No matter if you use a DHCP connection (which means you have a different IP address for each connection - every 56k and ISDN line, and some DSL and Cable lines) or a static IP one, if you have a server installed on your machine, you may take advantage by "changing" your IP with a named address (for example, "yournick.hn.org" instead of "151.21.7.103"); for instance, the users of your server would easily remember your address.
This can be done for free, using both a service which mantains a DNS (Domain Name Server - a server which is capable of telling you the IP corresponding to an alias, like "yournick.hn.org", that would correspond to "151.21.7.103" as in the example above), and a small program which checks your IP every "n" minutes, and if it changed since the last time, sends the updated information to the service itself. So, very briefly, someone who knows you have an FTP server responding, for example, at the address ilikecandies.hn.org, port 21, would have his FTP client asking to the DNS of the service to tell him your true IP, and then would directly connect to that IP... still the only information he must remember is "ilikecandies.hn.org", and not your true IP, which is much more difficult to keep in memory).
To the practice now: there are more than
one way to achieve this, and they depend from the small program you use to
send out your IP. The way I prefer, and so the one I use and sponsor (
)
is using PostPro, which you can find in Downloads/Internet,
and register to one of the following services:
Among these services (and they are not the only ones, you can see a full list by choosing "Add Account" in the File menu of PostPro), DynDNS is the only one which allows you to choose aliases different from the principal domain (which means, you can get "yournick.dyndns.org", but also "yournick.mine.nu", "yournick.homeip.net", and several others).
Small tip: if you get lost in dyndns' website, go in the "Members NIC" section, that's where you can signup.
When you've got a Username/Password in one or more of these services, do [File > Add Account] in PostPro (I suggest to add this program in the StartUp folder of the Start menu) and choose the right paramaters for your account ("Service": choose the service name you signed up with; "Username/Password": put here the Username/Password you used to signup to the service; the "Hostname" part is where you need to write the additional info, if the service -like DynDNS- allows more domain names and/or nicknames -- don't worry for now, if you register with dyndns.org you'll know exactly what to write there).
In [File > Options], you can set the
check IP to every 5 minutes, so the delay to update the alias right after
you connect will be minimum; enable also AutoUpdating and AutoHide to System
Tray; In the IP Detection panel, you can select "Detect Local IP"
unless you are in a network, for example you have more PC's at home, connected
one with each other.. in that case, to avoid problems, just select Remote
IP Detection; leave blank the Proxy panel unless you know what you're doing
(in that case, you don't even need this guide 
);
just ignore the URL Guard panel, Email panel and Offline IP panel.
Now you're set to go. As I suggested, it is a good idea to create a link in the Startup folder of the Start menu, so you won't need to remember to start the program each time you connect.