In reply to a post by TMCR:

My router has the ability to disallow traffic from any device not listed, so the MAC address is the key. If it was as easy as setting an IP address to gain access then this feature seems meaningless and I can't see why it would even be there. Yes, the IP address is allocated via DHCP and a table I've populated

In addition, there is a Wireless Filter List. MAC addresses are used to allow or disallow access. If the MAC isn't in the list then there's no access to WiFi, and that applies to smartphone, Kindles and so on, as we've discovered. I didn't mention this before as the topic was about assigning IP addresses, not security

This seems quite a time sink for a false sense of security. Wireless I can pull a MAC quite literally out of the air. It is pretty easy to spot a router that has a MAC filter by how it responds to association requests. Anyone who can break WiFi encryption won't be fazed by that.

Wired, if I am on your wired network unwanted that is probably the least of your concerns but again I can catch broadcast traffic to get your network information, can tell you have MAC filtering in place by how your router responds, or more exactly doesn't respond, and can clone a legitimate MAC.

To each their own but definitely wirelessly at least it adds a minimal inconvenience. Encryption / real layer 2 port security on a switch that can block ports properly are probably the way to to go.

Edit: 802.1X is a good thing for the paranoid.

Edited by deleted (Fri 27-Dec-13 17:57:25)

So glad I don't have you guys for neighbours, hacking my wifi all the time.

But, we've gone off-topic as the OP's subject was allocating IP addresses...

I use a single class C private network address space. DHCP assigns IP's in the range 192.168.100.10-200

Network devices (with the exception of the router) get given static addresses starting at 192.168.100.254 and counting down as they are added to the network. Servers (and virtual servers) that require a static address are assigned from 192.168.100.2 upwards the router itself is on 192.168.100.1

DHCP assigned addresses are on a long lease time and every now and then I set them as reserved addresses. But not often.

I have a new router that I really do need to get around to fitting, and I will be changing the DHCP address pool when I do. but that is a minor change.

Wouldn't be able to get through the encryption unless you messed up with password or mode

Hi, Craig, good to see you around!

Drop by more often!

We work purely in the business-space rather than home networking, but we use the following scheme for IP address assignment:

Range is 10.0.x.y (x increments so each client has a different range)

10.0.x.1 - 10.0.x.19 - Routers & LAN equipment (switches, etc)
10.0.x.20 - 10.0.x.39 - VoIP phones
10.0.x.40 - 10.0.x.49 - Servers, NAS devices, etc
10.0.x.50 - 10.0.x.69 - Embedded devices (printers, IP cameras, etc)
10.0.x.70 - 10.0.x.249 - DHCP allocation
10.0.x.250 - 10.0.x.254 - Unused

We've used this scheme for several years now successfully and it means that if we are looking for a server, or network switch or other such device on one of our networks, it means we can find it easily. We can also allocate new IPs to devices with minimal effort.

Rob.