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ipstack returns ip_routing_type and connection_type on every lookup. The free plan is 100 requests a month.
A static IP address is a fixed IP address that never changes: it is manually assigned to a device or reserved for it, and it stays the same across restarts and reconnections. A dynamic IP address, the default for most homes and devices, is assigned automatically by DHCP and can change over time. Choose a static IP when other machines must reliably find yours: hosting a website or game server, running a file or email server, port forwarding, remote desktop access, or DNS servers. For everyday browsing, a dynamic IP is simpler, cheaper, and slightly more private.
ip_routing_type and connection_type fields tell you how an IP connects, which matters for fraud checks and personalization.| Static IP | Dynamic IP | |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Manual, or reserved for the device | Automatic via DHCP |
| Changes over time? | No | Yes, on reconnect or lease expiry |
| Best for | Servers, hosting, remote access, DNS | Everyday browsing and home use |
| Cost | Often an ISP add-on (business plans) | Included by default |
| Setup effort | Manual configuration or reservation | None |
| Privacy | Easier to track over time | Changes make long-term tracking harder |
| Geolocation accuracy | Higher and stable | Can shift, especially on mobile networks |
Static IPs are usually unnecessary for regular computers, where DHCP handles addressing automatically; they add manual overhead without benefit unless another device needs to reach yours.
To get a public static IP, request it from your ISP (typically a paid add-on, most common on business plans). To get a static address inside your own network for free, assign one manually in your device’s network settings or create a DHCP reservation in your router, as described below.
After logging in to your router’s admin page, find the DHCP or LAN settings, locate your device in the connected-devices list, and choose Reserve (or Add Reservation) to pin its current address. The device will now receive the same local IP every time it connects.
A static IP works like a permanent street address: mail (in this case, network traffic) always knows where to go because the address never changes. A dynamic IP is closer to a hotel room number that gets reassigned to someone else after you check out — fine for a guest passing through, unworkable for a business that needs to be found at the same place every day.
That is why static IPs show up wherever something else has to initiate contact: a web, email, or file server that the public needs to reach, a VPN endpoint remote employees connect back to, a DNS server that other machines look up by address, or a security camera or remote-desktop session an administrator dials into from outside the network.
Port forwarding is the clearest everyday example. A router forwards incoming FTP requests on a given port to one specific machine on the local network — and that rule only keeps working if the target machine’s local IP never changes, which is exactly what a static address (or a DHCP reservation) guarantees.
An IP’s stability affects how precisely it can be geolocated. Fixed-line static IPs (offices, servers, fiber and cable connections) map to a consistent location, while dynamic mobile IPs can shift across a carrier’s coverage area. IPstack exposes this directly: the ip_routing_type field reports whether an IP is fixed, mobile gateway, or behind a proxy, and connection_type reports the access technology. Combined with the security module’s proxy and VPN detection, this lets applications weight how much to trust an IP’s location, which matters for fraud screening, content licensing, and localization.
// relevant response fields: // "ip_routing_type": "fixed", // "connection_type": "cable", // "security": { "is_proxy": false, ... }
The free plan is 100 requests a month. The security module requires a plan that includes it.
These are the highest-demand questions and prompt patterns people type into Google and AI assistants about static IPs right now.
Check your public IP today (for example via IPstack or your router status page), then check again after restarting your router or in a few days. If it changed, it is dynamic, which is the default for most home connections. Business plans and server hosting are where static IPs are common; your ISP account details will state it explicitly.
A static local IP (via DHCP reservation) helps because port forwarding rules stay valid, which can improve NAT type and connectivity on consoles. A public static IP from your ISP is rarely necessary for gaming alone; reserve it for hosting dedicated servers.
Neither is inherently safer. A static IP is a stable target, so exposed services on it must be firewalled and patched; a dynamic IP changes, which slightly hinders long-term tracking but protects nothing by itself. Security comes from configuration, not the assignment method.
Usually, yes, for a public static IP: most ISPs offer it as a paid add-on or bundle it with business plans, and pricing varies by provider. A static address inside your own network costs nothing; set it manually or with a router DHCP reservation.
A pattern that works well with AI coding assistants. Naming the exact response fields is the biggest quality lever.
In my [Node/Python] backend, look up each visitor’s IP with the IPstack API (key in an environment variable), read ip_routing_type, connection_type, and security.is_proxy, tag sessions as fixed, mobile, or proxy, and log the tag with country_code for our fraud-review dashboard.
Any specific address can be static; what makes it static is that it is fixed. For instance, a small business might have its ISP assign 203.0.113.25 permanently to its office router so the company VPN and mail server are always reachable at that address.
Inside your own network, yes: assign a static address in your device settings or set a DHCP reservation in your router. A public static IP from your ISP is normally a paid feature.
No. Not changing is the definition of static. If your address changes after a restart, you have a dynamic IP; contact your ISP if you need a static one.
Generally yes. Fixed static IPs map to a stable location, so lookups return consistent, precise results, while mobile and proxy-routed IPs are less certain. IPstack reports the routing and connection type with each lookup so applications can judge location confidence.
The RFC 1918 ranges, what NAT does with them, and how to find the private address of a device.
Read the guide →The class labelsClass A, B and C mapped correctly onto the RFC 1918 blocks and CIDR notation.
Read the guide →API referenceEvery field a lookup returns, including ip_routing_type and connection_type.
Read the guide →ipstack reports whether an IP is fixed, mobile or proxied, alongside its country, region and city. The free plan is 100 requests a month.