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Re: [TCLUG:8163] questions to ask DSL providers



Quoting Tim Wilson (wilson@chemsun.chem.umn.edu):
> On Thu, 9 Sep 1999, Bob Tanner wrote:
> 
> > > > Public IP addresses or NAT routing happening.
> > 
> > Do you get an IP that is valid on the Internet or does the ISP Masquerade/NAT
> > for you. You did go to Clay's talk a you know what that means right :-)
> > 
> > More of less direct access to AND FROM the Internet (public IP) or is there
> > something in the middle translating packets.
> 
> OK, that makes more sense. I am familiar with NAT (we use it here at
> school). So Public IP addresses == static IP, but what I'm still not clear
> on is whether it's possible to have your own IP, but somehow be behind a
> NAT system. Is the public vs. NAT question another way of saying static
> vs. dhcp?

This is a question so your ISP does not play games with you.

The phrase static IP can be misleading. Most users thing static IP means you
get the same IP everytime AND it is accessiable from the Internet. 

But your ISP could easily say you get a static IP, no additional charge and
they just assign you the same 192.168.x.x IP and NAT for you. Yes, your IP is
static, but no you do not get incoming traffic to your box, because something
is in the middle NAT-ing for you.

So make sure you get a static IP and it is accessiable from the Internet.

The static vs dhcp is tricky.

As an example, Real Time uses DHCP for all single user DSL. If you are dynamic
DSL you get a different IP every 3 days, if you are static you still use DHCP,
but you get the same IP everytime. It make life easier for me because I do not
have to explain subnet masks, default routers, domain servers, etc.

I know it is splitting hairs, but I like using the terms dynamic IP or static
IP, because dhcp is just a method of getting an IP, which could be static or
dynammic.

-- 
Bob Tanner <tanner@real-time.com>       | Phone : (612)943-8700
http://www.real-time.com                | Fax   : (612)943-8500
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