Using Dynamic IP Broadband to Host Your Site
By Yoshi DeHerrera - Posted Mar 19, 2002
Editor's Note: To find out how to host a FTP sever with a dynamic IP address, watch the next episode of "The Screen Savers."
Q: At the company than I work for, we want to set up an FTP site via cable modem. The problem is that the cable company only offers dynamic IP addressing. Is there a way we could set up FTP with a dynamic IP address?
-- William via email
A: A dynamic IP address is an address that changes each time you connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This allows ISPs to keep a pool of addresses available to subscribers. If you disconnect from the ISP, your address is returned to the pool, becoming available to the next computer that connects. Most broadband ISPs use dynamic IP. For a vast majority of users who simply surf the Web and use email, dynamic IP is fine.
Things get more complicated if you want to host your website or FTP server. If you want to host such a server, the preferred type of IP address is a static IP address. A static IP address is fixed, much like a telephone number. If your ISP gives you a static address, you will always use the same address. Servers usually have static addresses, so they can always be found at the same location.
Using dynamic IP on a server
If you want to host a server on a dynamic IP address, the solution involves using one of the many services that provide a dynamic DNS service that will redirect people to your server.
DNS (domain name system) is sort of like a phone book that tells people the address of your website or server. For example, when you type in "www.thescreensavers.com", DNS servers will tell your computer that our website is located at 208.185.233.134. For a more in-depth explanation of DNS, here is a site that explains it in detail.
When you employ the services of a dynamic DNS service, you usually install software on your computer that will automatically upload your IP address to the dynamic DNS service. The service then updates the DNS information accordingly.
These services range from DNS redirection to dynamic IP DNS for your domain name. Most of the companies charge for the dynamic IP service and provide the DNS redirection free of charge. You'll pay about $25 a year.
I set up "The Screen Savers" with a DNS redirection. As an example, I set up a website at http://tss.hopto.org/. I used no-ip.com to provide the static redirect. If you click on http://tss.hopto.org/, it will take you to "The Screen Savers" website. When using DNS redirection, you are restricted to using the provider's domain suffix. For a $24.95-a-year fee, we could use our domain name sans the suffix. (The more domain names you redirect, the lower the cost.) Here's a great list of URL redirection links.
TZO is another company that offers dynamic DNS services. It also offers utilities to help configure which ports you can use to host your site, since some ISPs don't allow the use of certain ports that are common for websites.
ZoneEdit is an informative site that lays out the information needed to set you up.
Q: At the company than I work for, we want to set up an FTP site via cable modem. The problem is that the cable company only offers dynamic IP addressing. Is there a way we could set up FTP with a dynamic IP address?
-- William via email
A: A dynamic IP address is an address that changes each time you connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This allows ISPs to keep a pool of addresses available to subscribers. If you disconnect from the ISP, your address is returned to the pool, becoming available to the next computer that connects. Most broadband ISPs use dynamic IP. For a vast majority of users who simply surf the Web and use email, dynamic IP is fine.
Things get more complicated if you want to host your website or FTP server. If you want to host such a server, the preferred type of IP address is a static IP address. A static IP address is fixed, much like a telephone number. If your ISP gives you a static address, you will always use the same address. Servers usually have static addresses, so they can always be found at the same location.
Using dynamic IP on a server
If you want to host a server on a dynamic IP address, the solution involves using one of the many services that provide a dynamic DNS service that will redirect people to your server.
DNS (domain name system) is sort of like a phone book that tells people the address of your website or server. For example, when you type in "www.thescreensavers.com", DNS servers will tell your computer that our website is located at 208.185.233.134. For a more in-depth explanation of DNS, here is a site that explains it in detail.
When you employ the services of a dynamic DNS service, you usually install software on your computer that will automatically upload your IP address to the dynamic DNS service. The service then updates the DNS information accordingly.
These services range from DNS redirection to dynamic IP DNS for your domain name. Most of the companies charge for the dynamic IP service and provide the DNS redirection free of charge. You'll pay about $25 a year.
I set up "The Screen Savers" with a DNS redirection. As an example, I set up a website at http://tss.hopto.org/. I used no-ip.com to provide the static redirect. If you click on http://tss.hopto.org/, it will take you to "The Screen Savers" website. When using DNS redirection, you are restricted to using the provider's domain suffix. For a $24.95-a-year fee, we could use our domain name sans the suffix. (The more domain names you redirect, the lower the cost.) Here's a great list of URL redirection links.
TZO is another company that offers dynamic DNS services. It also offers utilities to help configure which ports you can use to host your site, since some ISPs don't allow the use of certain ports that are common for websites.
ZoneEdit is an informative site that lays out the information needed to set you up.
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