kevpatts wrote:

I'm not asking whether when they rotate their pool of addresses will I still have connectivity, I'm asking why my initial attempt failed.

I would imagine when you turned off DHCP it blocked you. That is purely a guess though.

JNive

because your router did not allow to be assigned an IP, it rings up NTL and says, give me this IP, NTL says, sorry, but you cant decide, its us who tell you your IP, so it doesnt get connected. You need to have it set to DHCP ( automatically receive ip/dns ) and just make sure your modem stays on perhaps, thats all, but it can still get changed eventually.

bk

Your initial attempt failed because NTL only use Dynmic IP addresses, you can't "reserve" a static IP address, NTL would need to give you a static IP address.

What the rep was talking about is something slightly different to what you tried to do, but it will work. What you need is to use a Dynamic DNS service.

A Dynamic DNS service is a website, where you apply for an account. When you get an account they issue you with a static IP address.

http://www.dydns.com/
http://www.no-ip.com/

In the account you specify the dynamic IP address from NTL that you are currently using. Any traffic sent to the static ip address is automaticlly redirected to your dynamic ip address.

Of course every time your dynamic ip address changes, you need to update the account to point at your new dynamic ip. This can usually be done with software on your PC. Even better, there are routers out there that you can set the details of the dynamic dns service in the router and the router does the updating automatically without any intervention from the user. You can see some info about this on the Draytek Vigor range of routers at:
http://www.draytek.co.uk/support/kb_vigor_ddns.html

BTW what do you need a static IP for?

is_that_so

You could also change providers. If it is a work-related connection www.netsource.ie do business products and will give you a static IP without you even having to ask. I have found them good. Eircom will do it as well but charge you €50 for each one.

kevpatts

bk, thank you very much, the first person to reply with a solution, not just saying "you're doing it all wrong".

Although, that only seems to be a static IP for incomming connections (is this correct?). I'll need to have a static IP for connecting to other machines too (see below).

I need a static ip because I need to log into my work PC. Due to the nature of the business I work in we have a firewall that is airtight and so an IP range is not safe enough.

There is a guy in work who could help me, he's a guru at this, but he's off for the week and I'd like to learn it myself too.

Regards,
Kevin

penexpers

Sounds like some kind of client VPN might be an idea.

capistrano

FYI - I've been with NTL since last December and my IP address hasn't changed yet. I make use of this to remotely access my home network.

The_B_Man

can u not just note the IP, gateway, subnet and DNS servers that u get on DHCP then just put them into the static IP boxes? after all, they're assigned to u so NTL wont block just coz u hav a setting changed on ur PC!

thund3rbird_

you may also need to set up port forwarding on the router if you need to access a specific pc on your home network.

beware tho - this is kind of like setting up a VPN which ntl frown on
while they don't prevent you from doing so they may stop it if it causes probs on their network (see ntl T&Cs)

they can (I think) provide static IP addresses but that is for their business product (poss a leased line??)
see http://www.ntl.com/locales/ie/en/business/internet.html

bk

kevpatts wrote:

Although, that only seems to be a static IP for incomming connections (is this correct?). I'll need to have a static IP for connecting to other machines too (see below).

I need a static ip because I need to log into my work PC. Due to the nature of the business I work in we have a firewall that is airtight and so an IP range is not safe enough.

Yes, if your company is limiting access to your network to specific IP addresses only, then I don't think the Dynamic DNS service will work for you as it is only inbound as you say.

However I'd be surprised if your companies firewall is limiting access based on IP. You see it isn't much protection, it is trivial to fake IP addresses, most companies allow dynamic IP addresses, instead they use a VPN and a security token card to authenticate users.

kevpatts

Okay,

bk, the company is very small and has a well established firewall that they wish not to change greatly, beacause simply we're all too busy at the moment.

thund3rbird_, I don't need to get into my local network, only to get out from it and into the one in work. Although I have set up port forwarding on my local network and use it to VNC into my PC at home. very nice. Also use it for a web server and ftp server now. You're right about the company accounts by the way, a grand a month or something they quoted me!

The_B_Man, that doesn't work, tried it, you get no connectivity.

I have also noticed that my ip address doesn't seem to be changing now and so I don't think it's much of an issue as I thought it was originally.

Thanks for your time.
Kev