Will I need a fixed ip address on the radio side for remote internet access?

Charles - K5UA

My WAN internet provider is upgrading my equipment to allow faster up/down speeds and wants to know if I need a fixed ip address to be able to run my 6500 over the internet. I guess i should know the answer to this but i don't. Anyone know?

KY6LA_Howard

Yes...you can use a floating IP but that usually involves setting up a dynamic DNS service to point to the latest IP... Frankly its an extra step that can become a PIA.

Obviously it would be much easier to remotely access your system using a fixed external IP.

Charles - K5UA

Thanks. Will advise my service provider.

Tim - W4TME

Actually the answer is TBD, but I suspect not.  One of the components of remote access is "session initiation", which is finding your radio on the internet and establishing a secure connection.  We have not started developing that code so we can not say for certain that you will need a fixed IP, but the design goal is to make remote access seamless and network configuration "free".  If it is going to cost you extra for the fixed IP, I'd save a few pennies at this time.

Charles - K5UA

Thanks for the "heads up" Tim.  

I have a secondary question. If I had a direct Wi-Fi link from my home to the location where my 6500 is located (less than 3 miles away, line of sight), would the 6500 be just as accessible to the remote (home) computer as it is to the on-site computer since it would exist on the same network?  

And if so, would I only need to figure out how to use DAX to get audio from the remote (home) computer into and out of the 6500?

I am thinking about this as a temporary solution as we wait on the code to make this possible globally.

Thanks

Greg Zenger [N2GZ]

If your wifi link is configured such that both the radio and control computer are on the same network/subnet it will be just as accessible. I don't know what equipment exists at each location, but something to consider would be to have a DHCP server at both locations (set to assign IP's from different ranges, aka split scope) that way the two networks can continue to exist on their own if the wifi backbone goes down for a long period of time.  

I would recommend experimenting with everything at one location so you can work the kinks out of without having to drive back and forth or play troubledesk with a buddy at the
opposite location.

Take a look at the Ubiquity airFiber 24GHz links.  The pair will cost about $3k but if that means only one internet connection shared between both locations, it could pay for itself after a few years. It will also give you full gigabit speeds between both locations.

Charles - K5UA

Thanks Greg. Will look at the Ubiquity equipment.