Social media hacking PART -2

Why Would You Use a Static IP Address?
Another way to think of a static IP address is to think of something like an
email address, or a physical home address. These addresses don't ever
change - they're static - and it makes contacting or finding someone very
easy.
Similarly, a static IP address is useful if you host a website from home,
have a file server in your network, are using networked printers, are
forwarding ports to a specific device, are running a print server, or if you
use a remote access program. Because a static IP address never changes,
other devices always know exactly how to contact a device that uses one.
For example, say you set up a static IP address for one of the computers in
your home network. Once the computer has a specific address tied to it,
you can set up your router to always forward certain inbound requests
directly to that computer, such as FTP requests if the computer shares files
over FTP.
Not using a static IP address (using a dynamic IP that does change) would
become a hassle if you're hosting a website, for example, because with
every new IP address that the computer gets, you'd have to change the
router settings to forward requests to that new address. Neglecting to do
this would mean nobody could get to your website because your router has
no idea which device in your network is the one that's serving the website.
Another example of a static IP address at work is with DNS servers. DNS
servers use static IP addresses so that your device always knows how to
connect to them. If they changed often, you'd have to regularly reconfigure
those DNS servers on your router or computer to keep using the internet
like you're used to.
Static IP addresses are also useful for when the device's domain name is
inaccessible. Computers that connect to a file server in a workplace's
network, for instance, could be set up to always connect to the server using
the server's static IP instead of its hostname. Even if the DNS server is
malfunctioning, the computers could still access the file server because
they'd be communicating with it directly through the IP address.
With remote access applications like Windows Remote Desktop, using a
static IP address means you can always access that computer with the
same address. Using an IP address that changes will, again, require you to
always know what it changes to so that you can use that new address for
the remote connection.
Static vs Dynamic IP Addresses
The opposite of a never-changing static IP address is an ever -changing
dynamic IP address. A dynamic IP address is just a regular address like a
static IP is, but it's not permanently tied to any particular device. Instead,
they're used for a specific amount of time and then returned to an address
pool so that other devices can use them.
This is one reason that dynamic IP addresses are so useful. If an isp were
to use static IP addresses for all of their customers, that would mean that
there'd constantly be a limited supply of addresses for new customers.
Dynamic addresses provide a way for IP addresses to be reused when
they're not in use elsewhere, providing internet access for many more
devices than what would otherwise be possible.
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Static IP addresses limit downtime. When dynamic addresses obtain a new
IP address, any user that's connected to the existing one will be kicked off
from the connection and have to wait to find the new address. This
wouldn't be a wise setup to have if the server is hosting a website, a file
sharing service, or an online video game, all of which normally require
constantly active connections.
The public IP address assigned to the routers of most home and business
users is a dynamic IP address. Larger companies usually do not connect to
the internet via dynamic IP addresses; instead, they have static IP
addresses assigned to them which do not change.
Disadvantages of Using a Static IP Address
The major disadvantage that static IP addresses have over dynamic
addresses is that you have to configure the devices manually. The
examples given above with regards to a home web server and remote
access programs require you not only to set up the device with an IP
address but also to properly configure the router to communicate with that
specific address.
This definitely requires more work than just plugging in a router and
allowing it to give out dynamic IP addresses via DHCP.
What's more is that if you assign your device with an IP address of, say,
192.168.1.110, but then you go to a different network that only gives out
10.X.X.X addresses, you will not be able to connect with your static IP and
will instead have to reconfigure your device to use DHCP (or pick a static
IP that works with that new network).
Security might be another downfall to using static IP addresses. An
address that never changes gives hackers a prolonged time frame to find
vulnerabilities in the device's network. The alternative would be using a
dynamic IP address that changes and would, therefore, require the attacker
to also change how it is communicating with the device.
How to Set a Static IP Address in Windows
The steps for configuring a static IP address in Windows are fairly similar
in Windows 10through Windows XP. See this guide at How-To Geek for
specific instructions in each version of Windows
Some routers let you reserve an IP address for specific devices that are
connected to your network. This is normally done through what's called
DHCP reservation and it works by associating an IP address with a MAC
address so that each time that specific device requests an IP address, the
router assigns it the one you've chosen to have associated with that
physical MAC address.
You can read more about using DHCP Reservation at your router's
manufacturer's website. Here are links to instructions on doing this on DLink, Linksys, and NETGEARrouters.
Fake a Static IP With a Dynamic DNS Service
Using a static IP address for your home network is going to cost more than
just getting a regular dynamic IP address. Instead of paying for a static
address, you could use what's called a dynamic dns service.
Dynamic DNS services let you associate your changing, dynamic IP
address to a hostname that don’t change. It's a bit like having your own
static IP address but at no extra cost than what you're paying for your
dynamic IP.
No ip is one example of a free dynamic DNS service. You just download
their DNS update client which always redirects the hostname you choose
to be associated with your current IP address. This means if you have a
dynamic IP address, you can still access your network using the same
hostname.
A dynamic DNS service is very helpful if you need to access your home
network with a remote access program but don't want to pay for a static IP
address. Similarly, you can host your own website from home and use
dynamic DNS to ensure your visitors always have access to your website.
ChangeIP.com and DNSdynamic are two more free dynamic DNS services
but there are many others.
More Information on Static IP Addresses
In a local network, like in your home or place of business, where you use
a private IP address, most devices are probably configured for DHCP and
thus use dynamic IP addresses.
However, if DHCP is not enabled and you've configured your own network
information, you're using a static IP address.
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