A static IP address can offer many advantages and it is possible to get one from your Internet Service Provider. However, if you want to use a VPN service, you may be wondering how does this work with a static IP address. Before we take a look at the best VPN for static IP, we’ll talk more about the benefits and downsides of this option. The majority of VPN providers offer dynamic IPs to ensure that your IP address is changed whenever your device connects to the internet. Dynamic IP addresses are temporary and they are used by multiple costumers. This can help to protect your identity when you are online. However, there are also good reasons to prefer a static IP, even when it can cost more. In most cases, you pay an extra fee for a dedicated IP address from a VPN, but in the end it is cheaper than getting it from your ISP. Usually ISPs charge high fees for a guaranteed stable address. That being said, not all VPNs offer static IP addresses.
What is a static IP address
Connecting to a VPN service allows you to mask your real IP address. Instead of seeing your IP address, others see the IP address of the VPN you are connected to, which helps to protect your privacy. As mentioned before, most VPNs offer dynamic IP addresses, which are regularly updated. Since dynamic IPs are assigned to many people, it is very difficult to identify a specific user. Dynamic IP addresses can work well for most users, but they are not a convenient solution for those who want to set up their own websites or gaming servers. This is due to the fact that any attempt to connect from the internet to an internal service like a web server, requires the use of the public IP assigned to the router. If the IP address is dynamic, it is not possible to know what IP address you need connect to.
In order to fix this issue, it is possible to get a static IP from your ISP, to ensure that the address doesn’t change, avoiding any issue when connecting to your internal network services from outside your network. When a website or shared server gets its own, unique static IP address, this is called dedicated IP. However, using a static IP address from your ISP would affect the functionality of a VPN. The good news is that you can find good quality VPN services that offer the option of having a static IP address. That way you can still enjoy the security that a VPN offers.
What are the benefits of a static IP address?
With a static IP address, you can access services that are running internally on your network from anywhere online. The services we are referring to include privately hosted gaming servers, video surveillance systems, web servers and storage servers. Using a static IP can even give you the chance to connect to your home computer, no matter where in the world you are. Static IP addresses are also a convenient solution for services like online banking and even to play games without risking being banned. Using a dedicated IP address can save you the hassle of being unfairly blacklisted. After all, if you are sharing your IP address with other users and someone is involved in spamming and similar practices, it is likely that you or your site end up on a blacklist. You can avoid this with a dedicated IP.
Difference between static IP and dedicated IP
While we mention that a dedicated IP can be a unique static IP assigned to a specific user, it is important to understand the difference between them. A static IP address doesn’t change over time, but it may be shared by multiple users. A dedicated IP address is an address that belongs to a single user. This means that you can connect to a VPN server and be sure that only you are online with this address. Things can get complicated if we consider that a dedicated IP address can be dynamic. This means that even though you are the only person with that IP, the IP may be different each time you connect. In order to get all the benefits that we previously mentioned (the possibility of running internal services, avoiding being blacklisted), you need a true static IP that is only assigned to you and that doesn’t change.
However, it is important to consider that getting a true static IP address can be expensive. Still, it will be an investment worth making for those who need a reliable solution to run their servers or access apps that won’t work with dynamic IPs. It is important to make sure that you understand what is on offer and if you are actually getting a true static/dynamic IP address. To help you to avoid confusion, the VPN services that we have included in our list, offer static/dedicated IP addresses that don’t change and that are only used by one user, or shared by users within a single organization. When we refer here to static or dedicated IP addresses, we are talking about IP addresses that don’t change and that are assigned to a single user.
How are IP addresses assigned by a VPN
There are different ways in which a VPN can assign IP addresses. Let’s take a look at the different options.
A single IP address for all users – Keep in mind that each VPN server is used by multiple users at the same time. This settings allows everyone who is connected to the VPN server to share a single IP address when they connect to the internet. This gives a VPN server the chance to connect multiple users to the internet, with a single IP address.
Dynamic IP address for multiple users – This works in a similar way to what your ISP offers. A VPN server may offer hundreds of IP addresses that can be dynamically assigned to users as they connect. When they disconnect, the addresses are released and are free to be used by others.
Static IP address – In this case, a VPN service reserves an IP address for you and whenever you connect, it assigns you the same IP address. Only you will use this address ad it won’t be assigned to anyone else. Every time you connect to the internet, you will have the same IP address.
Communicating with Internal Services
Only the third option of the ones we mentioned above, allows communication with internal services from the internet. In this case, an external Internet user has to communicate with the statically assigned IP address supplied by the VPN service.
Downsides of using a static IP
While a static IP address may be the best choice in some cases, it is important to keep in mind that it takes away the flexibility to connect to any server that a VPN offers. Your static IP address is only assigned to you if you connect to the specific server or servers that your VPN provider supports for this purpose. When you get a static IP address, it is assigned to a specific region in the world. Usually providers offer multiple options so you can get a static IP address from a specific country. You just need to check what options are available. In most cases, the selection is limited to popular locations like United States and United Kingdom.
In addition, it is important to keep in mind that when you get a static IP address, you may not get a refund if you cancel it. VPN providers usually offer money back guarantees but only for their standard plans featuring shared and dynamic IP addresses. In order to get a static IP address, you may need to get the standard subscription first and pay for the static IP as an extra, but if you cancel this, you may not get back the fee. Although this can be more expensive, having the static IP along with access to the dynamic and shared IPs supported by your VPN service, can give you more options.
Best VPNs for Static IP
NordVPN
NordVPN is a provider based in Panama that is known for its no logs policy and the high security that they offer for its customers. It supports advanced security features such as kill switch and Double Data encryption to keep your information secured. In addition, NordVPN also provides a highly private solution: Tor over VPN connection, which encrypts your traffic and adds a double layer of protection by directing your traffic over NordVPNs servers and Tor. Apart from offering access to servers in offer 60 countries, NordVPN also has dedicated IP addresses available in the United States, Germany, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. This feature can be requested by email and the support team will assign it.
VPNArea
VPNArea is another advanced VPN solution that offers the chance to get a static IP address. They also offers excellent technical support and information that will help you to select the best option for your needs. They have static IP addresses in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Romania, the Netherlands and Germany. VPNArea also offers top security features such as kill switch, DNS leaks protection, IPv6 leaks protection and ad blocking and malware prevention. They have servers in over 70 countries and allow up to 6 simultaneous connections. When you are using the dynamic IP solution, you can enable an IP switcher to change your IP address on a regular basis. The dedicated IP add-on includes a private server.
LiquidVPN
LiquidVPN stands out for its advanced technology and its professional customer support that can guide you through the best way to implement a static IP address to suit your needs. You can get static IP addresses in Germany, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. While the standard plan only allows two simultaneous connections, you can upgrade and get up to 8 simultaneous connections. Their system of modulating IP addresses is unique and it can be used for non-static IP addresses. This solution switches your IP address with those assigned to other users who are connected the service at the same time. With this option, you will be practically impossible to trace online.
TorGuard
TorGuard is another provider with a solid commitment to protect the security of your connection. In addition, it offers fast performance, which makes it ideal for torrent users. Plus, TorGuard doesn’t keep logs of your online activities, which will give you peace of mind when you are downloading or streaming content. With the standard service, you can access servers in over 50 countries and there is a varied selection of plans to suit different needs. There is an Anonymous Proxy plan that allows you to enjoy good speeds and it is capable of automatically configuring your favorite torrent client with the best security settings. This would be the best option for privacy. TorGuard also offers dedicated IPs as an add-on service.