Static IPs disappearing

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Static IPs disappearing

Cydewinder

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#151904 9-Sep-2014 16:25

I'm on an old 200GB Genius plan and just got this email from Orcon:

----------------------
Hi there,

We are changing the way we assign IP addresses.

If that sentence made you go ‘huh?’ then you can probably ignore the rest of this email.

In around a week we’ll change your IP address from a fixed one to a dynamic one. We are doing this to make efficient use of the IP addresses that we have available.

For most normal residential users, this won’t make any difference. Nothing about your experience will change. But, if you run a small web server or mail server that relies on having an IP address that never changes, then you’ll need to order a “Static IP” from us.

You can do this by calling the support team and requesting a Static IP address, or logging into My Orcon. In My Orcon click on plan change, and order the Static IP address there.

The cost is $10 a month for residential plan customers, and free for business plan customers.

Please note: the online request takes place on the billing cycle following the request being submitted and you’ll receive an email on the day notifying you of your new IP address.

The Static IP product is not available on any unlimited data plans.

Thanks, the team @ Orcon.
---------------------------

One of the benefits of the old plan was the static IP which is now being taken away and I have to pay $10 a month. I'm not too worried about the cost, just a little annoyed at the service being changed all of a sudden.

I phoned the contact centre to make the change (can't change online because it keeps trying to force me onto either an unlimited plan (no option for static IP) or an 80GB plan (less data)), and the person I spoke to didn't seem to know this email had even gone out and wasn't sure if I could get it on my account. She also couldn't tell me if my IP would stay the same or change when the order goes through.

Just a heads up in case anyone else is in the same situation.

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3046 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1125198 9-Sep-2014 17:19

Shame. One reason I like Orcon is the fixed IP for remote access when I'm on the road.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

MyHeritage

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FireEngine

1217 posts

Uber Geek

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#1125200 9-Sep-2014 17:27

Hmmm

to my knowledge no Plan, however old, has included a Static ip - specified by the network always giving the same ip when cpe restarted AND Orcon having a contractual agreement with the customer not to change that ip address.

Before the Static ip product was released (approx a year ago from memory), the network had "dynamic" ip's that didn't tend to change on cpe reboot. Over enough time this tended to make some customers think they were "Static" but this wasn't so (lets refer to them as "fixed" rather than "static" for the moment. "Dynamic" is obvious but "fixed" meant that the network would typically offer the same ip address on a reboot but there was no commitment from Orcon to keep it so.

The world-wide supply of ipv4 addresses was consumed some time ago, there simply aren't any more to go around - hence we have had to change the "fixed" ip's to "dynamic" and build and offer a proper Static ip product with a contractual commitment for those customers who require them. Of course the effort of building a system to keep them static means it has to be a chargeable service feature.

Unfortunately one side-effect is that the ip must change to one in the available static range so I'm afraid your ip will change from whatever it is now when the Static is applied.

This work and associated communications has been going on in phases across the network over the past year.

Hope that helps.

Regards FireEngine

deadlyllama

1221 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1125241 9-Sep-2014 18:51

So why are static IPs not available on unlimited?

charsleysa

597 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1125435 10-Sep-2014 00:01

FireEngine: Hmmm

to my knowledge no Plan, however old, has included a Static ip - specified by the network always giving the same ip when cpe restarted AND Orcon having a contractual agreement with the customer not to change that ip address.

Before the Static ip product was released (approx a year ago from memory), the network had "dynamic" ip's that didn't tend to change on cpe reboot. Over enough time this tended to make some customers think they were "Static" but this wasn't so (lets refer to them as "fixed" rather than "static" for the moment. "Dynamic" is obvious but "fixed" meant that the network would typically offer the same ip address on a reboot but there was no commitment from Orcon to keep it so.

The world-wide supply of ipv4 addresses was consumed some time ago, there simply aren't any more to go around - hence we have had to change the "fixed" ip's to "dynamic" and build and offer a proper Static ip product with a contractual commitment for those customers who require them. Of course the effort of building a system to keep them static means it has to be a chargeable service feature.

Unfortunately one side-effect is that the ip must change to one in the available static range so I'm afraid your ip will change from whatever it is now when the Static is applied.

This work and associated communications has been going on in phases across the network over the past year.

Hope that helps.

Last I heard there were still plenty of unused IPv4 addresses left but SOMEONE decided they wouldn't give back all the addresses they weren't using (maybe that's changed since I last read about it).
http://mark.koli.ch/ipv4-doomsday-were-running-out-of-ipv4-addresses-ipv4-address-exhaustion

Regards
Stefan Andres Charsley

ripdog

548 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1126882 12-Sep-2014 04:30

What's wrong with dynamic dns?

As FireEngine said: "The world-wide supply of ipv4 addresses was consumed some time ago." The cost of each address is only going to go up and up, so it's pretty unfair to expect you to have one all for yourself for free.

Not sure what the difference for orcon is though - basically all DSL/Fibre modems are on permanently.

sbiddle

30853 posts

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Retired Mod

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Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1126899 12-Sep-2014 07:22

ripdog:
Not sure what the difference for orcon is though - basically all DSL/Fibre modems are on permanently.

Majority? Yes. But certainly nowhere near all. There are a lot of people out there who still turn their modems off when they don't want to use the internet.

ripdog

548 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1126900 12-Sep-2014 07:23

sbiddle:
ripdog:
Not sure what the difference for orcon is though - basically all DSL/Fibre modems are on permanently.

