Manually assigned IP address

[Alfred E. Neuman]

Asus AC86U: in configuring a static IP address for network devices I'm confused on using Manually Assigned IP's or MAC and IP Binding. I've searched and found a few articles, but I'm still in doubt as to which would be most effective. I have an IP camera NVR and a couple of other devices that need a static IP.

It appears that some assign static IP's to just about everything on their network so they can detect any unwanted issues or intrusions. Is this really that convenient?

 

[ColinTaylor]

I have an IP camera NVR and a couple of other devices that need a static IP.

If you have devices that "need" fixed IP addresses like your NVR or servers then that's fine. For most other devices there's really no point expending the effort to assign fixed addresses just to satisfy some OCD of having all the numbers in sequence.

Some say they use it so they can detect rogue devices on their network but IMHO that's a false security because your local network should be secure by design. Unless you're watching the logs 24/7 by the time you've spotted any malicious device it's already done its work.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Asus AC86U: in configuring a static IP address for network devices I'm confused on using Manually Assigned IP's or MAC and IP Binding. I've searched and found a few articles, but I'm still in doubt as to which would be most effective. I have an IP camera NVR and a couple of other devices that need a static IP.

It appears that some assign static IP's to just about everything on their network so they can detect any unwanted issues or intrusions. Is this really that convenient?

I let the router DHCP server dynamically assign IPs from within its IP Pool.

I install a few static IPs I need/want on the clients' network interface. These IPs are excluded from the router's DHCP server IP Pool.

I avoid using the router's manually-assigned static IPs so that I do not have to re-configure these after resetting the router firmware. These IPs are included in the router's DHCP server IP Pool.

OE

 

[Alfred E. Neuman]

I'm also letting the DHCP assign IPs but I have limited the range of that pool, with the intent of establishing a smaller pool dedicated for static addresses.

As I understand it, I can let the router assign an IP inside the DHCP range, then make that address static by turning on the MAC and IP Address Binding feature. This means I have a static address within the DHCP server pool.

Or, I can use the Manually Assign IP setting and assign a device an IP address of my choice outside the DHCP IP poo, making it static. Is there a benefit of using either of these choices?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Is there a benefit of using either of these choices?

Not really. Choose whichever method makes more sense to you.

 

[dosborne]

Or both.

For devices (servers, nas, etc) that I really want to ensure end up with a specific ip no matter what, I configure the device with a static ip *and* assign them the same ip based on their mac in the dhcp reservation table. If for some reason, such as a reset or FW update of the device, and it defaults back to dhcp from its configured static ip, then it will still end up with the expected ip.

I prefer static IPs for "infrastructure" so they can function with or without a dhcp server or router running.

Some specific clients get assigned specific IPs for vpn routing purposes.

General client devices though, may as well us a general dhcp pool for them.

 

[dlandiss]

For devices (servers, nas, etc) that I really want to ensure end up with a specific ip no matter what, I configure the device with a static ip *and* assign them the same ip based on their mac in the dhcp reservation table. If for some reason, such as a reset or FW update of the device, and it defaults back to dhcp from its configured static ip, then it will still end up with the expected ip.

AKA the "belt and suspenders" approach. That has been reliable for me, for several years.

 

[Alfred E. Neuman]

Thanks for the replys. I have found something interesting on the AC86U that I did not know, but I'm a beginner at this so it may be old stuff. It does appear there are two methods of creating a static device IP address, and that was the reason for my OP.

I found you can use MAC and Address Binding (under Network Map tab) to make any DHCP issued address permanent and "static" (within the DHCP pool). However, if you use the other option (under LAN>DHCP Server>Manually assigned IP), which is to manually assign a IP address to a device (outside the DHCP pool) it creates a static address, and also turns on the MAC and Address Binding switch for that device! So..........not that I fully understand this, but option # 2 is the "belt and suspenders" approach as mentioned.

 

[azbruno]

I use Manually Assigned IPs for anything I access from a bookmark in my browser... e.g., printer, NAS, cell phone.

 

[macshome]

I have a RT-AC68U setup as well and have always just done this in the DHCP server settings.

 

[wmmallette47]

I use Manually Assigned IPs for anything I access from a bookmark in my browser... e.g., printer, NAS, cell phone.

Can you expand on this? So on a particular device (an iPhone), I can manually assign an IP to different activities I do with that device?

 

[OzarkEdge]

Can you expand on this? So on a particular device (an iPhone), I can manually assign an IP to different activities I do with that device?

The router DHCP server assigns dynamic IP addresses to clients from its defined IP Pool.

It can also assign the same IP address to the same client of the specified client MAC address from the same IP Pool. These router-assigned static IP addresses allow you to refer to the same client by its same IP address. Some clients can spoof/change their hardware MAC address, breaking these router-side static IP address assignments.

You can also assign a static IP address at the client, on its network adapter properties. These client-side static IP addresses must reside outside the router defined IP Pool, to not conflict.

None of this has anything to do with differentiating client activity... it's just different ways of assigning IP addresses to clients.

If you always know a client's IP address, you can more easily reference it on the network. For instance, you can login to the router webUI at 192.168.1.1 or at whatever static IP you have assigned to its LAN interface.

I use shortcuts to network IP addresses saved in the Windows Links folder and accessible from a Toolbar on the Taskbar to quickly access devices on my network (or on the Internet):

In fact, I link to everything using the Links folder. I don't use Favorites or browser bookmarks. These are the PC links:

When I move my data to a new computer, Links migrate intact. And they can be shared across the LAN for common use.

OE

 

[ColinTaylor]

So on a particular device (an iPhone), I can manually assign an IP to different activities I do with that device?

No. He's assigning one IP address to a device, not different addresses to different functions of that device.

 

[wmmallette47]

Do these assigned IPs translate into what an app or website sees as that client‘s IP when surfing the web, shopping on Amazon or reading Twitter/Facebook? For instance, if I log into Twitter from my phone versus my iPad, will Twitter see the IP that I assign on my network or is that a different thing altogether.
And that then leads me to ask about VPN for privacy reasons when I don’t want my true IP visible by Facebook or Amazon, etc.

 

[buildersboy]

I'm OCD. My IP range has no more space than total devices in the house. All IP's reserved in neat order.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Do these assigned IPs translate into what an app or website sees as that client‘s IP when surfing the web, shopping on Amazon or reading Twitter/Facebook? For instance, if I log into Twitter from my phone versus my iPad, will Twitter see the IP that I assign on my network or is that a different thing altogether.

No. These are private addresses used within your local network. External sites will see your router's WAN IP address (for all clients). Of course sites like Amazon can still identify individual clients by other methods like browser cookies and other unique information.

 

[wmmallette47]

No. These are private addresses used within your local network. External sites will see your router's WAN IP address (for all clients). Of course sites like Amazon can still identify individual clients by other methods like browser cookies and other unique information.

Thanks for that information. Makes sense.
How do I defeat Amazon’s (etc.) identification of me?

 

[dosborne]

Thanks for that information. Makes sense.
How do I defeat Amazon’s (etc.) identification of me?

Use an anonymous browser or mode (incognito), a clean install, clear cookies, virtual images, etc if you really need to. You can reduce the impact, but hard to "defeat", but all depends on what exactly you are trying to do.

 

[ColinTaylor]

How do I defeat Amazon’s (etc.) identification of me?

In my experience you can't. You can use techniques like VPNs, deleting cookies, setting "do not track" in the browser, etc. but at the end of the day companies like Google's entire business is based on tracking you - and they will spend whatever money it takes to work out how to do that.