hi. is it normal to always have the same ip address? my firewall seems to be blocking alot of malware probes lately so i checked my connection status. it says the ip address is assigned by the dhcp server but this ip address hasnt changed for a month(which is when i started keeping track) . the lease obtained/expired keeps changing though. i always thougth ip addresses get changed. i tried the release/renew manually through the command prompt but it kept coming up with the same ip address. i also tried the repair button with windows but no change. any ideas what to do? or should i just contact my service provider.thanx alot
If you have a DSL or cable modem upstream from your firewall, you would probably need to shut it down for a bit and turn it back on to renew your WAN IP. Even then, if your internet provider has provided you with a static IP, this may not work.
FWIW, I was told by an ISP tech that if you swap your NIC from one PCI slot to another your IP address will change. I seem to recall doing that once, and it worked.
I wouldn't really bother changing your IP address. Why? Because you are going to see these same types of probes on a regular basis, even if you change your IP. Get yourself a decent little firewall (or two, in series), and everything should be okay.
thanx for the replies. i guess im stuck with it. the firewall seems to be working fine so i guess its ok. i just get worried when i get these malware attacks for no reason.
I agree there is no sense worrying about it but if you really want it to change, leave your connection down for an extended period of time when you arent using it (say overnight), there is a good chance when you turn it back on you will get a different address. Also if your ISP is using DHCP then it keys off your MAC address so if your router allows you to change your WAN interface MAC address then you may be able to get a new address just by altering the MAC address a bit and then restarting to fetch a new address.
hi.yes the isp is using dhcp but im not using a router though. i tried shutting down the modem for a few hrs but that didnt do anyhting but i will try overnight next. im using high speed cable with shaw.thanx
its a crap shoot. sometimes powering it down for a minute works, sometime powering it down for 12 hours has no effect. I have no explanation, other than to suggest try and try again. Do an "ipconfig /release" before shutting it down, clears your IP. 1. Click Start 2. Run 3. enter CMD 4. at prompt, enter ipconfig /release 5. power down modem.... 6. wait 7. go to prompt, enter ipconfig /renew rinse-lather-repeat ....
Does your PC get a public internet address or does the supplied modem give it a non-routable address (e.g. 192.168.x.x), which would imply that its acting as a router as well. What neophyte321 suggested seems plausible if the former is true (your PC actually gets its IP directly from the cable company and not an intermediate device). I didnt think anybody ran in this type of config anymore (without some form of NAT as a basic form of protection) but I don't know shaw. If your PC does get a public IP directly I would recommend you buy at least a cheap router to place between you and the cable company so you have at least the minimal security that NAT buys you (e.g. the entire internet can't probe your PC) Then you wont see those random probes hitting your PC's firewall anymore too