why you'd want to - and when you shouldn't There are two main types of IP addresses -- static and dynamic. I'll explain them both -- and why you would choose one over the other. Simply put ...

Using a Static IP Address helps avert IP address conflicts ... This option helps Windows quickly check your new IP address and other relevant information to ensure that it works.

This information is required when setting a static IP address as inputting the wrong or invalid values could prevent your board from connecting to the network. Here's how to get these details ...

A permanent numeric identification assigned by the network administrator to a node in a TCP/IP network. Static IP addresses are used for shared resources such as Web servers, printers, telephone ...