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Local IP Address
Your computer communicates with the internet by communicating to your router or modem. For making this communication possible both your router and your modem have an IP address. In case you have multiple devices (e.g. multiple PC's) connected to your router, each has an unique IP address.
These IP addresses are used internally at your home network. They should not be confused with your public IP address. Your public IP address is globally unique and used for communiction by your router/modem with the rest of the internet.
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Determine your Local IP Address
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Zultrax P2P can determine your Local IP address for you. Choose "System info" in the menu "Tools" and an information screen is displayed with information about Zultrax P2P and its connection to the internet. Amongst the displayed fiels you see also a field labeled "Local IP".
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Dynamic and Static Local IP
Your computer can obtain a local IP address on your home network (one single router and a single PC we also call a home network) either dynamic or static. By default this is often dynamic, which means that on each reboot the computer will ask the router for a Local IP Address, this address doesn't always have to be the same address as it was last time.
If you configure a Static Local IP Address it will always be the same addres.
In many circumstances a dynamic local IP address is preferable above a static one. E.g. on a Laptop configuring a static local IP address is not a good idea in case you also wish to use the laptop on someone else's network (in a cafe or Wifi), the laptop won't connect anymore.
We advice you to leave your IP configuration as it is unless the dynamic local IP is causing trouble. For having Zultrax P2P to allow incoming connections your router needs to be configured with a open (forwarded) port for Zultrax P2P. On some models of routers you do that by pointing the port to a local IP Address. If you forwarded the port to your local IP address and then your local IP address changes, you are back where you started: Incoming connections are again blocked.
If you have such a problem, best first read our
manual on forwarding ports
for your router. There you can also read if configuring a Static Local IP might be needed.
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Configuring a Static Local IP
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This is tricky stuff and you can mess up your connection if you do it wrong. So read carefully. If you don't understand something, don't just try things at random... read more instead or ask someone for help!
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1.
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First we need an IP Address that we will make the Static Local IP. This IP Address must be in the same Class C Subnet as your router and should not be an IP address already gaven to another computer or device on your network. Earlier we described how Zultrax P2P can look up your Local IP address. This address consist out of 4 numbers, something in a form as 192.168.1.2. A good choice for a Local Statical IP is commonly this address with the last number replaced by 11, so that would be in our example 192.168.1.11. Always leave the first 3 numbers unchanged.
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2.
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We need another IP address, the IP address of your router. That is the same IP address you normally type in your browser to go to your router configuration. In case you don't know this address, in our
manuals on forwarding ports
we give for each router we know of this IP address. You can look it up here before continue the steps below.
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3.
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In the windows start menu, choose Settings and within Settings choose Control panel
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4.
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You get a screen that looks like the one above. (If not, you have an option on the right of the screen to "switch to classic view", choose that one.) Choose here the item "Network connections" and double click it to open.
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5.
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A screen comes up showing all your connections. Normally just one, but sometimes more. Choose the one that is connected to the firewall / router you want to configure (commonly this is named Local Area Connection) and right-click it. In the popup menu that appears you select properties.
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6.
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Now you have a screen as shown here. Select the item "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click the properties button.
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7.
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A screen comes up showing details of your connection. In the first 2 radio buttons you see most likely Obtain an IP address automatically checked. In the other case, if Use the following IP address is already checked, you already have a static local IP address. In that case, stop here, close all windows we just opened. You already have a static local IP address, so you are finished...
Otherwise check Use the following IP address instead of Obtain an IP address automatically.
In the field IP Address you type the IP address you looked up in step 1 of this manual. In the field Preferred DNS Server the IP address of your router you looked up in step 2 of this manual.
Click OK
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8.
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If for some reason something got messed up and you don't really know why, you can always come back to the dialog described in the previous step and change the first radio button back to Obtain an IP address automatically. You are again without static IP address but at least your connection is back...
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9.
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You are finished. Your computer now has a local static IP address. Perhaps it is a good idea to keep this webpage still open for a while and start some other browser window, your E-mail, Zultrax P2P or something else that uses your connection, to see if you are still on-line.
All ok? Close all windows you have opened before. If things are not ok, you can now still easily go back and set obtain an IP address automatically again, not to loose your connection...
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