Static IP Address: Why Your Business Needs One

Static vs Dynamic IP: The Difference

Every device that connects to the internet is assigned an IP address — a numerical label that identifies it on the network. For most consumer and basic business broadband connections, this address is dynamic: it is issued by your ISP at the time of connection and may change each time your router reconnects or at periodic intervals.

A static IP address, by contrast, is fixed. Your ISP assigns you a specific address that never changes. Your business premises always has the same IP address regardless of reboots, reconnections or contract renewals.

For many day-to-day internet uses — browsing, email, most cloud applications — a dynamic IP is perfectly adequate. But a growing range of business applications require or strongly benefit from a static IP.

Why Businesses Need a Static IP

VPN Access and Remote Working

If you run a site-to-site VPN connecting multiple offices, or allow staff to VPN into your office network from home, a static IP simplifies configuration considerably. VPN tunnels can be set up to always connect to the same fixed address rather than requiring dynamic DNS services that chase a changing IP.

Hosting Services

If your business hosts anything at your premises — a web server, FTP server, email server, security camera system, or IP CCTV — external users and systems need to reach you at a consistent address. A dynamic IP makes this impractical without additional workarounds.

IP Whitelisting

Many business applications and cloud services allow or require IP address whitelisting for security purposes — specifying which IP addresses are permitted to access the system. If your IP changes regularly, you must update whitelists each time, which creates administrative overhead and potential access failures. A static IP solves this permanently.

Card Payment Terminals and POS Systems

Some payment gateway providers and EPOS system suppliers require that communications come from a registered IP address as part of their fraud prevention rules. A static IP is the cleanest way to meet this requirement.

Security Monitoring and SIEM

Security information and event management (SIEM) systems often log and alert based on source IP addresses. A consistent static IP makes log analysis cleaner and reduces false positives from IP changes.

How to Get a Static IP Address

Most ISPs offer static IP addresses as an add-on to business broadband accounts. Typical costs:

• Single static IP: £0-£5/month with most business broadband providers (often included free)
• Static IP block (/29 — 5 usable addresses): £5-£15/month depending on provider
• Larger blocks (/28 — 13 usable addresses): £15-£30/month

Business leased lines almost universally include a /29 static IP block as standard — this is one of the reasons businesses upgrade from broadband to a leased line. If you are on standard broadband and need a static IP, ask your ISP specifically — many will add it to an existing account without requiring a new contract.

IPv4 vs IPv6

The internet is gradually transitioning from IPv4 addresses (the traditional format, e.g. 192.168.1.100) to IPv6 (a longer format providing vastly more available addresses). For most UK businesses today, an IPv4 static address is what they need. IPv6 allocation is increasingly included with business connections by default, though the practical need for a static IPv6 address is less common for typical SME applications.

Dynamic DNS as an Alternative

If a static IP is not available on your current connection or you want to avoid the additional cost, dynamic DNS (DDNS) services can partially substitute. A DDNS service monitors your connection's IP address and automatically updates a DNS hostname when it changes — meaning users connect to a domain name (e.g. vpn.yourbusiness.com) that always resolves to your current IP. This works for VPN and remote access use cases but is less reliable than a static IP and does not help with IP whitelisting requirements.