Difference between Static IP Address and Dynamic IP Address

Static IP Address and Dynamic IP Address are both used to identify a computer on a network or on the Internet.

• Static IP address is provided by the Internet Service Provider and remains fixed till the system is connected to the network.
• Dynamic IP address is provided by the DHCP, generally a company gets a single static IP address and then generates the dynamic IP address for its computers within the organization's network.

Read through this article to find out more about static and dynamic IP addresses and how they are different from each other.

What is an IP Address?

An IP address is a numerical identifier that identifies a computer on a network that communicates using the Internet Protocol. An IP address can be used to identify a host or network interface and address a specific location.

IP address is provided by the Internet Service Provider and is called the logical address of a computer connected on a network. Every unique instance linked to any computer communication network employing the TCP/IP communication protocols is given an IP address.

When network nodes connect to a network, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server allocates IP addresses. DHCP assigns IP addresses from a pool of available addresses that are part of the addressing system as a whole. Even though DHCP only offers dynamic addresses, many machines reserve static IP addresses given to a single entity and cannot be used again.

IP addresses are generally represented by a 32-bit unsigned binary value. It is represented in a dotted decimal format. For example, "192.165.20.40" is a valid IP address.

What is Static IP Address?

A static IP address is explicitly allocated to a device rather than one that a DHCP server has assigned. Because it does not change, it is called static.

Static IP addresses can be configured on routers, phones, tablets, desktops, laptops, and any other device that can use an IP address. This can be done either by the device itself handing out IP addresses or by manually typing the IP address into the device.

If you want to host a website from your home, have a file server on your network, utilize networked printers, forward ports to a specific device, run a print server, or use a remote access application, you'll need a static IP address. DNS servers are an example of a static IP address at work.

What is Dynamic IP Address?

An ISP gives you a dynamic IP address that you can use for a limited time. If a dynamic address isn't in use, it can be allocated to another device automatically. DHCP or PPPoE are used to assign dynamic IP addresses.

Internet Service Providers and networks with many connecting clients or end-nodes commonly use dynamic IP addresses. A DHCP server handles the task of assigning, reassigning, and altering dynamic IP addresses. The scarcity of static IP addresses on IPv4 is one of the key reasons for using dynamic IP addresses. Dynamic IP addresses allow a single IP address to be swapped across many nodes to get around this problem.

Difference between Static and Dynamic IP Address

The following table highlights the major differences between a static IP address and a dynamic IP address −

Key	Static IP Address	Dynamic IP Address
Provider	Internet Service Provider, ISP provides the static IP Address.	DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is used to generate dynamic IP Address.
Changes	Static IP address does not get changed with time.	Dynamic IP address can be changed any time.
Security	Static IP Address is less secured.	Dynamic IP address being volatile in nature is less risky.
Designation	Static IP address is difficult to assign or reassign.	Dynamic IP address is easy to assign and reassign.
Device tracking	Device using static IP address can be traced easily.	Device using dynamic IP address is difficult to trace.
Stability	Static IP address is highly stable.	Dynamic IP address is less stable than static IP address.
Cost	Static IP address is costly to maintain.	Dynamic IP address is cheaper to use and maintain than static IP address.

Conclusion

To conclude, static IP addresses are provided by ISPs and they remain fixed, while dynamic IP addresses are assigned by the DHCP and they keep changing regularly when a user logs in.