For privacy reasons, I would prefer my public IP to be dynamic rather than static.
I contacted AT&T support, but they couldn’t help me.
Your IP is dynamic, but that doesn’t mean it has to change constantly. Even if you get through to a department that can change it, it won’t start changing all the time.
Some people have reported getting a new IP by leaving their gateway unplugged for days or weeks, but that’s not guaranteed.
Your best option if you’re concerned about privacy is to use a VPN.
VPN is the way to go. Don’t trust them to help you.
If privacy is such a concern, why not just run the modem through a separate router in bridge mode so that AT&T only sees one device on your network?
AT&T makes it difficult to get static IPs.
With AT&T fiber, your IP will always be the same. To change it, you need to create a ticket and escalate it until an engineer can do it. But this IP won’t change until you start the process again.
Their system links your IP closely to your account, so it’s not easy to change.
Use a VPN or switch to another ISP.
Most routers allow you to specify a MAC address. DHCP can assign a different IP if a new MAC is used.
The IP is assigned to the modem. It only changes when the modem is swapped or during provisioning.
There are many tools to help maintain privacy online.
I managed to reset my IP by going into my BGW 320-500, entering my DAC code, then navigating to Diagnostics and Reset tabs. After resetting, my IP changed.
Resets
Resetting the IP refreshes your broadband IP address.
I tested it, and it didn’t work.
I kept my AT&T internet gateway offline for weeks. When I reconnected, it got the same IP address.
VPN has limitations. I use Cloudflare WARP but still want a non-persistent public IP.
It happened to me once: my internet was down, so I rebooted the gateway, and the IP changed. Not sure why, but that might be why it wasn’t working earlier.
The best solution is to switch ISPs. I used to be with Spectrum and could change my public IP by changing the WAN MAC address.
AT&T fiber gateway doesn’t let me manage the MAC address.
I tried the “diagnostic” > “Resets” > “Reset IP” option. It said “The IP address has been successfully renewed,” but the IP remained the same for three more years.
It seems you lost your DHCP lease. Leases should renew midway through the period, but it didn’t happen for you. Glad it was a simple fix.
Spectrum is a good choice if you’re in an area where their prices are competitive.
Yes, I like Spectrum because it has fewer limitations and less inbound port blocking. But Spectrum doesn’t offer Fiber (symmetrical speeds); they only offer cable internet.