Content Server Changing

[Kedeco]

I can access the Content server easily enough. However, Calibre’s HTTP address is constantly changing and that never used to happen before. Every time I close and reopen Calibre and restart my computer.
In order to download a book to any device I have on my home network, I must go back to the calibre preferences, and copy down the number to change the address for anything I want to download. I do it every time it will not stay the same. The port always stays the same. It’s just the last set of numbers. http://192.168.1.XXX:8080. I’m tired of having to look it up all the time I want it static like before. Thoughts?

I absolutely adore the program. I wish it could arrange my music as well.

Kelli

[theducks]

Your server IP is controlled by your DHCP server (most home users, this is the router)

Note the MAC of the computer port (or WiFi)
Then log into your router (your router supplier will be where you find that and the rest.): Reserve a IP for that MAC (I usually pick an IP near the top of the DHCP range).
Note: If this computer never moves out of your house, You could just assign a static IP to the port.
If you use a wired connection while home and WiFi elsewhere, just set a static on the wired connection. The WiFi will still use DHCP

[Kedeco]

Thanks but I don't understand why I must change my computer. Why did Calibre change this? Is this new? There should be something in Calibre to change so it's a stable content server number.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Kedeco

Thanks but I don't understand why I must change my computer. Why did Calibre change this? Is this new? There should be something in Calibre to change so it's a stable content server number.

CALIBRE IS NOT CHANGING the IP.
It uses (and reports if you click the globe-network icon) what your machine WAS ASSIGNED by your router.

One possibility is someone else is 'borrowing' your WiFi connection and is using up IP's that normally would be used over the next time you booted.

What I outlined, was a way to RESERVE the IP for a specific machine.

[Kedeco]

Makes NO sense it worked fine before and is not now. I certainly don't want to talk with you anymore. Go away, I'll just change it on my tablet every time.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Kedeco

Makes NO sense it worked fine before and is not now. I certainly don't want to talk with you anymore. Go away, I'll just change it on my tablet every time.

Your problem: @theducks is 100% right. Calibre does not set or change the IP address of the machine it is running on. That is easily verified by looking at calibre's source code. The IP address is either set in the machine's network settings or (almost always) provided by DHCP running on your home router. Despite your protestations, that is where you need to fix this by telling the router to reserve an IP address for the machine running calibre.

EDIT: unless your machine has been hacked and you have a botnet slave running, changing the IP to confuse anti-bot tracing

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by chaley

EDIT: unless your machine has been hacked and you have a botnet slave running, changing the IP to confuse anti-bot tracing

That would be unlikely unless his computer was connected directly to the internet. No matter what his internal address is, the packets would appear on the WAN with the router's external address. For example, your internal LAN uses 192.168.65.1-192.168.65.254 as the internal address while the router talks to your ISP using 92.67.26.17. No matter which internal address you use, a Google search on what's my ip address or visiting whatismyip.com, whatismyipaddress.com or similar site will show 92.67.26.17 as your public IP v4 address.

Edit: Perhaps the OP should check out What is DHCP and how does it work? or any similar site with a basic introduction to DHCP.

[theducks]

OP
My job back in the 80's was lead, to install 200+ Sun Workstations on a thick Ethernet (10base5).

If your IP is changing. Something is causing that.
You did not say if your PC was wired or wireless. Many DHCP servers are set to limit the assignable IP (mine was 16 as delivered), the rest are static addresses OUTSIDE the DHCP block.

If you have a lot of folk using your connection, your DHCP lease gets bumped if not in actual use (traffic).
Comcast has a program, where other Comcast users can roam and use routers (they are DMZ'd from your internal LAN) if the have the app and log it into THEIR account.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by DNSB

That would be unlikely unless his computer was connected directly to the internet. No matter what his internal address is, the packets would appear on the WAN with the router's external address. For example, your internal LAN uses 192.168.65.1-192.168.65.254 as the internal address while the router talks to your ISP using 92.67.26.17. No matter which internal address you use, a Google search on what's my ip address or visiting whatismyip.com, whatismyipaddress.com or similar site will show 92.67.26.17 as your public IP v4 address.

Edit: Perhaps the OP should check out What is DHCP and how does it work? or any similar site with a basic introduction to DHCP.

I had three things in mind when I added that phrase:

1. Changing the IP address can "smooth" traffic, potentially avoiding discovery by LAN traffic analyzers.
2. Changing the address will "encourage" the NAT gateway to use a different outgoing port, again smooting traffic and potentially avoiding detection by ISP traffic analyzers.
3. IPv6 goes directly through the local router, not using NAT. As such it is exposed to the internet, and depends on firewall packet inspection in the router and on the local machine for security. Changing the address could help avoid the firewall. It could also avoid global address tracking. DHCPv6 doesn't change this.

[jmurphy]

Originally Posted by Kedeco

I can access the Content server easily enough. However, Calibre’s HTTP address is constantly changing and that never used to happen before. Every time I close and reopen Calibre and restart my computer.
In order to download a book to any device I have on my home network, I must go back to the calibre preferences, and copy down the number to change the address for anything I want to download. I do it every time it will not stay the same. The port always stays the same. It’s just the last set of numbers. http://192.168.1.XXX:8080. I’m tired of having to look it up all the time I want it static like before. Thoughts?

I absolutely adore the program. I wish it could arrange my music as well.

Kelli

If all this is on your internal local home network, you might be able to use the name of your PC instead of the IP.

http://PCNAME:8080

Can't hurt to try.

[CubGeek]

Originally Posted by Kedeco

Makes NO sense it worked fine before and is not now. I certainly don't want to talk with you anymore. Go away, I'll just change it on my tablet every time.

[cowboyceltic]

Originally Posted by Kedeco

Makes NO sense it worked fine before and is not now. I certainly don't want to talk with you anymore. Go away, I'll just change it on my tablet every time.

They are correct that Calibre is not changing the IP assigned to your PC. Quite a rude response to someone trying to help.