When browsing the Internet, we leave a digital trail that reveals information about us. On some occasions, we want our public IP address to remain static for as long as possible, especially when we have an FTP or VPN server among others. Other times it is the opposite, we need to change public IP to use a free service more than once in a row. That the IP change can be done in a more or less simple way will depend on what our Internet provider or ISP decides. In this article we will know how often my public IP changes and if it is possible to force the change ourselves.
Let’s start by knowing if all public IPs are the same and their different types. We will also talk about which ones are best for us depending on the situation and how to find out ours. Lastly, we will talk about the time it takes to change my public IP and how we can do it.
What is a public IP and types
We can say that an IP address is a logical and unique identifier for each of the computers connected to a network . In our network we can have two classes, one would be the public IP and the other the private IP.
When we talk about a private IP, they are those that identify each of the devices that we have connected to our local network and assign them to the router, PC, smartphone, etc. On the other hand, the public IP could be defined as the identifier of our network facing the Internet. In this regard, our Internet provider will be in charge of assigning you one.
As for that public IP that our ISP gives us, we have two types:
- The static public IP , which is the one that never changes and will always be the same.
- A dynamic public IP , which is the one that can be changed to another, as established by your Internet provider.
You may be interested in knowing what an IP calculator is and what it can be useful for.
How to find out if my public IP is static or dynamic
If we want to know if our public IP changes or not, we must know a simple way to know what it is. Thus, in our favorite Windows, Android or Linux browser you can find out easily. To carry out this task we are going to use the website what-es-mi-ip.net and by clicking on the previous link you will be able to know your current public IP address.
Here is an example that will provide us with a lot of information:
Above we have that the public IP is 213.97.xx, but it is not the only information it offers. We also know the name of the Internet provider, the country and if we surf through a proxy. A relevant fact is that next to the provider it says Static IP . That means that our public IP is fixed and we will not be able to change it, although this information is not always correct, and we could have our IP cataloged as static when it really is not.
Another example with the connection I am using now would be this:
By not putting anything next to the provider, we can say that it is dynamic and therefore can change. Currently most users have a dynamic public IP and if you want a static one it implies a small additional monthly cost. It should also be noted that if someone knows our public IP they can find out a lot about us.
How to change my public IP
The simplest procedure to change public IP would consist of:
- Turn off the router, unless you are a fiber optic client and have a separate ONT. In that case what you have to turn off is only the ONT.
- We wait about 30 seconds, to give margin and not to assign it again.
- We turn on the router or the ONT again as appropriate.
If I apply this process and you compare it with the previous result, you can see that my public IP has changed.
With dynamic IP the change is always so fast? The answer is no, users whose provider uses CG-NAT will not change their IP whenever they want. In this case, you will do it after the period of time that your Internet provider decides. We must also bear in mind that, depending on the operator, it would be necessary to keep the router and ONT off for a few hours, so it depends on your ISP if it is going to provide you with the same or different public IP. A fairly effective way to make an IP change in a Grupo Masmóvil connection is to use a neutral router and change its MAC address of the WAN, in this way, the provider will believe that it is a different client and will change the public IP.
As for whether the dynamic IP guarantees anonymity, the answer is no, since, even if you change your IP, the provider will always know that it is you, keeping a complete record of which IP address has been assigned to a specific client, with the objective of preventing possible cybercrime. In the case of wanting to achieve anonymity or a faster IP change, we would have to resort to the use of a VPN.
