Quasi-Static IP Address Thoughts with BT

[NSquirrel]

I have a NAS and Smart Hub and, as with I assume most other BT home users, a dynamic IP address, which seems to change when the hub resets itself sporadically roughly every 8 to 15 days. Every time the router is reset, the IP address almost certainly changes. (I have often considered putting in a mains timer to reset the Hub at specific intervals, e.g. 3 days, at 3 am as it resets quite often at an inconvenient time and I have to wait several minutes while the router renegotiates the broadband connection.)

I am looking at employing DDNS to overcome the dynamic IP address, but this seems over complicated for occasional use in accessing the NAS away from home. (With a Synology NAS, OK, I could use QuickConnect, but this is rather slow…)

I had a thought and I wonder what others think about the following: What if BT listed my current/ latest IP address on my MyBT webpage? Only I can log in to my MyBT, so only I can see it. They obviously have my IP address in order to communicate with the Smart Hub at anytime, including when anything connected, e.g. PCs, are turned off.

While not really a solution for more than one user, it just seems a very simple addition to MyBT and for those who want to know their current IP address and are not bothered about addressing by IP rather than a domain name. Perhaps my current IP address is located somewhere already on MyBT, although I have not found it. Additionally if I employ my reset timer idea, mentioned above, whatever is connected has better protection from rogues as the IP address will be changing more frequently.

What if the router is reset while, say, I am away from home? I find that I cannot access the most recent IP address, so I simply log into MyBT, get the latest IP address and off I go.

I would be interested to know what others think. Perhaps I have missed a fundamental aspect, which is quite possible/probable. If feasible, I think that this simple solution may be of interest to users with other equipment, e.g. cameras, IOTs, connected to their router.

[licquorice]

DDNS is far simpler. Why would you expect an ISP to go to the expense of providing what you are asking for just for the sake of probably no more than 0.05% of their customer base when a perfectly satisfactory solution is already available.

[NSquirrel]

Thank you for your comment Licquorice.

I would question the expense, as the information (IP address) is already known by BT; it is simply a question of presentation in an accessible location. For your 0.05%, whatever the actual number is, it may provide a simple solution for users who may eventually decide to move on to DDNS in the way that users move onto better computers; hard drives; routers; software... 

I am not sure that DDNS is necessarily a simple solution: for example some IP cameras seem to make it difficult, from what I have read.

Whether BT implemented it or not, would it work?

[licquorice]

I'm not entirely sure but I'm not convinced that BT are aware of individual IP addresses at all times.  TR-069 (CWMP) events are initiated by the router rather than the ACS so IP address is not needed to be tracked and associated with a particular hub at any given time. Other information can be obtained from the hub at the DSL layer rather than the IP layer, so again IP address not relevant.

The cost involved is in reconciling IP addresses to individual customers in real time and then processing that information in order to populate MYBT. I suspect that is not a trivial task.

[Keith_Beddoe]

IP addresses are associated with each account in real time, for implementing Parental Controls, and are also kept for auditing purposes. BT have to retain this information by law, for a period of time.

Whether that back end information could be integrated into the MyBT app, is another thing.

[Anonymous]

---

@NSquirrelwrote:

...........for example some IP cameras seem to make it difficult, from what I have read.

---

If its an IP camera you're looking for, some manufacturers offer a free DDNS service, Foscam used to do so before they split (I can't remember what they call themselves now).

[NSquirrel]

Thank you for your comments Licquorice, Keith_Beddoe and V_Meldrew.

Wrt the IP camera, that was simply an example of where I have often seen comments made,  probably by users who did not investigate a camera before buying.

[gg30340]

This might be something you could consider:- 

Gmail lists the last several IP addresses it was accessed from. 

See link

Gmail IP addresses

Might not be an ideal solution but may help if you have left home without knowing your IP address and need it.

Obviously if the router has reset and the IP address has changed since the last time gmail was accessed it will not show the new IP address.  

I haven't tried this but a work around for the above could be to set up an email client on your home computer to poll the gmail account and this would record the new IP address. This would of course require the home computer to be left on 24/7.