Virgin Media Community

[VogueMIst]

Hey!, I am struggling to find any information on how I am able to reset the external IP of our HUB? If anyone can point me in the right direct it'll be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

[sophist]

Depends. 

If you use the hub in router mode then the short answer is that you can’t... at least not easily/quickly. VM cache ip's against Mac addresses for a seemingly long period of time (sometimes apparently exceeding the dhcp lease time).

if you use the hub in modem mode and have a half decent 3rd party router then you can get a new IP address by changing (spoofing) the MAC address on the wan interface. A lot of consumer routers will give you the option to “clone” your MAC address which will copy the MAC address from the device that you are managing it from to the routers wan network port. 

[DJ_Shadow1966]

Hello

I am afraid that what you re asking isnt possible by virginmedia, the only way your external IPaddress will change is -

1) Using the hub in modem only mode with you own router,

2) Virginmedia re-segment your local network

3) Virginmedia replace the hub but this will only be done if there is a fault with it, it will not be replaced just to change your IP address.

4) Leaving the hub off for an undetermined length (could take months) of to allow a new device on the VM network to get your IP address

The way the IP addresses are handed works is when you turn on the hub it sends it hardware address to the server, the server will check that hardware address and if it has had an IP before and it is available then it issues the same IP address.

Regards Mike

[Andrew-G]

One final thought is that many, perhaps most "can I have a new IP address?" requests are from gamers, all of whom swear on their mother's life that they are being DOS'd by unknown miscreants, yet they themselves have done nothing to bring this upon themselves, and oh no, sir, not me, I am a poor waif harshly treated by this gaming world,  I have bad mouthed no one, nor done anything at all that might make me a target.  Which may be true, but is generally unconvincing.  Why would somebody bother to DOS a random IP address for no reason?

Obviously I can't say this applies to you, and if it doesn't you can ignore all of this, although see comments below on VPN.  If on the other hand there's a grain of substance in this, changing your IP address via modem mode or a VM IP reallocation is only a short term fix, because as soon as the OP is back online doing what they were doing, the new IP will be as sticky and difficult to change as before, and there's a very good chance they'll attract the same attention again.  Unless they can (a) work out what might have been the provocation, and possibly (b) adopting a new gaming pseudonym, or even changing the games or servers they play on.

There is a possible solution to stop a current attacks, and that's leaving the hub off for 24 hours - some DOS attacks will give up if they're detecting nothing on the receiving end in that timescale.   Or building on @DJ_Shadow1966 's comments, working out when your hub's DHCP IP lease expires, making sure it is switched off at that time, and praying that when you turn it back on you get a "fresh" IP.  But that's clutching at straws.  For a longer term solution that really solves the issue for goof, you can pay for a gaming-grade VPN service.  A long term VPN contract prices vary from £3 to £7 a month.  Adds a few ms to your ping, but not sufficient to worry a skilled gamer, and completely stops DOS or other IP based hassle instantly.  And the VPN solution also works for any other non-gaming reasons you might legitimately wish to obscure your IP.  Free VPN services won't help you (eg built into certain browsers), because in addition to severe security concerns, all the ones I've played with are very slow.

[Brave_Lee_Flea]

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@Andrew-G wrote:

One final thought is that many, perhaps most "can I have a new IP address?" requests are from gamers, all of whom swear on their mother's life that they are being DOS'd by unknown miscreants, yet they themselves have done nothing to bring this upon themselves, and oh no, sir, not me, I am a poor waif harshly treated by this gaming world,  I have bad mouthed no one, nor done anything at all that might make me a target.  Which may be true, but is generally unconvincing.  Why would somebody bother to DOS a random IP address for no reason?

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There are many reasons why somebody might need an external IP reset. I used my Guardian account while I was at the office to repsond to some comments on an article. I guess somebody else at the office also has a guardian account and the net result is that I am now blocked because the Guardian think I am someobdy who comments using multiple accounts.I don't.

No matter how many times I appeal they will not rescind the ban. Changing my IP address is my only option.

So don't go around insinuating that people are liars when you have no information or evidence one way or the other. It is not the mark of a Very Insightful Person at all.

[Brave_Lee_Flea]

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@DJ_Shadow1966 wrote:

1) Using the hub in modem only mode with you own router,

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I found a helpful article for how to do this if anybody else needs to do the same thing.

How do I put the Hub into modem mode? 

I am unsure whether or how quickly putting my hub into modem mode will remove the DHCP reservation, so am uncertain as to how long I might need to leave it that way. Is there any possibility that when I reset the hub back into router mode I will end up with the same IP address? Will I lose the other settings on my router?

I'll try it tonight and reset the hub in the morning.

[Adduxi]

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@Brave_Lee_Flea wrote:

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@DJ_Shadow1966 wrote:

1) Using the hub in modem only mode with you own router,

---

I found a helpful article for how to do this if anybody else needs to do the same thing.

How do I put the Hub into modem mode?   

I am unsure whether or how quickly putting my hub into modem mode will remove the DHCP reservation, so am uncertain as to how long I might need to leave it that way. Is there any possibility that when I reset the hub back into router mode I will end up with the same IP address? Will I lose the other settings on my router?

I'll try it tonight and reset the hub in the morning.

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Modem mode will get a new DHCP leased IP address.  Reset to Router mode and you will most likely get the same Router mode IP you had.  VM IP's are generally very sticky, despite being DHCP.   My VM IP address has been the same for a long, long time, but my BT one changes quite regularly. 

[Tudor]

A point to note is that when in modem mode if you change your router you will get a new IP address. This has happened to me three times.

[Adduxi]

Yes that is correct. Every new MAC gets a different IP. 

[Andrew-G]

@Brave_Lee_Flea So don't go around insinuating that people are liars when you have no information or evidence one way or the other. It is not the mark of a Very Insightful Person at all.

I've seen and responded to enough requests to IP changes to know full well that there's differing reasons for wanting an IP address, I've also seen that most requests come from gamers who allege problems over DDOS attacks from other gamers.  I also note that you're replying to a response I made to somebody else many months ago, so don't take offence on their behalf, I'm sure they're more than capable if they so wish.  Then again, taking passive-aggressive offence on other people's behalf, isn't that exactly what the Grauniad's comment section is for?

No matter how many times I appeal they will not rescind the ban. Changing my IP address is my only option.

Boo hoo.  You'll have to go and comment elsewhere.