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Obtaining a Static IP Address for Your Sprint or Verizon EVDO

Many EVDO users probably don't know it, but their IP address - the unique number assigned to your computer when it connects to the Internet - is constantly changing. Each time you connect your EVDO modem to the network, you are automatically assigned a new IP address at random. In fact, most Internet Service Providers reserve the right to change your IP address at any time, and this happens regularly with EVDO.

For 98% of the people who use EVDO service, this makes no difference and any IP address will do. For some people who need to configure certain devices over EVDO, a static IP address can be a necessity. A static (non-changing) IP address is usually required when connecting a specific device over EVDO, such as a remote security camera. That camera needs to have the same IP address all the time so that the remote administrators are able to access it over the internet. If the IP address were to change, nobody would be able to find that camera to access it again.

To accommodate these users, both Sprint and Verizon offer Staic IP addresses as an add-on to your Mobile Broadband Plans. The pricing varies by carrier:

Verizon offers a Static IP address for a one-time fee of $500 - once you pay the $500 fee, the static IP address is yours and your monthly bill does not change. To add a static IP address to your Verizon account, simply call Verizon customer service at (800) 922-0204.

Sprint offers a static IP address for a monthly fee of $3, which is simply added to your Sprint bill each month. To add a static IP address to your Sprint account, you can call Sprint customer service at 888-211-4727.

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