Reserve IP address by device?

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Level 1

12 points

Reserve IP address by device?

I have a variety of Apple devices on my network, using an Airport Extreme router. (Devices include a Mac Mini, MacBook Pro, iPhones, etc.)

My Mac Mini (Snow Leopard 10.6.8) acts as an HTPC, and I would like it to always have the same 10.0.1.X address. Can someone tell me how to set it so the Mac Mini always uses 10.0.1.2, for example? My devices sometimes change addresses, if I restart the router or a device.

I tried going to System Preferences->Network->Wi-Fi->Advanced->TCP/IP-> and from here I chose "Using DHCP with Manual Address" from the drop-down menu, and I entered 10.0.1.2 as the address and applied the change ... but I wasn't able to access the HTPC from Google Chrome using the 10.0.1.2 address as I normally can.

(I set it back to "Using DHCP" and renewed the lease, and I was able to use Chrome to access my HTPC at the address it generated -- 10.0.1.13.)

Posted on Nov 11, 2014 5:45 AM

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Answer 1

Bob Timmons

Level 10

189,984 points

Nov 11, 2014 5:56 AM in response to Apache44

I tried going to System Preferences->Network->Wi-Fi->Advanced->TCP/IP-> and from here I chose "Using DHCP with Manual Address" from the drop-down menu, and I entered 10.0.1.2 as the address and applied the change ... but I wasn't able to access the HTPC from Google Chrome using the 10.0.1.2 address as I normally can.

Chances are, the 10.0.1.2 address has already been assigned to another device on your network, so it would not be available in that case.

What happens if you set the address for the Mac Mini as 10.0.1.13 in System Preferences? Or better yet, assign an IP address that would be higher than addresses than other devices on your network normally receive.....to eliminate possible conflicts. Try something like 10.0.1.25 or 10.0.1.50 for example.

Most wireless routers....including Apple....will also allow you to reserve a given IP address for a specific product. If you have an Apple router that is in charge of DHCP address assignments for your network, another option would be to have the Apple router assign IP addresses. You have to know the MAC Address of the device if you do it this way, which is a unique ID number for a device.

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Answer 2

Apache44 Author

Level 1

12 points

Nov 11, 2014 6:07 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Hi Bob.

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

I'll give your suggestion a try when I get home from work, and set it to a high address that should be unused. In principle, though, was I on the right track? Did I take the right steps to reserve an address?

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Answer 3

Bob Timmons

Level 10

189,984 points

Nov 11, 2014 6:28 AM in response to Apache44

There are different ways that you can have a device always use the same IP address on a network.

You were on the right track for one of them, but the trick is to make sure that you select an IP address that will not already be in use by another device on the network.

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Answer 4

Apache44 Author

Level 1

12 points

Nov 11, 2014 6:30 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks again 🙂

I'll try when I get home from work. Assuming I don't kill myself, I'll post back with results.

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Answer 5

Apache44 Author

Level 1

12 points

Nov 11, 2014 9:42 AM in response to Apache44

OK, I think that did the trick -- thanks Bob.

Now that these addresses are reserved, will the particular device always try to use that address, even if I restart the device or router? So for example, my Mac Mini will always try to take the 10.0.1.25 address that I entered?

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