Most folks do not have any reason that they would need to know their internet address at any given time of the day. But when you need access to resources on your home pc or home network from somewhere other than home like work, a friends house, some random hotspot, whatever. You need to know the address of your internet connection at home in order to access your remote desktop, ftp server, security camera system, etc.
For years I've been using a free account registered with a dynamic dns service at DynDNS.com Through them I can create a subdomain on one of the many domains they have available and they will point that subdomain to the IP address that they've been given. After the DynDNS server is informed of a new ip address it only takes a couple of minutes to take effect. I have ADSL service through AT&T that is a dynamic IP plan. Every time I reconnect my PPPoE connection, my WAN address changes. Well, this stinks for me because I like to remotely connect to my desktop and run other services on my network that I could only access from somewhere else if I know the WAN address. By using DynDNS.com and the dyndns feature on my D-link router, the router will automatically inform the DynDNS.com server what my IP address is. Now I can be assured that whenever I connect to 'tjolsen.dyndns.com' it will be pointing to the current IP address assigned to my WAN connection at home. It is like having a static IP address without the added cost of a static ip plan from AT&T. DHSinclair <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: When I mentioned dynamic dns before, what I was referring to is a feature where the router automatically notifies a server what the ip address you are currently assigned is. This server provides a vanity address that can be used to access your lan from the net. Essentially you get a static 'named' address that will always point to your dynamically changing ip address. Check out http://www.technopagan.org/dynamic/ Thanks for the link. More reading. I read the words you sent. They really went over my head. OK. We could be stuck on 'server.' Yes, I think I own one. At this time, I may not really, truly, have a 'server' on my LAN. It (my server) may just really be another PC (with special potential if/when I turn it on!). I agree that my "LAN" might really suck. I am seeing this now. I am now thinking of re-trying the class C IP series....just to get directly against the modem!...and.....just because I screwed it up so bad 2 weeks ago. More read.............no harm, no foul. Thank you. (too bad you are not next door!) I do have patience. Best, Duncan -Tharin O.