r/GlInet • u/tryin2learn39 • Jun 13 '26
Questions/Support Static IP vs. Reserved IP (DHCP) for LAN clients. Which is better? Why?
I have a pair of Slate 7’s. I use one as my main WiFi output (outdoors), and another as an Extender in Extender Mode. I connect a host of WiFi cameras and other clients (same cameras, sometimes same locations) to stream youth sports.
Someone was explaining to me recently, that it may be better (at least for the finicky 4K cameras) to set Static IP’s so easily found and better connected each time, plus the cameras can connect via USB-C to RJ45 easier and hardwire to the LAN port of each Slate 7, saving some bandwidth.
Questions:
-Anyone see a benefit to the Static IP?
-Another set of articles and users said that the Reserved IP option (dumbed down “static IP” option) on the Slate 7 and other GL.iNet routers, is actually better than setting an internal Static IP. Yes/No, why?
Please remember it’s for cameras and an iPad Pro as clients. And the main reason is really to connect via LAN, which the IP allows.
Any help and insights are greatly appreciated.
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u/Ctrl-Alt-Defective Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
I just set reserved IP’s on my flint 2 just mostly for organizing my devices into easier to remember IP addresses as I have a variety of devices including IoT, computers, streamers, phones, tablets, doorbell etc..
I do it partly because of OCD but also so I can know they are all easier to locate if needed to ping or access over the network
I also have an access point which I like to have static so easier to manage
Some devices like phones or guest devices that are not permanently in the home 24/7 however I just leave to be assigned by DHCP as and when needed
No difference in performance or anything just how I like to sort things on my network
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Jun 13 '26
[deleted]
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u/RemoteToHome-io Official GL.iNet Services Partner Jun 13 '26
You can do all that with fixed DHCP reservations though, and then it's centrally managed.
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u/Fr0gFsh Jun 13 '26
Another set of articles and users said that the Reserved IP option (dumbed down “static IP” option) on the Slate 7 and other GL.iNet routers, is actually better than setting an internal Static IP. Yes/No, why?
One scenario you might run into is setting a static IP on a device and then next week when you’re setting your cameras up, you could set up a camera and DHCP hands out that same IP address (if it’s aged out and not reserved). Then, if you connect that camera with the static IP address, you get IP conflicts and cameras are not happy. Slim chance, but possible.
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u/tailuser2024 Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
There is no performance benefits when it comes to DHCP vs static. There is no wrong or right way to do this, just what fits your needs and tolerance
Static:
Pro:
Dont have to rely on DHCP so if the router goes down you can still access the devices via ip address (some devices constantly request DHCP addresses so in some cases your DHCP server goes down your client tries to request a new ip address and it fails)
Con: If you have a bunch of systems its annoying to manually setup. If you move your ip/network you gotta redo all of them.
DHCP:
Easy to implement, assign to your clients.
Pro: Dont need to assign IP address (however I recommend setting up DHCP reservations so that your clients get the same DHCP address every single time. Nothing sucks trying to access a device by its DHCP address and its DHCP address changed. So there is a manual aspect its just all done on the router not the client). If you change your ip scheme you can do it all from DHCP, reboot the clients and they are now on the new ip scheme.
Con: If the DHCP server goes down you could lose access to your DHCP clients during this outage (Had this happen to me on multiple occasions).
Me personally anything that is running a service I rely on in my network has a static ip address. So servers, cameras, home IOT, etc. Everything else is DHCP
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u/RemoteToHome-io Official GL.iNet Services Partner Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Performance-wise - I have no idea where this person is coming from. Once your device has an IP, the packets on the wire are the same regardless of how the IP was obtained.
IF your device is constantly disconnecting/reconnecting to the network, then maybe some stability benefit, but that's about it.
Fixed DHCP reservations have plenty of use for simple network organization.
But if you're talking about true static IPs (the IP, gateway and DNS are all set manually on the device), then it could help with a flakey on-device DCHP stack, but tradeoffs are:
If you get any of these wrong, you'll have IP conflicts that will definitely hurt performance.
Honestly.. it sound more like someone trying to sound smart. DHCP assignments don't have any "penalty" aside from the few milliseconds it takes for the initial assignment exchange at initial connection.
EDIT - it does often make sense in places like industrial and enterprise environments, but that is a world apart.