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%Begin What Is a Dynamic IP Address? GA
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REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Internet, Networking, & Security > Home Networking 153 153 people found this article helpful
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He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on October 6, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Home Networking ISP The Wireless Connection Routers & Firewalls Network Hubs Broadband Ethernet Installing & Upgrading Wi-Fi & Wireless A dynamic IP address is an IP address that's automatically assigned to each connection, or node, of a network, like your smartphone, computer, or tablet. This automatic assignment of IP addresses is accomplished by a DHCP server.
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A DHCP-server-assigned IP address is called dynamic because it will often be different on future connections to the network. The "opposite" of a dynamic IP address is called a static IP address (one that was configured manually).
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Where Are Dynamic IP Addresses Used
The public IP address that gets assigned to the router of most home and business users by their ISPs is a dynamic IP address. Larger companies usually do not connect to the internet using dynamic IP addresses and instead have static IP addresses assigned to them, and only them.
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In a local network like in your home or place of business, where you use a private IP address, most devices are probably configured for DHCP, meaning that they're using dynamic IP addresses. If DHCP is not enabled, each device in your home network would need to have network information manually set up. Some Internet Service Providers assign "sticky" dynamic IP addresses that do change, just less frequently than a typical dynamic IP address.
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What Are the Advantages of Dynamic IP Addresses
The main advantage of assigning IP addresses dynamically is that it's more flexible, and easier to set up and administer than static IP address assignments. For example, one laptop that connects to the network can be assigned a particular IP address, and when it disconnects, that address is now free to be used by another device that connects later on, even if it's not that same laptop.
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With this type of IP address assignment, there's little limit to the number of devices that can connect to a network, since ones that don't need to be connected can disconnect and free up the pool of available addresses for another device. The alternative would be for the DHCP server to set aside a particular IP address for each device, just in case, that it wanted to connect to the network.
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In this scenario, a few hundred devices, no matter if they were being used or not, would each have their own IP address which could limit access for new devices. Another advantage of using dynamic IP addresses is that it's easier to implement than static IP addresses.
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Nothing needs to be set up manually for new devices that connect to the network—all you have to do is make sure DHCP is enabled on the router. Since almost every network device is configured by default to grab an IP address from the available pool of addresses, everything is automatic.
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What Are the Disadvantages of Dynamic IP Addresses
While it's extremely common, and technically acceptable, for a home network to use a dynamically assigned IP address for its router, a problem arises if you're trying to access that network from an outside network. Let's say your home network is assigned a dynamic IP address by your ISP, but you need to remotely access your home computer from your work computer.
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Since some remote access/desktop programs require that you know the IP address of your router to get to the computer inside that network, but the IP address of your router changes periodically because it's dynamic, you could run into trouble. It's for this reason that users in this type of situation might opt for a dynamic DNS service.
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A DDNS service makes it easier to access your computer from outside your network because a specific name is assigned to your network, and that name is always tied to your current IP address, even if it changes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know!
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Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire What Is an IP Address? NETGEAR Default Password List (Updated October 2022) What Is a Public IP Address?
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(and How to Find Yours) Cisco Default Password List (Updated October 2022) What Is DHCP? (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) How to Fix a 169 IP Address Error What Is a Static IP Address?
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Private IP Addresses: Everything You Need to Know When to Use a Static IP Address How to Change DNS Servers in Windows How to Set Up Port Forwarding Can't Connect to the Internet? Try These 10 Tips How to Fix a "Failed to Obtain IP Address" Android Error How to Find the Printer on Your Network in Windows 10 How to Change Your IP Address How to Find the Default IP Address of a Belkin Router Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies
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