[lug] DSL ip addresse changes

[David Morris]

On Mon, Nov 19, 2007 at 05:23:42PM -0800, karl horlen wrote:
> So what benefit do these dsl providers get by not
> using permanent ip addresses for their customers?  Are
> they actually sharing more lines than customers?  My
> thought is that they wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't
> making them money or help on the support end.  From
> where I sit, it would seem easier to troubleshoot and
> more cracker proof if ips were static.  It probably
> does simplify day to day regular support possibly by
> addiing automated ip delivery to new and deleted
> customers.  That might be it.

A few guesses I can come up with by playing devil's
advocate.  The validity of each is questionable (I don't
actually agree with any of them), however I can easily see
each as being accepted as an argument in a big corporate
environment.....

If they don't rotate the IP address on a regular basis for
average customers, more experienced customers have no
incentive to pay the extra money for a static IP address as
they already effectively have one.

This would also have some benefit for security by making it
more annoying (but not at all difficult) to create a server
without paying for a static IP address....which leads to a
marginal decrease in sources of spam coming from unsecured
basement servers people have running but don't know how to
lock down.

For that matter, the average use is also marginally more
secure by having a rotating IP address because remote
attacks have less of a chance at probing the same computer
for a long period of time.

Just some thoughts....

--David