Is it possible to give a laptop a static IP on a home WiFi network but for all other WiFi networks (coffee shops, other homes etc) let it have one automatically (given by DHCP) I don't think it's possible as once you've allocated an IP to a network interface it sticks? No? TIA
It's not as easy as that... the long story is that I'm using a piece of software that monitors the PC health for a family member. I've set up port forwarding and dyndns etc etc and everything works fine... but if the router gets rebooted the laptop would get a new IP address and the port forwarding would fall over. If I set the network adapter with a static IP then this will cause problems when the laptop is used anywhere else...??
That sounds like a plan... I'll have to login remotely and hope the router is capable of that task! I guess a lot of cheap ones (or even expensive ones) won't be
Time for a router upgrade, you can get fairly cheap Linksys / Ciscos that allow DD-WRT firmware to be flashed, then you have a £600 router from a cheap £40 thing with all the settings you could dream of I have the WRT160NL 2 Wireless adapters would work though, set internal one to static for home and the other USB one to DHCP for out and about Just disable the internal one when you go out, theres normally a WiFi quick access button on most laptops you can use just quickly turn it on and off
Perhaps your router can do DHCP Reservations, in which you specify the IP address it always gives to a particular MAC address.
It's a family members here in the UK and the router is called a "BT Home Hub 3" which is like no other
Correct. Two possible solutions are: 1 - Third party app. that save and restores multiple settings for the network interface. 2 - Buy USB WiFi dongle, use it when mobile. Switch back to built-in when home. Both solutions avoid any changes to your home WiFi router. IMHO, it shouldn't even be part of the equation.
Sorry, I'm guilty of incorrect wording. I should have said "changing the router's settings shouldn't be part of resolving the issue." I have never heard of anyone, anywhere, with any portable WiFi device who needs to change their router's settings when leaving/arriving home.