IP addresses

My Android tablet appears to have  a mind of its own - despite the router remaining on 24/7 - the tablet picks up a different IP address, roughly weekly - giving it a different IP location roughly weekly

I always assumed that an android devices location would remain foxed unless the router was rebooted and allowed to pick up its own new IP address.....
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Comments

  • Mark_d
    Mark_d Posts: 2,202 Forumite
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    It all depends on your settings.  My devices have have fixed IP addresses when on my home WIFI network
  • Exodi
    Exodi Posts: 3,683 Forumite
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    edited 23 April at 1:47PM
    Yep, that's normal for Dynamic IP's - 'DCHP lease' (what you're referring to) lengths vary but generally default to a day or several days - this can be adjusted in router settings.

    Alternatively, as stated above, if it bothers you, you can set Static IP's so the IP doesn't change at all for a device.

    I wouldn't personally pay any attention to websites IP location guesses... very often I'm told by Facebook that I'm logging in from 200 miles away from my actual location based on my IP. Location on Android devices is typically identified by GPS if it's important.
    Know what you don't
  • unforeseen
    unforeseen Posts: 7,376 Forumite
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    If the location is changing that points to the router's external IP changing.
    The local IP address, normally in the 192.168.*.* range is classed as private and is provided by the router
    If you are getting the location from one of the various sites that provide this info then it is using the router's external IP address, not the tablets internal IP address. 
  • Vitor
    Vitor Posts: 434 Forumite
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    edited 23 April at 5:27PM
    Android devices do MAC address randomisation to avoid tracking when moving between public WiFI networks, The home router is simply 'seeing' a different MAC address and so allocates an IP address from its pool. 

    You could set the device MAC be used for your 'home' WiFi so the IP address is likely to 'stick' or you could do a fixed allocation.
  • John_Gray
    John_Gray Posts: 5,837 Forumite
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    OP: out of interest, are you affected in any way, positively or negatively, by the change of your phone's wireless IP address?
  • MouldyOldDough
    MouldyOldDough Posts: 2,588 Forumite
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    John_Gray said:
    OP: out of interest, are you affected in any way, positively or negatively, by the change of your phone's wireless IP address?

    No I am not - I was just interested in why it changed !
  • DullGreyGuy
    DullGreyGuy Posts: 17,474 Forumite
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    Vitor said:
    Android devices do MAC address randomisation to avoid tracking when moving between public WiFI networks, The home router is simply 'seeing' a different MAC address and so allocates an IP address from its pool. 

    You could set the device MAC be used for your 'home' WiFi so the IP address is likely to 'stick' or you could do a fixed allocation.
    That would be the internal IP address not the external one.

    My Android tablet appears to have  a mind of its own - despite the router remaining on 24/7 - the tablet picks up a different IP address, roughly weekly - giving it a different IP location roughly weekly

    I always assumed that an android devices location would remain foxed unless the router was rebooted and allowed to pick up its own new IP address.....
    Are you talking internal or external IP address?

    How are you checking the IP?


  • MouldyOldDough
    MouldyOldDough Posts: 2,588 Forumite
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    edited 25 April at 3:48PM
    Vitor said:
    Android devices do MAC address randomisation to avoid tracking when moving between public WiFI networks, The home router is simply 'seeing' a different MAC address and so allocates an IP address from its pool. 

    You could set the device MAC be used for your 'home' WiFi so the IP address is likely to 'stick' or you could do a fixed allocation.
    That would be the internal IP address not the external one.

    My Android tablet appears to have  a mind of its own - despite the router remaining on 24/7 - the tablet picks up a different IP address, roughly weekly - giving it a different IP location roughly weekly

    I always assumed that an android devices location would remain foxed unless the router was rebooted and allowed to pick up its own new IP address.....
    Are you talking internal or external IP address?

    How are you checking the IP?


    External IP addreses
    checking using "What's my IP?" websites
  • unforeseen
    unforeseen Posts: 7,376 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Vitor said:
    Android devices do MAC address randomisation to avoid tracking when moving between public WiFI networks, The home router is simply 'seeing' a different MAC address and so allocates an IP address from its pool. 

    You could set the device MAC be used for your 'home' WiFi so the IP address is likely to 'stick' or you could do a fixed allocation.
    That would be the internal IP address not the external one.

    My Android tablet appears to have  a mind of its own - despite the router remaining on 24/7 - the tablet picks up a different IP address, roughly weekly - giving it a different IP location roughly weekly

    I always assumed that an android devices location would remain foxed unless the router was rebooted and allowed to pick up its own new IP address.....
    Are you talking internal or external IP address?

    How are you checking the IP?


    External IP addreses
    checking using "What's my IP?" websites
    Then it sounds like your ISP is allocating a new IP address on each lease refresh
  • Vitor
    Vitor Posts: 434 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 25 April at 8:57PM
    OP may be looking at the IP address being allocated by his airtime provider for 4G data
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