Ch-ch-ch-changes
Last week I got a letter in the mail from my ISP (Internet Service Provider). In it, they said:
In a recent communication, we informed you that we are discontinuing the use of static IP (Internet Protocol) adresses with our home internet service. We need to move your service to a dynamic IP address to avoid service ineterruption.
…
**Please call before 9/30/2024 to avoid any interruption of your internet service.** If you do not call, you internet service will be distrupted after this date.
I recall that previous communication. A few months ago I received a letter from my ISP trying to upsell me on a new plan, one that did not support static IP addresses. I called, and when I said that wasn't an option because of work (a slight embellishment on my part) they replied “how unfortunate” since they had no plans to offer one with the new plan. So I did nothing. I was happy with the plan I had (well, kind of still have).
And then last week, the letter above.
Now, I thought, given the wording the in letter, that I had until October 1^st, you know, a date after their cut-off date of September 30^th. And even then, I probably had several months, given my ISP is a large Enterprise that Does Not Move Fast™. Nope. Their definition of “after this date” was … today!
I only noticed when I couldn't log into my public server. The connection was still up, it's just that I no longer had the same IP address that I've had for the past … um … fourteen? years. I guess they can move fast when they want to.
I also found amusing this line in the letter: “We will switch your service to a dynamic IP address at no additional cost.” Wow! How nice of them. It's almost as if I wasn't already paying more for a static IP address!
Boy, how the Internet has changed over the years. Going from 32 publically addressible IP addresses aacross a dedicated ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) link (years before DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) was a thing) to now, a dynamic IP address. Yes, I know, First World Problem™. It still doesn't make it less annoying from being a real peer on the Internet to just a cog in the client-server nature of the modern Internet.
And then, just three hours after the change, the company I host my public server with called—they're changing where the physical servers reside and that the public IP address I have for my public server will probably change, along with the DNS (Domain Name System) servers.
Boy, when it rains, it pours.
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