Static IP addresses
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique number assigned to each computer on a network. Just as a street address determines where a letter should be delivered, an IP address identifies computers on the Internet. If your computer is hosting a web server, its IP address is what identifies it to the rest of the Internet.
A computer on the Internet can have a static IP address, which means it stays the same over time, or a dynamic IP address, which means the address can change over time.
When you sign up for GFiber for small business, you can choose to have no static IPs (that is, dynamic IPs for all your devices), one static IP, or multiple static IPs. The number of static IPs available is shown on the screen when you sign up for service. If you sign up for static IPs, we will assign addresses to you when your service is installed and activated.
If you sign up for multiple static IPs with your Fiber service, you must use your own router.
You can see examples of network configurations that use static IPs.
When you might need static IPs
Most Fiber customers do not need any static IP addresses. The vast majority of Internet features work without static IPs, including web browsing, email sending and receiving, video streaming, and voice over IP (VoIP). However, you might need static IPs if one or more of these scenarios applies to you:
- You maintain your own web server or other Internet server, such as an email server, that requires users to connect from the Internet.
- You have external devices or services that must connect to your network via IP address (for example, 74.125.224.72) rather than by name (for example, google.com).
- You use a VPN or other service to remotely connect to computers in your business.
In many cases, you can host a server on an Internet connection without static IPs by using Dynamic DNS. With Dynamic DNS, when your IP address changes, your DNS entry is automatically updated with your new IP address. The Google Fiber Network Box includes support for Dynamic DNS, which you can configure for your network.
If you aren't sure whether you need static IPs, consult with your IT expert. You can add or remove static IPs from your account, even after your service starts.
For some features, you can use Network Address Translation or proxy services on your network instead of additional static IPs .
Set up your static IPs
To set up your static IPs, you configure your network to route external traffic to your static IPs. Use the instructions that are appropriate for your network:
Google Fiber Network Box and one static IPWith the Network Box and one static IP, use the built-in port forwarding feature to configure your network.
With your own router and one static IP, you should use port forwarding to configure your network. Because routers use many different methods to configure port forwarding, we can't provide specific instructions for setting up this feature. To configure port forwarding using your own router, see the instructions for your router, or consult with your IT expert.
With your own router and multiple static IPs, you can use port forwarding to configure your network. Because routers use many different methods to configure port forwarding and other features, we can't provide specific setup instructions. To configure your network for your static IPs using your own router, see the instructions for your router, or consult with your IT expert.
When you enable multiple static IPs on your account, your router must request a dynamic WAN address via DHCP. GFiber will then route a subnet to your network, which provides multiple IP addresses. One static IP must be used as a gateway to the Internet. You can use the remaining static IP addresses for your own hosts. Your router must support this secondary subnet on the LAN side as a secondary address or via VLAN.
To use your own domain name with your Fiber service, update your DNS record with your domain hosting provider to direct traffic to your new Fiber IP address assignments.
If you already have static IPs assigned to your business, you won't be able to use them with Fiber. You must use the static IPs we assign to you.
Reverse DNS
GFiber supports reverse DNS (rDNS), a feature that enables a network to look up a domain name given an IP address. If you want to set up rDNS on your Fiber service, call us at 855-418-8326.
Changing your service
You can change your service between zero, one, and multiple static IPs. If you change from a plan with static IPs to another plan with static IPs, your static WAN address stays the same. You might experience a brief outage in your service (five minutes or less) when your plan changes. To change your service, call us at 855-418-8326.