Foscam camera floating IP

Configuration
1

Hi all, my Foscam C1 Lite has a floating IP, which means I have to update my config file every time its IP changes. Is there any way to fix the IP, or is there a workaround involving scanning for the MAC address?
Cheers

2

I assume you mean it uses a dynamic IP Address? That is to say, it get’s its IP Address via DHCP assignment?

If that is correct, there are two approaches to this. I am not familiar with Foscam Cameras but I do have some Amcrest Cameras and I would assume they are at least similar.

  1. Use Static IP addresses
    Static IP address are just that, static. You assign them on a per device basis. As long as you do not assign an IP address that is in use by another device on the network then you are good to go. It will not change unless you manually change it in the device configuration or factory reset the device itself.

  2. Use DHCP Reservations
    DHCP Reservations are a bit more versatile but require a router on your network that is capable of handling these kinds of IP assignments.

This kind of IP assignment is based on the MAC address of the device, which is permanently tied to the particular network interface. Since the IP address is assigned based on the MAC address, even if you factory reset the device it will get the same IP address. And anytime that device is connected to your network it will get that IP address as long as the DHCP Reservation is used.

In my router, I can tell it the MAC Address, assign the device an IP address and also give it a specific, customized name rather than some of the cryptic ones that they come with from the factory which makes it particularly nice identifying which devices are currently connected and using the network.

For a home network, DHCP Reservation is an awesome tool in which to manage the network itself. You can clearly see what is on the network and thus spot things that should not be but it also affords the assurance of a static IP address without having to do all the device level configuration. If a device connects to an IP network, it has a MAC address. So even if the device does not provide a way in which to assign a specific IP address to it, I can still do so with DHCP Reservation.

Hope this helps some.

1 Like
3

Thats correct