Key takeaways, 2026
- Static IPv4 still costs £5 to £10 a month on most UK business broadband, and a /29 block of 5 usable addresses runs £15 to £30 a month.
- IPv6 prefix is now mostly free: a /48 or /56 with trillions of addresses is included on dual-stack business lines from BT, Vodafone, Zen and most altnets.
- You need one if you host services or sit on an allowlist: web, mail, VPN, CCTV, SIP, Stripe webhooks, Microsoft 365 Conditional Access.
- You probably do not need one if your business is fully cloud-first ; Cloudflare Tunnel, Tailscale Funnel and dynamic DNS now cover most of the remaining use cases.
£5 to £10
Single static IPv4
Per month, on a business line.
40 to 50%
UK IPv6 share
Of users reaching Google over IPv6.
/29
5 usable IPv4
Typical small business block.
Free
IPv6 /48 or /56
Included on most dual-stack lines.
What a static IP actually is, in 2026
An IP address is the public identifier your office uses to talk to the rest of the internet. Most home and small-business broadband lines use a dynamic IPv4, sometimes behind carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT) where many customers share one public address. A static IPv4 is the opposite: one address, permanently assigned to your line for the duration of the contract, not shared with anyone else.
In 2026 there is a parallel address family running on most modern lines: IPv6. Where IPv4 has roughly 4.3 billion addresses (now fully exhausted), IPv6 has effectively unlimited address space. UK ISPs now usually issue a static IPv6 prefix (a /48 or /56 giving you trillions of addresses) for free as part of a dual-stack business connection. The static IP question in 2026 is therefore narrower than it used to be: when do you need a static IPv4 specifically, on top of the IPv6 prefix you already have.
When you genuinely need a static IPv4
There are five concrete use cases where a static IPv4 still pays for itself.
Yes, get a static IPv4
- ▸You host a web, mail, file or VPN server on premises
- ▸You run CCTV or NVR with remote viewing
- ▸A SIP provider requires fixed-IP registration
- ▸A partner or supplier whitelists by source IP
- ▸Microsoft 365 Conditional Access pins to office IPs
- ▸Stripe, bank or payment platform allowlists webhooks by IP
No, skip it
- ▸Your business is fully cloud-first (M365, Google Workspace, SaaS)
- ▸You only need outbound internet, no inbound services
- ▸You use a hosted VoIP that authenticates by username, not IP
- ▸You can replace inbound with Cloudflare Tunnel or Tailscale
- ▸Your remote workers use a hosted VPN gateway, not the office IP
- ▸Dynamic DNS would do the job (No-IP, DuckDNS, Dynu)
Static IP prices, UK business broadband, 2026
Prices vary by ISP, but the ranges below cover the bulk of the UK market on a 24-month business contract.
| Allocation | Usable addresses | Typical monthly cost | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single static IPv4 | 1 | £5 to £10 | One web service, one VPN endpoint, one CCTV NVR |
| /30 block | 1 | £5 to £15 | Single IP, point-to-point routing variant |
| /29 block | 5 | £15 to £30 | Multiple servers, DMZ, mail and web on separate IPs |
| /28 block | 13 | £25 to £60 | Small data-room, hosted services for clients |
| Static IPv6 /48 or /56 | Trillions | Usually free | All modern services that support IPv6 |
Source: indicative 2026 list prices across BT Business, Vodafone Business, Zen Internet, Virgin Media Business, Hyperoptic Business, Community Fibre Business and AAISP.
Alternatives to a static IPv4 in 2026
Three classes of alternative now cover most use cases that historically required a static IPv4. They are usually cheaper, almost always more secure, and often easier to operate.
Cloudflare Tunnel
Expose an internal service via a Cloudflare-hosted tunnel ; no inbound firewall ports, no public IP exposure. Free tier covers most small businesses.
Replaces: inbound web, app and SSH access
Tailscale or WireGuard
A WireGuard-based mesh VPN lets staff reach office machines from anywhere without any public-facing service. Tailscale Funnel adds optional public exposure.
Replaces: remote-access VPN concentrator
Dynamic DNS
A DDNS hostname (No-IP, DuckDNS, Dynu) tracks your changing dynamic IPv4 automatically. Works for non-CGNAT lines, free or under £5 a month.
Replaces: low-stakes static IP requirement
Static IP security: what to harden when you switch one on
A static IPv4 is a stable target. It will end up on the same scanner lists and brute-force queues every day, so the day you switch it on is the day you need a baseline of controls in place. None of these are unusual ; they are simply non-negotiable on an internet-facing address.
First, a firewall with default-deny inbound, with only the ports that genuinely need to be open permitted, ideally restricted by source IP or geo. Second, fail2ban or an equivalent rate-limit on any exposed SSH, RDP, mail or admin login. Third, geo-blocking for admin interfaces ; if you only do business in the UK, blocking inbound from outside Europe removes a large chunk of scan traffic. Fourth, MFA on every administrative login, ideally with a hardware key for the most sensitive accounts. Fifth, prompt patching of any internet-facing service (mail, firewall firmware, VPN concentrator). With those five in place, a static IP is no more risky than any other public address.
Frequently asked questions
A static IP address is a public IP address that does not change. Most home and small-business broadband lines use a dynamic IPv4, where the ISP can reassign your address at any time. A static IPv4 stays fixed for the life of your contract, so external services can reach it predictably (for example to host a website, run a VPN endpoint, register a SIP phone or be whitelisted by a third party).
For a single static IPv4, most UK business broadband providers charge £5 to £10 a month on top of the line rental. A /29 block of five usable addresses costs £15 to £30 a month. Some specialist business ISPs (Zen Internet, AAISP) include a single static IPv4 in the standard tariff. An IPv6 prefix, typically a /48 or /56 giving you trillions of addresses, is now usually provided for free as part of dual-stack.
Five clear use cases in 2026: hosting your own services (web, mail, VPN, CCTV NVR) at your own premises ; remote-access whitelisting where a partner only allows traffic from a fixed IP ; SIP registration on a fixed-IP VoIP service ; firewall rules that reference your office address ; and third-party API allowlisting for services like Stripe webhooks, Microsoft 365 Conditional Access, or a banking platform. If none of these apply, you almost certainly do not need one.
IPv4 has run out of addresses globally ; that is why ISPs put consumer lines behind CGNAT (carrier-grade NAT), sharing one public IPv4 among many customers. IPv6 has effectively unlimited address space and is now used by 40 to 50% of UK internet traffic according to Google IPv6 statistics. Most major ISPs now offer dual-stack by default (a dynamic IPv4 plus a static IPv6 prefix), and a static IPv6 prefix is increasingly free. Static IPv4 is still required for legacy services that do not speak IPv6.
Yes, and they are often safer. Cloudflare Tunnel exposes an internal service to the public internet via Cloudflare with no inbound port open on your firewall. Tailscale Funnel does the same on a WireGuard-based mesh. A traditional VPN (WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPsec) keeps the service entirely private and is reached over a Selectra-style identity portal or a hosted gateway. Dynamic DNS (No-IP, DuckDNS) is a free workaround for a changing IP. Any of these can remove the need for a paid static IPv4.
Slightly, yes. A static IPv4 is a stable target ; it goes on the same blocklists, the same scanner lists and the same brute-force queues every day. The mitigation is straightforward: a proper firewall with default-deny inbound, fail2ban or equivalent on any exposed service, geo-blocking for admin interfaces, MFA on every admin login, and prompt patching of internet-facing services. With those in place, a static IP is no more dangerous than any other internet endpoint.