What are these IP Address things?
If you are going to run a server on the Internet, then you will need to know what an IP Address is. It is simple. An IP Address is an... address. Yes, I really do mean an address, just like a street address: 12 Main Street, Paris.
The difference is that while a street address identifies a location in real life, an IP Address identifies a location in the virtual world on the Internet. Indeed, IP Address means "Internet Protocol Address".
What good is an address?
In real life, you use the street address to post a letter to someone. On the Internet, the IP Address is used for the same purpose -- to post a letter (data/information/packets) to someone on the Internet.
Every computer on the Internet must have an IP Address if it wants to do anything on the Internet. This is because your computer needs to talk to other computers, and if the other computers don't know your IP Address, then how are they supposed to post letters to you? That would be like saying to the local Post Office, "Please post my letter to Fred." And the Post Office would say, "At what address does Fred live?" The Post Office requires an address before you can post a letter, and so does the Internet.
What does an IP Address look like?
IP Addresses are entirely numerical. Here are some examples, one per line:
66.33.209.103
66.33.209.103:10200
216.239.35.100:80
64.70.42.54
Because numerical addresses are difficult for humans to remember, the Internet also supports what is called a "DNS Address", which you are probably already familiar with. Here are some examples:
www.haxial.com
www.haxialsoftware.com
images.google.com
mail.yahoo.com
www.haxial.com:500
Every DNS Address actually represents an IP Address, and the Internet must convert DNS Addresses to IP Addresses before it can use them. "DNS" is an acronym for "Domain Name Service", and DNS Addresses are sometimes referred to as domain names.
How do I get the IP Address of my computer?
Please see: http://www.haxial.com/whatismyipaddress/
Alternatively, if you are using Haxial's KDX Client program, click the "Commands" button then use the "Show My Address" command.
If you are using KDX Server, then it displays the address in the log window when the program is opened (if you cannot see the log window, then you will need to bring the program to the front or unminimize it). You can also use the "Copy Address To Clipboard" command which is found in the Window Menu -- click the icon which looks like [/////]. If you do not know what the Clipboard is, click here to read about it.
WARNING: Using KDX Server to get your IP address may result in you getting your private/internal LAN address instead of your real/public address. If in doubt, use the above-mentioned webpage.
Does my IP Address ever change?
This depends on the policies of your Internet Service Provider (ISP, the company that provides your Internet access). If you are using a regular analog modem, then your ISP probably changes your address every time that you dial in. If you are using a cable modem, then your ISP probably keeps your address the same for long periods of time (days or months), but may possibly change it occasionally.
How can I stop my IP Address from changing?
You could ask your ISP for a static IP Address (meaning one that does not change). Your ISP may be prepared to provide this to you for a fee. Talk to your ISP. Alternatively, you might consider using a Dynamic DNS service (see following).
Can I get one of those cool DNS Addresses?
Your ISP may be prepared to provide you with a DNS Address for a fee. Talk to your ISP. Alternatively, you might consider using a Dynamic DNS service (see following).
What is Dynamic DNS?
There are companies on the Internet which can provide you with a DNS Address, even if your IP Address changes. For example www.dyndns.org or hn.org or www.no-ip.com. You should consult with them about how to use their service. But the basic idea is that you will receive an address something like myname.homeip.net which points to your IP address (something like 10.20.30.40). When your IP address changes, you need to tell dyndns.org what the new address is (or run a program which does it automatically). Then the address of your computer or server that you give to people is myname.homeip.net, which does not change.
NOTE: These services are NOT provided by Haxial. Haxial does NOT provide tech support for services provided by other companies. If you need help with these services, you must ask the company that provides the service, NOT Haxial!
Where can I find other Dynamic DNS providers?
What is a dynamic IP address / static IP address?
A dynamic IP address is simply an IP Address that changes. A static IP address is simply an IP Address which stays the same. "Dynamic DNS" is referring to a DNS Address which points to a dynamic IP address (prior to the establishment of Dynamic DNS services, a DNS Address required a static IP address).
If you see an address like 66.33.209.103:10200 or haxial.com:500, then the port number is the number after the colon ':'. So in those examples, the port numbers are 10200 and 500 respectively.
Port numbers are generally used to distinguish between the different services/programs that may be running on a computer. You can think of this like a block of apartments/units which all have the same street address, so in order to distinguish between the different apartments, you write an address like: Apartment 5, 12 Main Street.
For example, the address of your computer may be 10.20.30.40, but you may be running both KDX Server and a Web Server. Therefore if you wanted to connect to the KDX Server, you would use 10.20.30.40:10700, whereas if you wanted to connect to the Web Server, you would use 10.20.30.40:80.
A port number is required for all addresses, but often you can omit it, and whatever program you are using will automatically add whatever the default port number for that program is. For example, if you put www.haxial.com into a web browser (without specifying the port number), it automatically uses port 80, which is the default for web browsing.
What are IP Addresses that begin with 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x ?
These IP addresses are typically used in a situation where you have multiple computers all sharing the same internet connection.
To get onto the internet, a computer must have an IP address. So what do you do if your ISP (Internet Service Provider) has provided you with only 1 IP address but you have more than 1 computer you want on the internet? The solution is to give your other computers "fake" IP addresses. These "fake" (private) IP addresses are in the format 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x. How can "fake" addresses work? A router (either a standalone device or a computer acting as a router) makes them work by performing Network Address Translation (NAT).
Note that because 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x addresses are not "real" addresses, they can only be used privately/internally. For example, if you tell someone on the internet to connect to you using a 192.168.x.x address, it will not work. Instead, you must tell them what your real/public IP address is, and your router must also be configured properly.
What is the difference between my Public and Private IP Addresses?
Usually, a computer on the internet has only 1 IP Address at a time. However, if you are using a router that is sharing your internet connection between multiple computers, then you probably have 1 public address, and 1 or more private addresses:
Public -- Other computers on the internet see you as coming from this address. If you want someone on the internet to connect to you, then you must tell them your public address. Also known as your "real" or "external" address.
Private -- Each computer on your LAN (Local Area Network) has a different private address, usually in the range 192।168.x.x or 10.x.x.x. See the previous question for more details about this type of address. Also known as LAN address or local address or internal address.
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