A single user web application which keeps track of your computer's IP address. It outputs your current address into a file which may be included on your website in order to create a more permanent way for outsiders to access your machine.

What's the big idia?

The idia project distributes a free open source web application called idia. This script is available for PHP and Perl completely free of license restrictions. Idia creates a static way of communicating with computers which have been assigned dynamic IP addresses. In other words, idia makes it possible for the public to access your computer as a game, web, ftp, mail, or news server via one permanent internet address.

What is a dynamic IP address?

If you sign on to the internet using a dial-up connection, ISDN, or DSL, then you probably use a dynamic IP address. Every computer on a network must be assigned an IP address. Because there are a limited number of IP addresses, and since each address costs money for a company to lease or purchase, internet service providers (ISPs) will often assign a dynamic address to each of their customers. This address changes every time the internet connection is reset.

Servers usually need a static IP address in order to be useful for the outside world. Many ISPs charge an additional fee for such an address. This poses a problem for people who want to setup a server without having to pay an extra fee. Idia is a workaround for this problem.

What does idia do?

Idia (short for include dynamic internet address) is a single user web application which keeps track of your computer's IP address. Idia does not require a database, it outputs your current address into a file which may be included on your website in order to create a more permanent way for outsiders to access your machine.

Idia is not software, so it does not require that you use a specific operating system. It is a web application which interacts with your web browser. Idia requires that you have a web server running either PHP or Perl (CGI). Both of these languages are free.