Fixed IP with Eircom Home Plus...

WetDaddy

Well, as it says in the title...

I'm going to ring them tomorrow when I get a chance, but I was just wondering if anyone's got a fixed IP with Eircom and is *not* on a business plan? It just to be the case that €50 was the once-off payment (regardless of your DSL package), but I've read recently that you can only get it if you're on a business plan nowadays...

Thanks!

Seán

Stench Blossoms

You have to be on a business package to get a fixed IP with eircom. No way around it.

WetDaddy

Oh man, really? What a load of crap... It's not like they're starving for IPs or anything.

Cheers for the reply anyway, Orla.

WetDaddy

Actually, correct me if I'm wrong, but the "Broadband Home Professional" and "Broadband Business Starter" seem to be identical, both price-wise (€48.40) and speed-wise (3M/384k), except with the latter, you're "entitled" to get a static IP for €50 if you so wish...

Anyone any insight into this? Thanks!

Fremen

It's not like they're starving for IPs or anything.

Actually, you'd be surprised. IPv6 was created partly because the current IP system doesn't have enough address space.
There are only about 4.5 billion possible IP addresses under IPv4, with a whole chunk of that number reserved for special functions.

Eircom have probably only been assigned a certain number of addresses, so I guess they have to use them sparingly.

WetDaddy

Fremen wrote:

Eircom have probably only been assigned a certain number of addresses, so I guess they have to use them sparingly.

True, but I've heard mixed reports of IPv4 exhaustion. Many of the existing "static" IPs aren't actually used and there's talk of a global ISP "IP audit" being proposed (not a bad idea, imho). In any event though, the advent of DHCP and NAT has slowed things down, but more to the point: I get a dynamic IP when I connect to Eircom *anyway*, so I can't really see the harm in them providing me with a fixed IP. Surely (and I could be mistaken here) *either* way, I'm taking up on of the IPs assigned to Eircom... I don't see how it could make a difference, unless I sign up for a fixed IP and then I never use it

Although if I'm wrong, I'd love someone to explain it to me!

dub45

Folex wrote:

True, but I've heard mixed reports of IPv4 exhaustion. Many of the existing "static" IPs aren't actually used and there's talk of a global ISP "IP audit" being proposed (not a bad idea, imho). In any event though, the advent of DHCP and NAT has slowed things down, but more to the point: I get a dynamic IP when I connect to Eircom *anyway*, so I can't really see the harm in them providing me with a fixed IP. Surely (and I could be mistaken here) *either* way, I'm taking up on of the IPs assigned to Eircom... I don't see how it could make a difference, unless I sign up for a fixed IP and then I never use it

Although if I'm wrong, I'd love someone to explain it to me!

Well lets say they have 50 and they assign 30 as fixed that gives them 20 to play around with and if you are not on yours is not being used but not available to them as a resource - whereas if they assign a much smaller number as fixed then they have more flexibility. I presume also that there is constant pressure on isps as the demand for domestic bb grows?

WetDaddy

Well lets say they have 50 and they assign 30 as fixed that gives them 20 to play around with and if you are not on yours is not being used but not available to them as a resource - whereas if they assign a much smaller number as fixed then they have more flexibility. I presume also that there is constant pressure on isps as the demand for domestic bb grows?

Great. Thanks dub45, now I feel stupid...

You're right though, that does make sense. I guess they have to try and estimate a balance between amount of clients, fixed IPs and available dynamic IPs.

Still doesn't change the fact that I don't have a car. I mean... fixed IP address. ("Bueller... Bueller...")

dub45

Aren't people on here regularly giving advice on how to get around the fixed ips thing? I think this is the link suggested:

http://www.dyndns.com/

WetDaddy

I've seen that, thanks. I was also using No-Ip.org for a while too... But I what I want is access to my router specifically (and to be able to leave my machines switched off, use Wake-on LAN, etc.). I will also be able to get dedicated routing on my company's VPN if I have a "true" static IP. Thanks for the suggestion, though!

JNive

many routers have dyndns clients built in

WetDaddy

JNive wrote:

many routers have dyndns clients built in

Hey, I never knew that! Just checked my router (WAG54G) and it too supports DynDNS.org (at the very least). Fantastic! Cheers for all the replies fellas; gonna go play around with this and see how I get on!

WetDaddy

Just a little epilogue for those interested: I rang up Eircom there and asked them what the difference between the "Home Professional" and "Business Starter" broadband packages were (on the site, the specs seem the same).

They said there was no difference at all except the latter comes with MORE of a download allowance. The operator I was dealing with added that he'd no idea why they were different, but that's just the way it is!

So, I've changed over to the business package and tomorrow I'll be calling up for my static IP. €50 is fairly steep, but it's a once-off payment and it's cool with me. No more mailing myself my own IP address in the morning so I can VNC into my home machine instead of doing work!

