This article will provide some technical answers for business broadband

Does Now offer Static IPs?

Now uses CGNat for most customers broadband connection. CGNAT is a technology that allows Now to share a single public IP address with multiple customers. It functions in a manner similar to the way in which a router allows a range of devices on the one network to share the one public IP address. Now does this to preserve our pool of IPV4 IP addresses.  

One static IP address is included at no cost with a Now Business Broadband plan, if needed. If you require a static IP address (or range of addresses) that is publicly accessible from other networks, then let us know and we can provide them.

Does Now use IPV6 or IPV4 IP addresses? 

Now currently only provides IPv4 IP addresses.

How do I set up port forwarding?

Port forwarding allows remote devices and servers to access private network devices. It can be used to: 

• Keep unwanted traffic off networks 

• Allow network administrators to use one IP address for all external communications 

• Run remote desktop protocols 

• Allow file transfers from a computer to external networks  

Port forwarding can increase speeds and is not generally considered risky as long as a security firewall or a VPN connection is on the computer or network.  

Here are some steps to open ports on a router: 

1. Access the router's web interface 

2. Log in to the router 

3. Find the port forwarding section 

4. Add a new port forwarding rule 

5. Save the changes 

If you have a Now provided router, get in contact with our business team on 0800 NOW BIZ and we can set it up for you. If you are using a third party router, log into the admin console of your router and navigate to the appropriate area and follow the steps. 

What is a Ping Test?

A ping test is a way to check if a computer is connected to a network and to measure the latency (time delay to get a response) between two computers. It's also used to ensure that a connected computer is operating.  

A ping test measures how long it takes for a packet to be sent from a local computer to a destination computer and back. The ping time is measured in milliseconds (ms).  

How do I run a Ping test?

Here are some steps to run a ping test: 

• Click on the windows icon  

• Type “cmd” to bring up the Command Prompt 

• Open the Command Prompt 

• Type “ping” in the black box and space 

• Type the IP address you'd like to ping (e.g., 192.XXX.X.X) 

• Press enter 

• Review the ping results displayed  

If the remote computer can not be reached the request will time out after resending the ping a number of times. This may mean the remote computer is down or the connection is down. 

A ping below 20 ms is considered exceptional and “low ping”. Amounts between 50 ms and 100 ms range from very good to average, while a ping of 150 ms or more is less desirable and deemed “high ping”.  

A low latency connection is important for many applications (e.g. video conferencing, VoIP) and for loading web pages quickly.