I am a FIOS subscriber who conects to the internet via an Actiontec
router. I want to assign static IP addresses to my laptop, and my kid's
laptops. In the router, I have the ability to identify the IP address as
"Static Leased". Also, I know that I can assigned a static IP address
through VISTA. Is it necessary to do both? If not, is one preferable
over the other? I don't want overkill, but want to assure that they will
be able to connect to the internet when they come home from college, and
this seems like the best way to avoid IP address conflicts. I have
already assigned a static IP address to my netork printer, and to my
laptop (actually 2 since it is dual booting VISTA and Win 7 Beta). I did
all of these through the route.


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blegs38552

blegs38552 wrote:


I am a FIOS subscriber who conects to the internet via an Actiontec
router. I want to assign static IP addresses to my laptop, and my kid's
laptops. In the router, I have the ability to identify the IP address as
"Static Leased". Also, I know that I can assigned a static IP address
through VISTA. Is it necessary to do both? If not, is one preferable
over the other? I don't want overkill, but want to assure that they will
be able to connect to the internet when they come home from college, and
this seems like the best way to avoid IP address conflicts. I have
already assigned a static IP address to my netork printer, and to my
laptop (actually 2 since it is dual booting VISTA and Win 7 Beta). I did
all of these through the route.

The fact that you connect using FIOS rather than cable or regular DSL has
nothing to do with setting static IP addresses. Normally there is no reason
to assign a static IP address on the WAN side for home use. Static IP
addresses *on the WAN side* (not the LAN side) usually cost more (although
you may get one with FIOS, I don't know about that) and are used more in
corporate situations. It won't *hurt* anything for you to have done this on
the WAN side but it certainly isn't necessary.

Static IP addresses on the *LAN* side are set on the individual computers,
not the router. However, except for the need for a static IP address for a
network printer and any other network devices such as a NAS (and they are
set on the devices themselves, not the router), your working premise is
incorrect. There is no reason not to use DHCP for the computers on the LAN
(including any that come into the home and are then connected to the LAN).
You prevent IP address conflicts by assigning static IP addresses to
network devices that need them outside of the router's DHCP address range.
The exception to this would be if you want to routinely access one of the
LAN computers from outside the LAN using remote control software and
therefore need it to always have the same IP address so you can do
port-forwarding (on the router) to that particular machine.

So I don't know what you've set on the router but from what you've written
none of what you've done (except for assigning a static IP to your network
printer) was necessary.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Thank you for a most complete reply. My problem is that one of my sons
turned on his laptop at home while my Ethernet connected printer was
turned off. At the time, the printer was identified as DHCP in both the
printer and the router. We were no longer able to print because the
router assigned a different IP address form that which the various
computers were using. If I assign a static IP address to the printer, I
would think that this should solve the problem, as long is I correctly
identify the port on each computer. Should I assign the static IP
address in the printer or in the router (or both)? If I do it in the
printer ony and the printer is turned off, will this defeat my purpose,
or will the router still reserve the IP address since it knows it to be
static?

One more question - I am trying out a remote access program called
logmein. Are you familiar with this? It allows me to access a remote
computer from the internet after I install a client app on that
computer. Do you know ifthis requires a static IP address, or doesn't it
matter?


--
blegs38552

blegs38552 wrote:


Thank you for a most complete reply. My problem is that one of my sons
turned on his laptop at home while my Ethernet connected printer was
turned off. At the time, the printer was identified as DHCP in both the
printer and the router. We were no longer able to print because the
router assigned a different IP address form that which the various
computers were using. If I assign a static IP address to the printer, I
would think that this should solve the problem, as long is I correctly
identify the port on each computer. Should I assign the static IP
address in the printer or in the router (or both)? If I do it in the
printer ony and the printer is turned off, will this defeat my purpose,
or will the router still reserve the IP address since it knows it to be
static?

This is exactly why you want to assign a static IP address for the printer
and why it needs to be outside the router's DHCP range. And yes, you would
then go into each computer's Control PanelPrinters and look at the
Properties of the printer. Under the Port settings you can change it to the
correct one. Assigning a static IP address to the printer will solve the
issue you had if you turn the printer off (although I never do turn off my
own printers - it isn't necessary).

On the router, look at the DHCP IP address range. I'll give you examples
based on my network, which is managed by a Linksys router. Obviously your
subnet may be different but the concept is identical.

router address: 192.168.1.1
DHCP IP address range: 192.168.1.100-192.168.1.150
Printer 1: 192.168.1.200
Printer 2: 192.168.1.230

Note that these are all *private* IP addresses; not public ones. Using
private IP addresses (provided by a router to the LAN side) gives you some
protection from the bad guys on the Internet that you don't get when you
have a machine using a public IP address.

All computers on my network are set up to use DHCP for IP and automatic DNS.

One more question - I am trying out a remote access program called
logmein. Are you familiar with this? It allows me to access a remote
computer from the internet after I install a client app on that
computer. Do you know ifthis requires a static IP address, or doesn't it
matter?

From the LogMeIn FAQs (https://secure.logmein.com/products/pro/faq.asp)

"LogMeIn does support dynamic IP addresses. LogMeIn software is coded in a
way that doesn't require the IP Address to be known prior to connection.
Remotely Anywhere, however, does require a static external IP Address, but
can be accessed through the LAN, by using the LAN IP Address as well."

Further questions about LogMeIn should be addressed to them. A cursory look
at their website tells me you probably will want to pay for the Pro
version. You can also use free remote control like UltraVNC and for that
you would need to:

1. On the computer you want to access from outside the LAN (not the router)
set a static IP address outside the DHCP range; i.e., something like
192.168.190 using my Linksys example. This computer is called the "host".
The computer outside the LAN is called the "remote".

2. On the router (not the computer), do port forwarding to 192.168.1.190.
You need to find out what ports the particular application (like UltraVNC
or LogMeIn's Remotely Anywhere) uses and forward the traffic over those
ports to 192.168.190. Another popular commercial (not free) program to do
this is pcAnywhere.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