IP Addresses

[macnext1]

You all know that I have never really understood all this IP address stuff so here is one of those questions that will probably warrant a 'well duh'. My desktop and laptop are hooked in to my TreandNet router. Their addresses are respectively 192.168.10.101 and 192.168.10.102 -- the Trendnet has an IP of 192.168.10.1

There is also an HD DVR hooked in to the Trendnet and of course 2 modems.

Now the question -- if I go into the Trendnet and change it's IP to 192.168.9.1 -- would that work? And what all would I have to change to work with it?

Would the computers just automagically figure out (via a reboot) where they were and like magic become 192.168.9.xxx? What about the HD DVR?

Mac

[Shane]

Thats the great thing about DHCP, it is a automatic way of the computer getting the IP info it needs from the router. So as long as none of the computers or the dvr is using a static ip(one that never changes) then yes they should all grab the new info after a reboot.

Shane

[Evan]

Mac,

Do you need your IP address changed for some reason?  Does the DVR manual tell you do that?  You can try it and if anything doesn't work after you do that...then just go back in a "flip" the switch.  I'm still curious though...do you need to change it or are you just trying to understand this better?  We can give different info depending on "why?".

Good to see you back in the forums, btw.  I hope everything has been well with you.

-Evan

[macnext1]

I guess it's a little bit of both reasons. There is a site that is tracking me and I would like to figure out if it is a cookie or some other kind of file they have planted on my system or is by the IP address? I've kinda looked for cookies and didn't find one. So I figured if I changed the IP address then that would eliminate one possibility. The other reason is to just MAYBE get a little smarter.

Mac

[Evan]

Did you try changing the address yet to see if it would still work?  If yes, then what was the outcome?

As far as some site tracking you, that is either going to be do to a cookie or malware.  Did you find out about this through a virus scan or some other method?

-Evan

[macnext1]

I have not tried changing it yet. Are there any gotchas I need to watch out for? For example I have a DVR attached to the router and it requires 2 port addresses be forwarded, I'm assuming that even if I change the router IP that the port addresses that have been forwarded will still work. But what else should I watch out for?

I think all I really need to do is change the address in the router. Reboot both systems. Go back to DirecTv and tell it to check for network connection again. That's it. Bada Bing, Done. Does that sound right or did I leave something out?

Mac

[Shane]

Changing your local IP isn't going to do anything for ya, maybe make a head ache cause you'll have to setup port forwarding again.

Are you looking more towards getting a new Internet IP? there are some simpler tricks for that.

Shane

[macnext1]

See now you're talking about something I really don't understand. I thought if I changed the router IP then the Internet would see me as a different IP. Not so? Thanks to you setting up the port forwarding is a piece of cake. But if the world (Internet) will see no difference in my IP then I reckon I won 't accomplish anything.

So how do I go about establishing a different IP for the Internet to see?

Mac

[Shane]

See you have 2 sets of IP's.
Your ISP gives you a internet IP through the modem. But this IP is only good for one computer as it is only 1 IP. A router is used to take this IP and then route the internet to multiple computers. Thus the name router

So changing your local IP (from the router) wont do anything your looking for. What we need to do is change the IP on the internet side, which requires very little for you to do.
There is 2 ways to do this, for ISP's like cable they give an IP out then remember the IP by the MAC address of the router or computer. To change it you just need to log into the router and change it MAC address then reboot the cable modem. The modem will see a new MAC and give it a new IP.

DSL is different, and since I don't have DSL I cant test to find the easiest way. But your ISP does change your IP unless you pay for a static IP. So with dsl sometimes leaving the modem unplug for a while and then plugging it back in will get you a new internet IP as well.

Shane

[Evan]

Shane, Mac has Satellite and DSL, so it is going to be a little "trickier" than initially thought.  Wouldn't you think he could call his provider and them to issue him a new IP and tell them he believes someone is watching his current IP.  I would think that would be enough to get them to comply.

To change it you just need to log into the router and change it MAC address then reboot the cable modem. The modem will see a new MAC and give it a new IP.

Don't some ISPs look for the MAC address of the modem itself.  I know with mine if I use a different modem then I have to contact them and give them the new MAC...they don't care about the router though.

Mac, like Shane said, the router takes the Internet IP and basically creates it's own little internet for your home.  The "192.168.10.1" is that new "local" internet that's just for you.  That number can only be seen and used from inside your network, which is why it's okay to post in the forum.  You Internet IP is the same as your home address.  If people know that then they know exactly where you're located.

But like I said before Mac, do you know if you need to change your Internet IP?  You might have a different issue.  Do you just want your Internet IP to be different so that you can't be "seen"?

-Evan

[Shane]

Im talking changing the MAC of the router not the modem

Shane

[Evan]

I know.  But my point is if I changed the MAC of my router (or switched router itself) then it wouldn't have any bearing on my Internet IP, because my Internet Provider is looking at the MAC of my modem (not my router).  I would still be using the same modem so it would retain the IP provided by my ISP. I can check that tonight and I'll recant if I'm incorrect. 

-Evan

[Shane]

The IP isn't handed out to the MAC of the modem. The MAC of a cable modem is used to see if that modem is allowed on that cables network. The IP is then given to the computers/routers MAC address. This is also how a cable modem can give out more than 1 ip address when a custom pays for it. Switch routers, reboot the cable modem and you will have a new IP, try it. Ha! score one for Shane! LOL 

Shane

[macnext1]

That's ok guys keep going I don't really think I can get any more confused. LOL

So -- Evan, it is really an issue of I don't want to be 'seen' by this particular site.

Folks, I went to a site 'whatsmyip' and so I see what you mean. The Internet address points to my house and then my IP (within my house) gets the information to the right computer -- right? So you wind up with an address like xx.xx.xxx.xxx/xx.xx.xxx.xxx

Now a REALLY simple question -- how do I determine for sure (without unplugging one) which computer has what (within my network) address? I pinged both and of course I get an answer from both. The problem I have (with understanding) is that the site where I don't wish to be seen has my local address different from what I thought it was (in other words either I or the site is messed up). Couldn't possibly be me -- LMFAO.

Mac

[Evan]

Mac, just look at the IP address that listed at top right of Simple Port Forwarding.  Whatever computer you are running the program from will its IP listed there.

You can also bring up a command prompt (Start->Run->"cmd" without quotes) and type "ipconfig" and that will tell you the IP of the computer you run the command from. 

If you log into your router you should be able to find these same numbers listed there too (along with the other computer and the DVR).

To keep from being confused just read Shane's last comment.  I had 1 tiny party wrong on mine, which I will edit, but we talked about it and his last comment is the clearest. 

-Evan