Question by Jimmy: How often does my IP address change on my home broadband?
I don’t have a fixed IP address. Does it change more or less often for DSL versus cable broadband?
Best answer:
Answer by RJ
To be honest with you your IP doesn’t change too much… they only change when you restart the modem… You can also have a static IP that will never change… my IP has not changed in over 2 months…
What do you think? Answer below!
IP addresses within your home are not really important as long as there is not a conflict.
The IP address is controlled by your ISP. When setting up DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) the Administrator selects how long the IP address lease last. At the end of this electronic lease period the modem polls the DHCP Server for a new IP address along with a new lease period. Since your modem has already established use of the IP address the DHCP server typically just renews the lease period nd the IP address remains the same. However, during the exchange of information is another requests comes in from another modem,at just the right moment, your IP address could be given to a different modem and you modem would get a new IP address.
One reason for his arrangement is to ensure that modems that have been excluded from the system are no longer given an IP address when the lease expires. For instance, when a service is discontinued.
Another reason is or security.
The length of the lease is adjustable by the Network Administrator.
Short answer: your dynamic IP address changes when — and as often as — your service provider decides it will, though you might do something that influences the change.
Dynamic IP addresses are assigned by the network. If your Internet service provider (ISP) has decided that every time a modem comes online at your end of the line, a new IP address will be assigned, then yes: turning your modem off then on will mean you get a new IP address. This is what I mean by influence versus control. You do not decide when you get an IP address, or if it will be the same or different. However, if you learn the network’s rules, you might be able to influence it to do things.
Some service providers will give you a “lease” on an IP address that’s good for up to 3 days, for example. If you disconnect your modem from their network, then reconnect, you might get the same or a different IP address. You could be working along and not even notice the tiniest interruption in your service when your lease on the IP address expires, and your modem (or router, or computer, or gaming console…) makes a new connection to the network, maybe with a different IP address.
Similarly, if you have a poor connection to your ISP, you might lose service. You might lose service dozens of times a day and not notice it because it comes right back, or you think what you’re getting is good service (depends on your experience and point of view). Even if this is happening by accident, you could end up getting dozens of different IP addresses in one day.
Your dynamic (changing) IP address does not change depending on your type of service. Nor can you control when it changes — though you can influence it. For instance, you might have a DSL provider who decides everyone gets a 6-hour lease on IP addresses, and that at the end of every 6-hour lease, the IP address must change. That seems strange to me, but hey, I’m not an Internet service provider. I woudn’t expect it; but they could do it if they wanted to. They could suddenly decide every subscriber gets a static (unmoving, unchanging) IP address, even if you have no use for that.
It is entirely up to the service provider, to manage their network(s) they way they want to. The network decides, though you might help it along.