Re: Static IPs

[Henry Yen <blinux-mail@AegisInfoSys.com>]

On Fri, Sep 07, 2001 at 01:38:57AM -0700, Karl Dahlke wrote:
> Someone described a pseudo-always-on dsl connection from Ameritech,
> wherein the company drops you if you're not busy,
> and you wake up with a new ip address.
> What a frightening thought.

I suppose, but that's the class of service you're paying for (a high-speed
replacement for a modem dial-up).  The service normally afforded to
"home" users doesn't normally allow one to run servers, so having a
static IP address (which wasn't normally available under dial-up
plans, either) isn't an issue.  If you want to be able to host
servers with static IP addresses, you need to purchase "business"-class
services.

That said, there are, in fact, many providers who will sell you "home"
DSL service with a static IP address.

> I've just started hosting my own web site, on my own machine,
> and I don't know why I didn't take the plunge long ago.
> It's easy, and it's fun.

Yes, although I would like to point out that most home-based
web sites often have much, much poorer security than a web
hosting company, and in that regard contribute significantly
to various network floods and attacks (cable service users are
probably the worst).  Web hosting companies will sell you
your own web site which has a static IP, multiple very-high-speed
and redundant internet connections, power backup, etc., all at
a very cheap price (less than $20/month).  There are also various
providers (geocities, etc.) which will give you a website for "free".
Most all of these (free and non-free) come with easy-to-use
website management and monitoring software as well.

That said, there is a significant educational benefit in
running a server system at home.

> There are numerous advantages, and a couple disadvantages.
> Well anyways, it would be unthinkable if I had such a terrible isp.
> I certainly can't reprogram all the name servers on the internet
> every time they decide to give me a new ip address.

There are several "dynamic DNS" providers (many non-free but cheap, and
a few that are free) which will allow you to make more-or-less
real-time DNS changes on-line.  This kind of service will mostly
take care of the dynamic IP address problem.

There is also a service called "URL forwarding" which also eliminates
the problem by assigning a static IP, but invisibly re-directing
to/from the server (dynamic IP address or not) of your choice (a two-way
proxy, so to speak).  I'm not sure if there's anybody doing that
for free, but again it's available cheap (a few dollars a month).

> The cable at-home service doesn't work like that,
> and I have nothing but good things to say about them.

I doubt that their terms of service have much to say regarding how
the service is provided (e.g., static IP address), and they
will no doubt change it in the future, anyway.

> They even tried to help me set up,
> knowing that I was on Linux.
> That's pretty rare.

Yes, but less so as time goes by.

> Getting back to the IPs;
> one day we lost the bill, or it got lost in the mail, or whatever,
> and I was behind, so they turned off the service.
> I called with my credit card to turn it back on and asked,
> please please please,
> can I have my old ip back again.
> "Sure, we've been saving it for you."
> Now that's class,
> and its certainly important to those of us who are hosting our own sites.

You shouldn't count on it, as it will eventually change; also, unfortunately,
your experience is far from universal.

-- 
Henry Yen <henry@AegisInfoSys.com>              Aegis Information Systems, Inc.
Senior Systems Programmer                       Hicksville, New York