Static IP address

The opposite of a static address is a dynamic one: the ISP assigns it for the duration of a connection and can change it after a router restart. Most home subscribers and almost all mobile subscribers have dynamic addresses.

A static address is needed when you have to be recognized by your IP: access to work systems, whitelists, long work in one account from the same address.

In proxies, "static" and "fixed for a while" are different things. A sticky session holds one IP for a limited time, while a static IP is assigned to you for the whole paid period.

In Prokso pay-per-GB plans, addresses are not assigned to a customer: a sticky IP on ports 10000-20000 is held for 1 to 120 minutes.

How to check whether your internet has a static IP

Open the My IP page without a proxy and write down the address. Restart the router, wait a few minutes and open the page again. If the address is different, it is dynamic. If it is the same, that is not proof yet: some ISPs keep one address for a long time even without a static IP contract.

The exact answer is in your contract or with your ISP's support. A static IP is usually connected as a separate service, often a paid one.

A static IP of your connection and a static proxy are different things

A static address of your own internet is needed so that you are recognized on your side. For example, you can add it once to the IP whitelist in Prokso, and the program will connect without a username until the address changes. This is covered in the IP whitelist article.

A static proxy is the exit address that websites see. It is assigned to a customer for the paid term, so the responsibility for its reputation is theirs as well. The two do not depend on each other: you can have dynamic home internet and a stable exit address, or the other way round.

When a sticky IP for one session is enough

In pay-per-GB plans the IP comes from a shared pool, and a sticky IP on ports 10000-20000 is held for 1 to 120 minutes. That is enough for most sessions: placing an order, filling in a form, checking a dashboard, going through several pages in a row.

Plan your work so that one task fits into the holding time. Keep in mind that the address of a home or mobile device may change earlier if the device goes offline. How to set the holding time is described in the sticky session article.