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Dynamic Public/WAN Addresses

Learn why your public/WAN IP address may change and how to keep remote access working with a static IP address or Dynamic DNS.

What Is a Public/WAN IP Address?

Your public or WAN IP address is the internet-facing IP address assigned to your router by your internet service provider (ISP).

This is the address external devices use when connecting to your Proxidize dashboard or proxies from outside your local network.

For example, if your public IP is 87.73.14.5, a remote user may connect to:

http://87.73.14.5

or use 87.73.14.5 as the proxy host with the correct proxy port.

For a deeper explanation of public and private IP addresses, see Understanding Public IPs, Private IPs, and Your Router IP Address.

Why Public/WAN IP Addresses Change

Many ISPs assign dynamic public IP addresses.

A dynamic IP address can change when:

  • The router reconnects to the ISP.
  • The router is restarted.
  • The ISP lease expires.
  • The connection is idle for a period of time.
  • The ISP moves the customer to another address in its public IP pool.

This process is controlled by the ISP. It cannot be fully controlled from the Proxidize server or from the local router.

How This Affects Your Proxidize Dashboard/Remote Access

If your public/WAN IP changes, local access may still work normally, but remote access can break.

For example:

  • The Proxidize dashboard may still open locally using the server's private IP.
  • Proxies may still work from devices on the same local network.
  • External users may lose access because they are still trying to connect to the old public IP.
  • Existing port forwarding rules may still exist, but users need to connect to the new public IP.

Before You Start

  • Confirm whether the issue affects local access, remote access, or both.
  • Find your current public/WAN IP address.
  • Check whether your router WAN IP matches the public IP shown by an external IP lookup.
  • Make sure port forwarding is already configured if you need remote access.

Compare the Public IP With the Router WAN IP

Open your router settings page and look for the WAN, Internet, or Status page.

Compare the router WAN IP with the public IP shown by the external lookup.

Result What It Usually Means
The two IPs match Your router likely has a direct public WAN IP.
The two IPs are different You may be behind CGNAT, double NAT, a VPN, or another upstream router.

⚠️ Note: If the two IPs are different, port forwarding may not work from the public internet until the network setup is corrected.

Option 1: Request a Static Public IP From Your ISP

The most stable solution is to ask your ISP for a static public IP address.

A static public IP usually does not change, which makes remote access simpler.

Ask your ISP:

  • Can you assign a static public IPv4 address?
  • Is the connection currently behind CGNAT?
  • Can CGNAT be removed for this connection?
  • Are inbound ports allowed on this plan?

Some ISPs charge extra for static IP service, and some residential plans may not support it.

Option 2: Use Dynamic DNS

Dynamic DNS, or DDNS, lets you use a domain name instead of typing the public IP address directly.

For example, instead of connecting to:

87.73.14.5

you can connect to:

mydomain.ddns.net

When your public IP changes, the DDNS service updates the domain so it points to the new IP address.

How DDNS Works

  1. You create a DDNS hostname with a DDNS provider.
  2. You configure the DDNS settings on your router or another device on the network.
  3. The router reports your current public IP to the DDNS provider.
  4. The DDNS hostname updates whenever your public IP changes.
  5. Remote users connect using the hostname instead of the changing IP address.

Common DDNS providers include services such as No-IP. Any DDNS service should work as long as your router or network can update it correctly.

Configure DDNS on Your Router

The exact steps depend on your router model, but the general process is similar:

  1. Log in to your router settings page.
  2. Find the Dynamic DNS, DDNS, or DNS section.
  3. Select your DDNS provider.
  4. Enter your DDNS hostname.
  5. Enter the DDNS account username and password or update token.
  6. Save the configuration.
  7. Confirm that the DDNS status shows as connected or updated.
Use the DDNS Hostname for Remote Access

After DDNS is configured, use the hostname instead of the public IP address.

For dashboard access:

http://mydomain.ddns.net

For proxy access, use the DDNS hostname as the proxy host and keep the same proxy port.

Example:

Field Value
Proxy host mydomain.ddns.net
Proxy port 2001

If your dashboard or proxies use custom ports, continue using the same ports you configured in your port forwarding rules.

⚠️ Important: DDNS Does Not Replace Port Forwarding

DDNS only keeps your hostname pointed at the current public IP.

You still need port forwarding if users must connect from outside the local network to services running on the Proxidize server.

For port forwarding instructions, see Port Forwarding/Triggering.

⚠️Important: Note About CGNAT and Double NAT

DDNS will not fix every remote access issue.

If your ISP uses CGNAT, or if your router is behind another router, inbound connections may not reach your Proxidize server even when DDNS is configured.

Signs of CGNAT or double NAT include:

  • The router WAN IP does not match your public IP lookup.
  • The router WAN IP starts with 10.x.x.x, 100.64.x.x to 100.127.x.x, 172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x, or 192.168.x.x.
  • Port forwarding rules look correct, but the service cannot be reached externally.

If this happens, contact your ISP and ask whether they can provide a direct public IP or remove CGNAT.

Troubleshooting

Issue What to Check
Remote access worked before but stopped Check whether the public/WAN IP changed.
DDNS hostname does not resolve to the current IP Check the DDNS update status on the router or DDNS provider.
DDNS works but the dashboard does not open Confirm port forwarding is configured for the correct internal Proxidize server IP.
Router WAN IP is different from public IP lookup Check for CGNAT, double NAT, VPN, or another upstream router.
Proxy connection fails after IP change Use the DDNS hostname as the proxy host and keep the correct proxy port.

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Need Help?

If you have any questions, concerns, or need further clarification, feel free to reach out to us via live chat or email us directly at support@proxidize.com.