What a dedicated IP address is, and when you need one
Every machine on the internet has an address, the way every house has a street number. Most home and office connections share a pool of these addresses and hand them out as needed, so yours can change from week to week. A dedicated IP address is one that is yours and doesn't move.
Why a fixed address helps
If you run anything that other people or other machines need to reach — a server, a camera system, a tool your staff log into from outside — a fixed address means the way in never changes. People can reach your computer at the same address every time, and you can lock down who's allowed in.
When you need one (and when you don't)
- You probably want one if you host something others connect to, or you need a stable address to put on an allow-list somewhere.
- You probably don't need one if you only browse the web and send email — the shared address your provider gives you is fine.
If a dedicated address is what you're after, TunnelNet gives a single machine its own public address on our network, set up on a phone by scanning a QR code. See tunnelnet.com for the current plans.