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melissa eX · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:24 am Post subject: Static IP?

One of my clients is going to Source Connect from ISDN. (Pro Source Connect, not Source Connect Now) I've never had a need for Source Connect but I use ISDN regularly. I can either get Source Connect for this one client - an otherwise unnecessary expense - or continue to use my Xstream with them over the IP connection it provides - however they say I need a static IP address from my ISP which could be pricey - and MAY entail shifting my internet from my residential to my business account which would make it pricier - I have no idea, haven't checked yet.

I'm not really in the habit of throwing money away (on anything except for cowboy boots) so:

Is a static IP address really necessary?

Would setting up the Xstream to IP connectivity make it a pain to use it over the ISDN lines? Do I have to keep switching settings? (Not such a big deal because I also have a Classic so I can connect both codecs if necessary)

Is a static IP also needed with Source Connect?

Aren't there 2 types of Source Connect on the pro side? Which one?

Anything else I need to know or take into account?

If you ABSOLUTELY MUST chime in with "ISDN is dead" posts at least make me laugh.

Many thanks!
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MBVOXX · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 9:32 am Post subject:

Source Connect Pro requires a Static IP. Just call your ISP service dept and request it.
They'll give you new IP #s to enter into your network settings. It's a one time
network config...just change the IP address, SMTP, etc to the numbers they give you. My Static IP only raised the monthly ISP bill by $10 and a business
account isn't usually required.

But couldn't you also use a bride service to connect via your ISDN to your SC client? That would be much less costly than Source Connect Pro.

Lee Gordon · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 9:52 am Post subject:

Go to www.whatismyipaddress.com and check to see if your IP address is already static or if it's dynamic. I just checked mine and it is static. That's not something I have requested or pay extra for.
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melissa eX · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:15 pm Post subject:

It's dynamic Lee. And Verizon tells me I can only have static on a business account. I have my ISDN lines on a business account but FIOS is on a residential account (Huge price difference)

Bish · Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:50 am Post subject:

Some people are static IP snobs. Check that they actually mean what they say you "need" a static IP. They actually may mean they would prefer you to have a static IP to mask sone shitty network programming at their end. Push the point about the absolute necessity of a static IP. (sorry, I know you don't like being confrontational*)

BTW, I have a dynamic IP that hasn't changed for as long as I can remember. Does that make it static?

*That was extreme sarcasm... a veritable overdose of it. More sarcasm than you can comfortably fit in an over-sized custom-built sarcasm-proof flight-case)
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Lee Gordon · Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 11:02 am Post subject:

melissa eX · Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 8:54 pm Post subject:

Lee Gordon · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 2:05 am Post subject:

Bish · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 7:53 am Post subject:

This could be interesting. They have been quite firm about their dropping ISDN, but their "simple" replacement process seems to be fraught with pitfalls. It's unfortunate that Source Elements have such a terrible naming convention that leads to constant confusion. To recap (for clarity):

Source Connect NOW: Two cans and a piece of string. The same as many other IP solutions out there (ipDTL etc). No considered a solution. Free.
Source Connect: The standard offering, and according to the client, perfectly acceptable for VOs as the ISDN replacement. 192kbps stereo. $650, or $35 per month (plus a one-time $75 set-up fee)
Source Connect Pro: More bandwidth and some enhanced features. In my opinion, nice to have, but certainly not required for a single point-to-point studio-talent link. $1495.

So, we're talking about standard Source Connect their solution. SC documentation is very badly written and leads to confusion regarding the whole "static IP" issue. I shall attempt to make it clearer, but ultimately a conversation with Source Connect engineers will clarify the situation.

Static IP as provided by your ISP at additional charge. This gives you a fixed IP address for the whole internet. You will always be (say) 24.123.456.27, and anyone in the world can access you from these numbers. Not usual in home situations and can cost more per month the SC itself. With a dynamic IP, internet access is controlled by the servers that maintain the internet itself... these databases are constantly (and dynamically) updated so that your presence is known. Your mail will always come to you regardless of your IP address because the mail server knows where you are (etc.) As has been noted... these addresses can maintain themselves for a long time and in most cases are not changed every time you reboot your router... your ISP just gives you the same one again (or it seems that way). Whether you are static or dynamic is totally controlled by your ISP. (that was all incredibly over-simplified).