Majority? Yes. But certainly nowhere near all. There are a lot of people out there who still turn their modems off when they don't want to use the internet.

That's interesting. I was under the impression the vast majority of consumers had no idea what the little box of wires did, and didn't touch it unless told to by tech support. Good on anyone who does this, conserving a limited resource.

FireEngine

1217 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1126947 12-Sep-2014 08:22

ripdog: basically all DSL/Fibre modems are on permanently.

It is about managing a finite resource - but don't worry, even if everyone turns their modems on at the same time, they will all connect...

Regards FireEngine

cr250bromo

222 posts

Master Geek

#1126951 12-Sep-2014 08:30

charsleysa:
Last I heard there were still plenty of unused IPv4 addresses left but SOMEONE decided they wouldn't give back all the addresses they weren't using (maybe that's changed since I last read about it).
http://mark.koli.ch/ipv4-doomsday-were-running-out-of-ipv4-addresses-ipv4-address-exhaustion

That page was from 2009, all of those reserved blocks have since been allocated. If the companies with historical Class A assignments went to the effort of renumbering and returning their address space it would only push out the inevitable a bit longer. Probably better to put more effort into IPv6.

nickb800

2699 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1126967 12-Sep-2014 08:35

ripdog:
sbiddle:
ripdog:
Not sure what the difference for orcon is though - basically all DSL/Fibre modems are on permanently.

Majority? Yes. But certainly nowhere near all. There are a lot of people out there who still turn their modems off when they don't want to use the internet.

That's interesting. I was under the impression the vast majority of consumers had no idea what the little box of wires did, and didn't touch it unless told to by tech support. Good on anyone who does this, conserving a limited resource.

I'd guess that oldies who are used to dial up internet (which tended to charge for the hours connected) probably keep this habit with DSL, and have the DSL modem on the desk next to their desktop. Also tinfoil hat-wearers who are scared of WiFi signals while they sleep

Sounddude

I fix stuff!
1903 posts

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2degrees

Lifetime subscriber

#1127014 12-Sep-2014 09:21

There are other reasons why we are keen on moving to dynamics, and that is its easy to change customer ranges , which is a requirement as we add BNG (Broadband Network Gateway) nodes up and down the country. We want as many customers served from a local IP pool. When more BNG's are added, customers get moved around and we want them to be from the new IP pool which is local to their regionalised BNG.

This then allows us to put CDN nodes (Google Cache, Akamai etc) in those regions also, serving the customers locally. Less latency and backhaul requirements means better service for the customer.

With Statics, they are served from a static IP pool, which ends up being served from CDN nodes in Auckland, regardless of BNG node.

Hope that makes sense :-)

BigGuy

227 posts

Master Geek

#1127087 12-Sep-2014 10:52

Sounddude: There are other reasons why we are keen on moving to dynamics, and that is its easy to change customer ranges , which is a requirement as we add BNG (Broadband Network Gateway) nodes up and down the country. We want as many customers served from a local IP pool. When more BNG's are added, customers get moved around and we want them to be from the new IP pool which is local to their regionalised BNG.

This then allows us to put CDN nodes (Google Cache, Akamai etc) in those regions also, serving the customers locally. Less latency and backhaul requirements means better service for the customer.

With Statics, they are served from a static IP pool, which ends up being served from CDN nodes in Auckland, regardless of BNG node.

Hope that makes sense :-)

Excellent explanation. Thanks for that SoundDude.

charsleysa

597 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1127115 12-Sep-2014 11:35

portunus:
charsleysa:
Last I heard there were still plenty of unused IPv4 addresses left but SOMEONE decided they wouldn't give back all the addresses they weren't using (maybe that's changed since I last read about it).
http://mark.koli.ch/ipv4-doomsday-were-running-out-of-ipv4-addresses-ipv4-address-exhaustion

That page was from 2009, all of those reserved blocks have since been allocated. If the companies with historical Class A assignments went to the effort of renumbering and returning their address space it would only push out the inevitable a bit longer. Probably better to put more effort into IPv6.

Just took a quick look on ARIN and checked ones like Apple, IBM, general Electric, and USA DoD. They all still have their class A assignments.

Anyone can check for themselves by entering the class A address into whois at https://www.arin.net

Regards
Stefan Andres Charsley

cr250bromo

222 posts

Master Geek

#1127148 12-Sep-2014 12:39

That's correct - I was referring to those organsations as "historical class A assignments". Some of the ranges have been delegated to APNIC so they are not available even if it looks like it from the ARIN page. Even if Apple, IBM and so on renumbered and gave back their addresses (which they are under no obligation to do) it would still only delay the exhaustion of IPv4 address, not solve the problem. Renumbering a large network is not a trivial undertaking...

charsleysa

597 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1127157 12-Sep-2014 12:47

portunus: That's correct - I was referring to those organsations as "historical class A assignments". Some of the ranges have been delegated to APNIC so they are not available even if it looks like it from the ARIN page. Even if Apple, IBM and so on renumbered and gave back their addresses (which they are under no obligation to do) it would still only delay the exhaustion of IPv4 address, not solve the problem. Renumbering a large network is not a trivial undertaking...

Renumbering a large network that hasn't utilized most of its ip space should be relatively simple as you just change the masks to utilize the smallest space required.

Delaying the exhaustion is a good thing. It gives service providers time to upgrade to dual stack.

Regards
Stefan Andres Charsley

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