Downside to static IP assignment...?

[Kenneth]

Howdy,

We have been having a difficulty with the database we use on
our small office Lan (6 systems.)

The database experts believe that the problem will be
eliminated if we assign static IP addresses rather than
assigning them dynamically as we have done for years.

Is there any downside to making that switch?

Thanks for any tips on this,

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Aside from the fact that you'll have to manually configure/re-configure
workstations as you move them around, add or remove them, or change network
settings ... no.

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[Kenneth]

Aside from the fact that you'll have to manually configure/re-configure
workstations as you move them around, add or remove them, or change network
settings ... no.

Hi Richard,

The moving around is no issue, nor the adding or removing,
but...

Please tell me something more about what you meant by
"change network settings."

Also, one of the boxes on our Lan is a notebook that
occasionally travels.

When I am in hotels etc. I assume that I would just re-set
it to be dynamically assigned, and re-assign it to its
static address when putting it on our Lan again.

Is that description correct, or is there something more to
this?

Sincere thanks for your help,

 

[Kenneth]

Hi Richard,

The moving around is no issue, nor the adding or removing,
but...

Please tell me something more about what you meant by
"change network settings."

Also, one of the boxes on our Lan is a notebook that
occasionally travels.

When I am in hotels etc. I assume that I would just re-set
it to be dynamically assigned, and re-assign it to its
static address when putting it on our Lan again.

Is that description correct, or is there something more to
this?

Sincere thanks for your help,

Hi again Richard,

I realized that I have yet another question about this:

Would the "gateway" specified for each box be the routers IP
address?

Thanks again,

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Assume, for example, one of your network DNS servers dies and is replaced,
or that your ISP changes DNS server addresses (depending on whether you use
domain DNS or ISP DNS). You'd need to manually change that setting on every
PC that's configured with static TCP settings.

And yes, when traveling, you'd need to re-configure for dynamic assignment
instead of static assignment of TCP settings.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Yep, you'd need to set the gateway for each box to be the router on the
network it's on.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Kenneth]

Assume, for example, one of your network DNS servers dies and is replaced,
or that your ISP changes DNS server addresses (depending on whether you use
domain DNS or ISP DNS). You'd need to manually change that setting on every
PC that's configured with static TCP settings.

And yes, when traveling, you'd need to re-configure for dynamic assignment
instead of static assignment of TCP settings.

Hi again Richard,

I gave it a try on the one system where it would have
benefit. It took all of about fifteen seconds, and thus far,
seems to have corrected the problem I was having.

Very sincere thanks,

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Glad I was able to help.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Kenneth]

Glad I was able to help.

Hi again Richard,

Life just became a bit more complicated...

On our peer-to-peer LAN we have one system designated as our
"server." It runs Win 2000 as do all the other systems.

It was that system that I set to a static IP assignment.

But then, I got the error that caused me to experiment with
all this, and I decided to assign each of our other systems
to a static address.

With that, I discovered that they each lost Internet.

This seems to be because Comcast (my cable supplier)
requires dynamic IP address assignments.

But, I am more than a bit perplexed by this:

How can Comcast know what is happening on my side of the
router?

To review, the original problem relates to IP address lease
expiration disrupting my database...

It was suggested (perhaps in this thread) that I consider
using NetBEUI, but I have some (vague) recollection that
there are problems having both that protocol and TCP/IP on
each system.

In any case, I would welcome any further assistance with
this...

All the best, and sincere thanks,

 

[Richard G. Harper]

I don't know any way Comcast can see "inside" the router to your network, so
unless Comcast is having DNS server problems or has changed DNS server
information, I'm not sure what you might have lost. Have you set the
default gateway and DNS server information on each PC to the internal IP
address of the router?

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Kenneth]

I don't know any way Comcast can see "inside" the router to your network, so
unless Comcast is having DNS server problems or has changed DNS server
information, I'm not sure what you might have lost. Have you set the
default gateway and DNS server information on each PC to the internal IP
address of the router?

Hi Richard,

I goofed...

I had neglected the DNS specification. With that added, the
boxes have Internet again. I will have to wait to see if the
static assignments I now have eliminates the Paradox
problem.

Thanks for all your help,

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Glad I could pitch in and help you get it figured out.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm