Internet, Networking, & Security Home Networking How to Obtain a Fixed IP Address Lock an IP Address to Avoid Disruption of Certain Remote Services by Bradley Mitchell Writer An MIT graduate who brings years of technical experience to articles on SEO, computers, and wireless networking. our editorial process LinkedIn Bradley Mitchell Updated on November 19, 2019 Home Networking The Wireless Connection Routers & Firewalls Network Hubs ISP Broadband Ethernet Installing & Upgrading Wi-Fi & Wireless Tweet Share Email Sometimes your computer's IP address may change when it connects to a network, even though you have made no modifications to your setup. It happens more frequently if you have kept the computer shut off or if you have been away from home for a while. This is an expected behavior of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), which most networks use. However, some people require fixed IP addresses to access their device remotely over the internet. Using Fixed IP Addresses on Home Networks Your home network router (or other DHCP server) keeps track of how long ago it issued your computers IP addresses. To make sure that the network does not run out of IP addresses, DHCP servers set a time limit called a lease for how long each computer can be guaranteed to keep their same address, after which the address will be re-assigned to the next device that tries to connect to it. Routers typically set a relatively short DHCP lease time, which is about 24 hours and also allows administrators to change the default value. Shorter leases make sense on large networks with many devices connecting and disconnecting but generally aren't helpful on home networks. By changing your DHCP lease time to a longer value, you can increase the likelihood that each computer will keep its lease indefinitely. Alternatively, with more effort, you can set up static IP addresses on a home network instead of using DHCP. Static addressing guarantees your computers will always use the same fixed IP address no matter how long it's disconnected between sessions. To change DHCP lease times or change your network to static addressing log into your home router as an administrator and update the appropriate configuration settings. Using Fixed IP Addresses on Public Networks StockImages_AT / Getty Images While you can control the addresses assigned to your home computers, the IP addresses assigned to your router by your internet provider are still subject to change at the provider's discretion. To obtain a static IP address from an internet provider requires signing up for a special service plan and paying extra fees. Mobile devices connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots also will have their IP addresses change regularly. It is not possible to keep the same public IP address for a device when you move between public networks. Use a Virtual Private Network Some VPN solutions—especially configurations you create yourself using technologies like Algo—will route all your traffic through a defined IP address. This capability can be useful for use cases where a source or destination IP address must be white-listed. For example, some security products require that a dedicated or specifically identified IP address or IP range access it. Using a VPN even if your ISP won't supply a fixed public IP address can help you surmount this barrier. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit