How can I make my router give every device a different external IP address?

Question

How can I make my router give every device another IP address / give another IP address without losing internet connection on other devices that are connected?

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At home we got a DSL router (called FRITZ!Box 7490) and our internet provider gives us dynamic IP adress. So a reconnect gives us another IP address in a few seconds.

The only problem is that every device using this internet has the same external IP address. I call this a problem because if I do a reconnect, EVERY device will lose internet connection, and the IP change might not even work because some devices are online and somehow prevent / disturb the reconnect.

Is there a way to fix that? I would think of making the router give a different IP address to every device but I have asked my internet provider and they said they don't support such kind of service (give every device a different IP). But I believe it should be possible to do it without them too, or it's not?

There is maybe another possibility to make the other devices not lose internet connection when I'm trying to get another IP for me?

Please do tell me, I have called so many people already (phone) and they always said they don't know what my question is / they have to redirect me to technical people but no one had an answer to this.

Is it really too hard to say? I hope you can help me - for maths as example, this site is #1 in the world that's my opinion so I got great hopes here too :)

Solution

Your basic tenet is the wrong way round.

You can have only one IP Address at each Network Interface.

The router doesn't have any say in what IP Address it has; that's handed out by your ISP.

Your router's job is then, using DHCP [Dynamic Host Control Protocol], to hand out further addresses to the devices within your own network & control which device is communicating with which external address by translating them using NAT [Network Address Translation]
This is how all devices within the same network can have just one public IP Address - this is intended behaviour, & at consumer level is not changeable.

No two ISPs have the same policy on how dynamic your router's address is - yours seems particularly liberal in handing them out at random, if you get a new one every single time you reboot the router.
My own IP Address has changed just once in the past 12 years.

The devices inside your own router may also be suffering from the same random handout, though most domestic routers will tend to give the same device the same IP Address each time. Some have the ability to assign static addresses to some or all devices within their domain - for details you'd have to check your router's manual.

Comments

[cnmesr]

Thank you for answer! Do you think it's worth to ask the provider if they sell me a second external IP address? Or that isn't technically possible either? If you say it's possible I will call them tomorrow :D

[Tetsujin]

See my comment above - you would need double hardware, cabling, router, ISP bill every month... & you'd probably have to pay extra for the second cable installation from the DSL cabinet in the street to the house. - but I'm sure they'd be happy to quote you for it ;)

[cnmesr]

What do you mean by "quote"? xd And are there even existing provider that offer you to have different external IP address on each connected device, you know?

[Tetsujin]

I mean you can usually have anything you are willing to pay for... & if you can find an ISP that can do multiple IP Addresses over one network interface, then good luck. Post a link if you find one.

[cnmesr]

Well.. I had one but that was like.. 8 years ago? It was called Alice (Germany) and no longer exists because it got bankrupt ^.^ Will let you know if I find one.

[LMiller7]

Most ISPs are in a position where they must conserve public IP addresses. They may sell a second one on an existing account but you will be paying a premium price for it. And you would likely need a second router to use it. Any ISPs that don't have a shortage know their value. Having a different external IP for each device is not a practical idea. One of the primary reasons why routers were developed was to avoid the need for this.

[Admin]

IPv4 is just about used up, getting another external IP is going to cost you I'm sure. Maybe IPv6 is the solution if the ISP supports it. Just thinking out loud.

[inemanja]

"You can have only one IP Address at each Network Interface. " is 100% not true. You can have as many addresses as you want on the same Interface (usually additional IP addresses on the same interface are called aliases) - you should correct your answer!

[Tetsujin]

@inemanja - that is so far out from what the OP wants or needs I see absolutely no reason to add to the confusion.