[X4U] aDSL: dynamic vs. static IP

[Jim Robertson]

I'm moving in a month or so, and it seems I could save money by bundling my
current phone, internet, and wireless phone services. I currently have a
SUPERB local ISP (sonic.net), but my 3-6 mb/sec service with 4 static IP
addresses will soon cost me $70/month. I've rarely used more than one IP
address, but my new house will have CAT 5e cabling throughout, and it's
possible I might want it.

The competition for what I have now would be bundling everything through ATT
(which means ATT Yahoo for the ISP), and it seems I could get wireless
phone, residential phone service, and 1.5-3 mb/sec with a dynamic IP and
multiple email addresses for about $100/month.

There was a time when I used the static IP to host a website. I no longer do
that. For the short term, I think the only reasons I might want a static IP
would be remote access to my Macs from other locations, but that seems built
in to Leopard with "Back to my Mac" (which I assume will get me there even
with a dynamic IP address). Am I correct on that?

For the moment, I'm the only one in my household who would want remote
access to my computer at home. If others do as well (there are 3 full-time
Mac users in the household), is port-forwarding to the DSL router needed to
implement "Back to my Mac", and would that make it available to only one
computer "hiding" behind the router that does NAT? If so, would I need to
use the dedicated static IPs I have now to get around this obstacle?

Can others comment on the general issues attendant to such "bundles" of
services? I could save even more by adding TV services, but that would mean
DISH network, and the only way to get the F1 races (Speed) and European
bicycle racing (Versus) is with DISH network's most expensive channel
grouping - AND I'd lose my beloved TiVo.

Thanks so much,
Jim Robertson
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