Setting RH9 for static IP

[Ed Wilts]

On Mon, May 31, 2004 at 11:13:32AM -0500, Michael Sullivan wrote:
> I have a PC with RH9 installed on it, but because the hard drive is so
> small, I only did a server install on it.  My network receives DHCP
> addresses from the router.  It's thunderstorm season here in Oklahoma,
> and when the power goes off the router gets reset, along with all the
> DHCP addresses.  

Others have answered the question as to how to set up your system with a
static IP address.  However, if your provider has set up DHCP, then you
must use it - you can't just assume that you can grab a static IP
address and all will be well.  DHCP will normally give you the same
address over and over again if the lease times have been set up
properly.  If your provider has really short lease times, you need to be
careful that somebody else hasn't grabbed your IP address while your
router was down.  If you try and take an address that somebody already
has, you'll be in worse trouble than you were before.

I'd suggest a 2-phase approach:
1.  Get a UPS for your router.  They're cheap and a small UPS will keep
a cable modem powered up probably forever.

2.  Set your DNS up to take dynamic DNS updates.  Many providers will
allow this and you when your server comes back up, you simply send a
dynamic DNS update out with the new address and nobody notices the
difference.  I've been running my e-mail and web servers here for a few
years on a dynamic address and it's been pretty much flawless.  If you
need instructions, let me know.

-- 
Ed Wilts, RHCE
Mounds View, MN, USA
mailto:ewilts at ewilts.org
Member #1, Red Hat Community Ambassador Program