Static IP Addresses

[Mavis]

I have recently invested in a Raspberry Pi and one of the recommendations is that you set a static IP address which I have done.

Yesterday I added in a new switch to my network (thank to Ottomate for the tipoff of the Gigabit switch) and when everything switched back on I had problems with my Sonos system. After troubleshooting (googling ) one of the suggestions was that there might have been a conflict with IP addresses.

I think the real reason was that my wired Sonos bridge did not connect first so I ended up with 2 Sonos Networks. Easily resolved by unplugging all my Sonos components, restarting the router then switching Sonos things on 1 at a time starting with the wired bridge.


This got me thinking. I currently have at least 25 gadgets listed on my router.

What are the pros and cons to setting static IP addresses?
Would it be beneficial to set all/any of my automated home hubs as static and if so is there a protocol to follow, ie set high numbers for static addresses?
What things should and shouldn't be set static addresses?

[Vangelis]

If you have tried to make a static IP address out of the DHCP pool then you will have issues unless your router checks to see if an IP is in use. Sonos may have issues if there is an IP address conflict, especially if it's the root server.

Vangelis

[Otto-Mate]

Depends on your DHCP server Mavis. In work our PC server handles DHCP and we can set ranges for static and dynamic addresses. At home our router is the server and it allows us to bind MAC addresses to IPs which does the trick...

https://www.draytek.co.uk/archive/kb_vigor_dhcpfix.html

Some things definitely are better with fixed IPs. Our CCTV cameras are fixed for example, with NAT rules on the router to forward ports to their IPs so for example www.MyHomeDomain.com:1234 allows us to always view our cameras externally.

M.

[Vangelis]

Mark,

If you're running a Draytek, why don't you use the IPSec VPN to gain access to your house (and CCTV) remotely? More secure than relying on open port on your router?

Vangelis

[Otto-Mate]

Hi Vangelis - we do use VPN, even have the Lan to Lan profile in use as well as dial-in-user. But plenty of apps (and devices) don't allow us to connect via the VPN.

M.

[MichaelD]

My home network has grown over the years and now has over 50 devices, all managed with an Excel spreadsheet and the DHCP server built in to my router

Allocating fixed addresses to everything gives a number of advantages, I can monitor all IP addresses to see what is attached to my network, if something drops off, usually because a teenager has unplugged something, I know what device it will be and can go and plug it back in. I use a HomeSeer plugin to monitor the whole network and announce if anything critical drops off.

It also means that I can easily connect to anything, e.g. .246 is the camera in my garage, .250 is the camera on the drive.

My panasonic cameras all seem to get numbers from 255 downwards, so I've just put them in the DHCP table to fix them with those addresses. Other things just seem to get allocated a random number, so I've set up the spreadsheet and started from 1 and gone upwards. The actual number doesn't seem to make any difference, but its easier to manage if they follow in a sequence.

The only downside of giving everything fixed addresses is the faff of actually setting up the DHCP table, and occasionally checking to see if anything should be removed / added