When the SC tech notes are examined, we see the following: That's why we walk you through the steps of configuring a Static IP address internally on your computer.

This brings us on to your own home network. Your router address is the one that faces the outside world, but the rest of your in-house network has its own IP addressing scheme with their own range of IP address (for PC users, it's usually 192.168.1.nnn and for Mac users, 10.0.1.nnn). Usually, these addresses are dynamically allocated within a range. So, my computer may have been allocated 10.0.1.5, but if I turn it off, that address becomes free and my phone may pick it up when it connects to wifi... and when I reconnect the computer, it gets another address, 10.0.1.6 (dynamically allocated).

The problem is that Source Connect uses port forwarding through the router where a specific port number "tunnels" through to a specific internal IP address. For speed of throughput, SC is written so that it addresses that port and expects to be delivered to a specific internal IP address. This is set-up on your local router on SC installation, and this is what they are referring to in their statement quoted above.

In an attempt to make it simple to understand, I think they have conflated two issues and created more confusion about the use & meaning of "static IP". Setting the static IP (and the port forwarding) for your computer on your own network is a simple thing and it's easy to talk someone through it if they don't know the nuts & bolts of networking.

Mel, I know you understand... we've shared blood-on-the-router" moments Wink

... and if all that fails, bridging may be the answer. I've bridged my ISDN to a client's SC. The only real issue is who pays. I didn't even know they were bridging until they told me. The bottom line (as always, cost/benefit) is whether or not paying for another solution to satisfy the needs of a single client is worth it. With this client, it may be worth it for you... for me, it's a coin-toss.

The other issue here that seems to have been missed is the Xstream connectivity issue. Has this be proven viable yet? I have no idea what the IP connectivity issues are with that solution. However, as the Telos documentation and videos push heavily towards mobile & temporary installations, I doubt it needs a static IP across the internet. That's a guess. Your regular ISDN settings should not need changing, just the mode of working when you're using an IP connection.
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Ed Fisher · Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 9:50 am Post subject:

I have audio equipment in the field that requires a static IP to connect back to me for updates from my server.

Yet I do not really have a static IP.

Instead, I use dyndns.com

You might try them. It gives you the ability to have a static address that is always forwarded to your dynamic IP.

It has worked flawlessly for me for years.

It is NOT expensive.

This might be one solution. Smile

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Frank F · Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 10:29 am Post subject:

Google "free static IP". You will find a plethora of solutions.

Frank F
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Deirdre · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 5:38 am Post subject:

I just did this yesterday, so here's the deal:

For Source Connect
Your ROUTER needs a static IP address.
You need to have your router mapped to ports 6000 and 6001.

Do this:

Plug your computer directly into your router— no wifi.
Install Team Viewer.
Call Source Connect's service number: +1 312 706 5555
Press Zero to talk to someone.

They're in New Zealand. Their hours are "early - 6pm Chicago time, Central Time U.S."

The guys there will get into your computer, establish a static IP for your router, and map your ports.
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Bish · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 6:42 am Post subject:

This is what happens when a company uses misleading nomenclature when attempting to explain their technical requirements in simple terms. The actual problem here is local network configuration (as Deirdre has just confirmed). It would have been far better (more accurate and less contentious) if SE had simply stated that they require a hard-wired connection with a fixed LAN IP address between the router and the computer... and not used the whole "static IP" thing: because to the rest of the world that means your WAN IP.
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Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

melissa eX · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 7:36 pm Post subject:

I still don't know what they (client) mean by Static IP, then. But I can easily assign an IP address to my network and everything on it. And if I do need a Static IP, Ed's solution looks interesting. It seems to work like my personal email address which is a forwarder to wherever I send it. ( @pobox, @mailzone. )

Thanks Ed!

I'm going to try to avoid both SC and StatIP. Let's see what happens.
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