[nick0219]

OK, at home i have a dynamic ip address so i can change my ip address inside my routers configuration. If i change my ip to a different one and a hacker has the original ip will i still be a threat, (in other words can they still attack me)?

THanks for replies

Nikk0

[JohnWill]

First off, you can't simply change your public IP address, that's really coming from the ISP. Second, if you have good firewall protection, a hacker is not a threat.

[Frank4d]

You can change your IP address but your dad can still disable your internet connection at 1am.

[nick0219]

sorry? no no i am 26? i don't live with my dad? alsothanks john but i don't understand how you mean i can't change my public ip? what is that? and also i have zonealarm, avast virus scanner, and windows defender. am i a threat?

[JohnWill]

Let's go with some basic information.

Please supply the following info.

The name of your ISP and country of residence.
Make/model of the broadband modem.
Make/model of the router (if any).
Connection type, wired, wireless.
Make/model of network card or wireless adapter.
Make/model of your computer (motherboard if home-built).
Version and patch level of Windows, i.e. XP-Home SP2.

[nick0219]

wait.........john!

I said i can change my ip address in my actual modem...but i am saying that can hackers still hack me, even though my ip address is changed...thats all i needed to know

[JohnWill]

I don't understand what you're saying, what address can you change in your modem? If you're talking about a 192.168.x.x address, that's just your local network address. If you're talking about a public IP address, you can't just go change that one.

I still don't understand the issue. Millions of people have a standard ISP account with a dynamic public IP address, and most of us are very successful in preventing hacker attacks. Why do you think you're vulnerable?

[nick0219]

ok the regular ip that i can get off of www.whatismyipaddress.com go there and it will tell you an ip address. if a hacker gets that they can hack you. i am saying i have the power to change that through my dsl modem...so i am saying can they hack me if that address changes?

[JohnWill]

How do you get connected if you change that address?

FWIW, let's say for arguments sake, you're successful in changing your public IP address. What makes you think you're any more secure? Any hacker is scanning ranges of IP addresses, not trying to identify one specific user. Changing your IP address makes no difference in your security.

[Memnoch322]

If someone can access your machine currently a new IP address will most likely not matter. The fact is you will still pull an IP address in the modem that is in the same subnet as the previous one( I am assuming you are releasing and renewing the public interface). So an attacker scanning that block will see the same ports open (the ones they are looking for) on your new IP as they did on the old. Also if you have been compromised they would most defiantly be some other backdoor access to your machine is someone was that determined to access your stuff.

[nick0219]

ok but my whole public ip changes. meaning that if my ip starts with 92.XXX.XX.X or whatever it may change to 209.XXX.XX.XX? so....they can't hack me correct

[JohnWill]

No, it means nothing! I'm not sure why this is such a hard concept to grasp. Think about the word "public" in public IP. It's visible to anyone on the Internet. If your address range changes, you are just visible to the hackers when the scan that set of addresses.

FYI, it's very doubtful that there's any way, short of changing ISP's, that you can change that 92.x.x.x to anything other than 92.x.x.x.

[skinnywhiteboy]

Typically, changing a LOCAL (or Private) address inside a router is not a problem, but I have never seen any router that allows users to change their PUBLIC IP address whenever they want. It is possible, but it would involve unplugging the router from your network until your ISP's DHCP lease time expired, and then if that still didn't change your IP, you would most likely be forced to contact your ISP directly.

However, John is correct. Changing your Public IP will not make you any LESS vulnerable to attackers, especially if a key logger (or similar) has been installed on your machine. It will simply send the new public IP to whomever is attacking you.