How so I set up static IP for gaming and FTP?

spacemanjupiter

Distinguished
Jan 8, 2009
51
0
18,530
I noticed in my router settings I can set a static IP there. There are already numbers entered there, even though it is not enabled, which seems to be an IP and default gateway through Comcast. IP starts with 50.129.xxx.xxx which makes sense to me.

However, in my windows settings for TCP IP I have a static IP set as 192.168.1.7. This isn't going to do me any good though right? If someone wants to connect to my hosted game in Halo PC through direct IP, 192.168.1.7 isn't going to work I'm sure.

Do I need to set the static IP in Windows to match what I see in my router settings that Comcast evidently inserted in case I wanted to use a static IP? I'm not network savvy. I'd like to set up a static IP for some games, and also being able to set up FTP between me and my cousin's computer across the country so I can transfer files to him quickly and easily.
 
Solution
So...what you want to do is have a publicly accessible server, be it game or FTP.

1. Most ISP's frown on 'servers'. They may not actually do anything about it, but it's in the Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policy - "No servers"
In Comcasts convoluted set of links, I could not actually find their AUP.

2. Some ISPs actively block port 21 (default FTP port). Comcast does not appear to do this.

On to static and dynamic IP addresses.
There are two realms, internal and external. Your router may well have static IP addresses set up. Maybe 192.168.1.4, 192.168.1.5, 192.168.1.6...Those have nothing to do with your external address. They are what is seen and used inside your network, behind the router.

Your external address...

spacemanjupiter

Distinguished
Jan 8, 2009
51
0
18,530


I don't know what 'dynamic DNS sites and utilities' are or how it would help me but I'll google it. I also am curious as to why a static IP would be automatically provided in my router settings along with a subnet mask and default gateway that are obviously from Comcast if they didn't expect me to possibly use it. I enabled that in my router settings and I'm still able to get online so I assume they are providing a working static IP to me. There were also DNS numbers already entered, but before I enabled it I just had it set to 'get dynamically/automatically from isp' for IP and DNS.
 

Shadowjk

Honorable
Aug 2, 2013
26
0
10,560
You are going to run into issues with NAT. You can get a static IP address but unless your router can support it when a client enters your public IP address they could be brought to your routers config page since your router is the one with the address not your internal server. If you router can, make sure you make a one to one NAT map so that if traffic enters a specific IP address it is forwarded straight to the FTP server.

DNS will be an issue so unless you only want clients to access the FTP server via IP address you are going to have to register a domain name and tie it with FTP servers public IP address.

Josh
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
So...what you want to do is have a publicly accessible server, be it game or FTP.

1. Most ISP's frown on 'servers'. They may not actually do anything about it, but it's in the Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policy - "No servers"
In Comcasts convoluted set of links, I could not actually find their AUP.

2. Some ISPs actively block port 21 (default FTP port). Comcast does not appear to do this.

On to static and dynamic IP addresses.
There are two realms, internal and external. Your router may well have static IP addresses set up. Maybe 192.168.1.4, 192.168.1.5, 192.168.1.6...Those have nothing to do with your external address. They are what is seen and used inside your network, behind the router.

Your external address is what matters. That is what the rest of the world sees. No idea what your is, but for instance mine on Verizon is 70.252.70.xxx. That is dynamically assigned by Verizon. Or in your case, Comcast. That can and does change, whenever your ISP feels like it. Your router gets a dynamic IP address from Comcast.

So for someone to get to a game or FTP server I host, they'd have to know the specific IP address. And if it changed from 70.252.70.xxx (what it was yesterday)...they'll never get there, unless you tell them what it is now.

Port forwarding: This is a function in your router that says "Oh...if someone talks to me via Port 21, I'm supposed to forward that traffic to some specific internal IP address". But the outside person has to know your external IP address first.
So they would put in something like 70.252.70.xxx:21. Your router gets that, and forward that traffic to and from your server box.

You can get a static address that does not change from your provider, but it is not a free service.

There are services such as noip.com that can give you a publicly static address. It monitors your changeable address, and adjusts accordingly.
 
Solution