JohnnieM

Folex wrote:

Oh man, really? What a load of crap... It's not like they're starving for IPs or anything.

Cheers for the reply anyway, Orla.

Move your broadband account to Magnet Business .. they have the Office@ home package for €29 per month plus vat and it gives a fixed ip as standard..

WetDaddy

JohnnieM wrote:

Move your broadband account to Magnet Business .. they have the Office@ home package for €29 per month plus vat and it gives a fixed ip as standard..

That looks like it's 1MB/128Kbps though: http://www.magnetbusiness.ie/corporate/broadband.html

Cabaal

imho most people don't need a static IP and services like dyndns.org will do the job fine, of course if you need a static IP for something business related then why not actually pay for a business package?

towel401

So what? if you need the business package, get the business package. they cost the same and you get another 10GB a month to download. I have it on a residential account + the static IP.

@cabaal it would be nearly impossible to run a mailserver off your own network these days if you don't have a static IP. most other mailservers will block you just for having a dynamic IP. you can get around it by forwarding all outgoing mail to some ISP SMTP server but that is annoying, and they impose lmits on the message size. and you end up getting stuck with a .dyndns.org address that isn't great either you can subscribe to use your own but in the long run it is better to just pay the €50

I have seen an ISP that makes you pay every month for a static IP :mad:

JohnnieM

Folex wrote:

That looks like it's 1MB/128Kbps though: http://www.magnetbusiness.ie/corporate/broadband.html

Yeah It is.. i thought price was an issue the way you were talking:o and you did say you were on non business package from eircom

All Magnets packages come with fixed ip's you can get up to three fixed ips included with the dearer packages..
What about ADSL 3Mb/384k €45Plus Vodka & Tonic .
You also get support that actually answer the phone in minutes and can usually resolve any issues..Now thats worth paying for..;)

WetDaddy

towel401 wrote:

So what? if you need the business package, get the business package. they cost the same and you get another 10GB a month to download. I have it on a residential account + the static IP.

I think you may have missed the part where I said "So, I've changed over to the business package and tomorrow I'll be calling up for my static IP."

I have seen an ISP that makes you pay every month for a static IP :mad:

Yeah, totally ridiculous! They're just preying on the fact that some people believe static IPs to be a bigger deal than they actually are...

WetDaddy

JohnnieM wrote:

You also get support that actually answer the phone in minutes and can usually resolve any issues..Now thats worth paying for..;)

Very true. I was with Netsource for two years (then moved house) and had a static IP and, I must say, excellent support. Good speeds for the time, too.
They were acquired by magnet about a year or so ago.

JohnnieM

I hoped you hadnt quite committed to Eircom with the business package and having ring next day for static ip etc etc.. you sure didnt waste time... actually its 50 plus vat... ripoff...

WetDaddy

The Home Professional and Business Starter are identical in every way except that you're entitled to 10GB more download a month with the latter (which I'm now on; nope, didn't waste time with it admittedly! ).

I mistitled this thread, btw. I am already on the Home Professional. I was also assured by Eircom that there'll be no change in price, except that I'll have the once-off fee for static IP on the next bill.

Yeah, it is pretty expensive for an IP, but it's a hell of a lot less hassle than changing my ISP (which means downtime, phone call after phone call, etc. I'm sure we've all been through it!).

Cheers for all the replies by the way, everyone.

Holsten

What's the benfit of having a fixed Ip?

WetDaddy

Holsten wrote:

What's the benfit of having a fixed Ip?

Lots of things, but most people would use it for remote access to their PC from work (or wherever). Accessing files, scheduling stuff, downloading files, etc. You could also do things like run a webserver / FTP / Mailserver off it, if you wanted. Kinda depends on the scale of your home network, etc. Small businesses would usually get good use out of it.

I also want it so I can put my router as an "okayed" IP on our corporate network and to be able to access our servers directly, rather than have to use VPN Client Software which, in my case, routes my traffic across the Atlantic before coming back to Europe and slows things down a lot.

CuLT

To play Devil's advocate here, it should be noted that a static IP also potentially leaves you at higher risk of hack attempts, especially to novice users attempting to run web services from DSL connections.

Unless you really know what you're doing, it is inadvisable to go down this route.

For most "home" users, a static IP address is simply not necessary. As Folex notes, VPN clients, due to the (justified) security paranoid nature of VPN administration, are generally required to have a static address, and along with this, highly restrictive security software.

Most uses for a static IP address that an SME would benefit from would be better left to a proper web hosting company. Even if you were to disregard the security concerns, the speed at which outside users can access a DSL-bound web service are abysmal, as most consumer DSL services are designed for downloading, not uploading.