Wireless network USB dongles

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Hi,

Has anyone come across an ISP that supplies these dongles with a static rather than a dynamic ip address?

Thanks,
Mark

 

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Are you referring to your WAN address as static or the one sent to the laptop where you USB dongle is attached to? As if its the latter, then the ip is addressed by DHCP, you can change it to static if you like.

 

Hi,

I am referring to the WAN (public ip address).

Mark

 

There are some that do these as part of their package, some other isp also can do this, but at an additional charge.
Can i ask why?
as a work around, you can use dyndns, which will assign you a domain name (free), and whenever your ip changes, it automatically, updates their database (upi will either need to log in periodically, or download a client), and the name stays the same even though the up address changes.

Hope this helps

 

Hi,

Sometimes I am on the move and need to remotely access our Windows 2003 server in the office. If I am assigned a dynamic ip, rather than having a static ip address, I will have to keep changing the firewall rules setting in our office router when I am there.

I don't think our router has provision for assigning a domain name (Dynamic DNS) instead of an ip address. Having a static ip set to a USB dongle would be simple.

Many thanks, Mark

 

Ah. you arent talking about usb wireless dongles then. You are talking about the mobile network cards, like the 3G cards from o2, orange, etc. Essentially a mobile phone modem.

USB wireless dongles are the USB wireless adapters for an internal network.

I'm sure they would all offer static IP addressing... for a price.

 

Hi,

Yes, I mean the USB Broadband dongles. To my knowledge, there are no ISPs that provide a static ip with these devices.

Mark

 

most ISPs in general dont provide static IP as standard. But if you ask them, its usually possible to do so. I would assume that these are exactly the same. Have you actually called and asked them? I'm guessing that in most cases, you will need to talk to their Business account managers, rather than average joe on the customer service numbers, but I'd be willing to bet they would be happy to charge you extra to do it.

Could'nt you just use vpn for this?

 

VPN..

 

itbookham,

Here's your problem with what you're trying to achieve. Your wireless NIC associates with the nearest wireless access point. That wireless access point is associated with a specific IP address by it's IP configuration source, like it's own DHCP server. That whole DHCP server network for the wireless access point is usually on a wired network. As you may or may not know, wired networks require a consistent IP subnet for that wireless segment. So as you physically roam from one wireless access point to another, there's a handoff that occurs, be it at the Data Link layer (therefore within the same IP subnet) or at the Network Layer (therefore DIFFERENT IP subnets). A wireless access point acts like a switch, so roaming is analogous to unplugging your ethernet cable from one switch to another. Sometimes, you "unplug" from one wireless access point on one subnet and "plug in" to a wireless access point on the same subnet. In that case, you can retain the same IP address. However, if you roam from one wireless access point on one subnet to another wireless access point on a DIFFERENT subnet, then if you retain a static IP address from the first subnet, then by definition, you WILL have connectivity problems when your wireless NIC associates with the second wireless access point So it's your choice, either you keep a static IP address and have connectivity problems, or you keep a dyanamic IP address and don't have connectivity problems. Unfortunately, due to the laws of physics, you can't have both a static IP AND the capability to roam anywhere you want without connectivity loss.

 

Thank you for all the suggestions. Reading the comments it sounds as if vpn is the likely solution. If as Mr Lee suggests I opt for a dynamic ip, then the router at the office will have to be continually updated to reflect the ip address I am using, as I 'roam' from one access point to the next. If I opt for a static ip, you suggest there will be connectivity problems as well.

How complex is it to set up a vpn? Are there any good guides on the web?

Thanks again for the helpful advice.

Mark

 

To set up a VPN, simply go to Control Panel\ Network and Internet Connections\ Network Connections\ then in network tasks select "Create a new connection" then the Wizard will take you through what you need

 

Hi,

I have created a vpn connection, but I think the router firewall is blocking communication, as it is returning an Error 800 'unable to establish the vpn connection'. I am not too sure how to allow the vpn connection in the router firewall?

 

itbookham,

You will have to work with your Network Administrator/Engineer to figure out how to permit a VPN to travel as deep into your company's network as possible to the subnet that the destination servers are located, while maintaining a secure infrastructure for the company's network. Then work with your System Administrator/Engineer to setup a VPN endpoint so that you can then remotely administer the specific server(s) that you need to work with.

 

best bet^