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[GigabitEthernet]

I am trying out using static IPs on all the devices here as it seems easier to keep track of which devices are connected to the network. There is also DHCP reservation but since I change routers quite a bit setting this up each time is reasonably time consuming.

What are your opinions? Do you use DHCP reservations, static IPs or something else all together?

[roseway]

I use static IP addresses below 192.168.1.100 for devices which are permanently or frequently part of the network, and DHCP for occasional items. I always set up routers to have the same IP address 192.168.1.254  and I set up their DHCP servers to serve addresses from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.253. So I can (and do) change routers frequently, knowing that any network shares I've set up will be unaffected.

[burakkucat]

I use static addresses for all regular devices on my LAN and DHCP assigned addresses for temporary items.

Just like Eric, I always set my modem/router to have a 192.168.1.254 IP address and the DCHP server's address pool is configured as 192.168.1.64 to 192.168.1.253

[tickmike]

+1    Static IP's for all our computers, tablets, phones that need WiFi, network printers and scanners all my many test machines.

I have a set of 'Public IP address's'>ISP>Non Natting Router>Hard ware Firewall (Smoothwall, built from an old computer www.smoothwall.org ) Four networks cards output.
 A=192.168.0.1 general internet.
 B=176.16.1.1 NAS.
 C=192.168.10.1 Web server.
 D=10.10.1.1 Remote back up from my daughters laptop at her uni.

[silversurfer44]

Now I configure any wired network devices with static addresses, but I use reserved/dynamic for any wireless devices.
The reason for using dynamic/reserved is that on many occasion a wireless laptop would show as being connected to the network when infact it was only connected to the loop and not to the lan. Quite misleading.

[sheddyian]

I've been solely using DHCP until recently, albeit with some DHCP reservations so that the printer, my webcam server and occasional FTP server always have the same ip address for the benefit of the router's NAT addressing.

But having recently had problems with a 2nd modem I use as an additional wireless access point (and the bonus of 3 extra LAN sockets!) which is configured to be a DHCP relay, but which fails to pass the default gateway setting, I've got a copuple of fixed ip addreses on devices plugged into that.

DHCP allocates addresses 192.168.1.2 > 199 (including reserves)
Fixed ip addresses at 200+

Ian

[kitz]

I always used to use static ips, with a small reserved pool for visiting machines.

However I tend to be less fussy these days, probably because I have far more wireless devices on which it's not quite so easy to set a static ip ie smart tv, apple tv.... but more the iPod, iPad and phone which can and do travel and connect to different networks.

Then there's several devices which routinely and frequently access from here.

The only static ip I have set ATM is on my PC for port forwarding purposes.

[Chrysalis]

I used to always use static but now use dhcp reservation for permanent devices.

In effect there is little practical difference between the two, but if mobile devices and you set to dhcp with dhcp reservation it then means the mobile device can connect via dhcp wherever it goes without needing to change its config, so at home your mobile device keeps its own ip whilst on dhcp and stays compatible with other devices when not at home.

[Howlingwolf]

I use something similar to Roseway and Kitz.

Router on 192.168.1.1
Static addresses between 192.168.1.8 and .99 for permanent wired devices.
DHCP between 192.168.1.100 and .254 for wireless devices.

[sevenlayermuddle]

Re the compatibility of home and away network settings for DHCP/static....

...Surely this affects issue affects wired LAN as well as wireless?   ISTR had to jump through a few small hoops when I sometimes worked from home using my office laptop.  I wanted to use wired LAN in both settings, and the IT admins at work wanted static IP,  whereas I wanted either DHCP or a different static IP while at home.

I optimistically imagined that the same problem did not actually exist for WiFi, as different WiFi networks can be discriminated using the SSID.  Basically  I assumed that the WiFi DHCP/IP settings were on per-SSID basis and would be remembered as such, just as the WiFi password is remembered per-SSID.  That would allow DHCP on one SSID, static on another, a different static on a third, and so on....  Must admit though, I've never put it to the test.

Or have I misunderstood?   Or am I just plain wrong?

[kitz]

Only just seen this, and Im not quite sure if I understand what you are meaning (bad head day!)

... but one of the reasons why Im less bothered these days about fixed IPs unless I need to port forward.. is because of the issue with wifi devices which are used at different locations..   and yes it would apply to LAN or wifi.

I think it also depends on the network addressing of the 2 locations.. ie if both routers are using the 192.168.1.x range then even if the laptop was say allocated a fixed IP of 192.168.1.100 at one location, it would still try and get that at the other location regardless if it was DHCP or static.

My phone has problems trying to connect with my router unless its given a fixed IP - known issue with some android phones and some thomson routers - so this can cause problems if Im wanting to use DHCP elsewhere...... but I have an App called wi-fi manager in which I can store and manage different network connections and allows me to switch between network configs.

[sevenlayermuddle]

Actually I now have an example of what I was on about.

I've spent the week at my Dad's place, using my iPad with his WiFi.   There was clearly some kind of DNS imcompatiility between the AOL DNS servers and the iPad as about one in three web pages would fail to load 'server not found'.   My sister's iPad behaved same as mine, whereas Dad's PC worked fine.

I  resolved it by going into the iPad's WiFi settings, choosing Dad's network.   The DNS showing 192.168.1.254 (Dad's router) so I changed it in iPad settings to 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4, google's DNS servers.  The change was 'sticky', and the iPad continued to use Google DNS, and to show that under settings.   The iPad now worked... but would the change also affect it when used on orher networks...?

Well I'm now home again and, on my home network, the iPad is showing 192.168.1.1, ie it's letting my router do the DNS, as it did before.   The settings for Dad's WiFi have not affected those for my own WiFi.

I would therefor assume (but have not proven) that other settings, such as a fixed IP could also be set for one WiFi network, but left to default to DHCP when on other WiFis?