[YVR_Guy]

Could't find any other obvious spot to post this question, hope I'm in the right place.

Short version of the question: In my router’s DHCP Reservation Table, should I reserve my Chromecast’s IP/MAC, or my PC’s (IPv4)/MAC?  My setup is Kodi on Windows 10, Chrome browser streams (full screen incl. audio) to Chromecast HDMI dongle on TV. Then, I'm using the Kore remote control app on my Android phone. PC is using ethernet, Chromecast's only option is Wifi. The stream freezes very briefly now and then, but it's tolerable.

Long (way too long?) version of the question:

I'm new to KODI, just started using it to stream to my TV about a week ago. Got annoyed when the Kore remote’s playback etc buttons became unresponsive in the middle of a movie. I assume it was because the DHCP server handed out a new lease to either my PC or the Chromecast, not sure which one. See my hardware / setup above. Like most people here, I am not a business user therefore my ISP will not let me purchase an (external) static IP plan. I have to contend with DHCP. Fortunately my router has a DHCP Reservation Table. Meaning I can configure any number of “static” IPs, each of which are bound to a given device’s unique MAC.

The question is, which IP(s) do I want to reserve? The PC’s or the Chromecast’s?  And reserve a single IP or a range? Some more detail:

PC’s IP (IPv4) shows as  192.168.1.77. A few hours left on that lease. Kodi app on PC shows same IP, Kore app on phone shows the same IP. Of course all three are the same, that’s what I would expect. Oh, I’m forwarding port 8080 (default), but port numbers probably beside the point. So, now… what about adding my streaming hardware into the mix? Chromecast dongle IP is different (of course), 192.168.1.65 (Found this IP and the device’s MAC in settings on the phone’s Google Home app)

So...should I set a reservation of the .77 IP and bind it to the PC’s MAC? Or use the .65 IP and bind it to the dongle’s MAC?  Also, I have seen some people talking about using a range, rather than a single given IP. Not sure why? I have noticed that most of my devices (printer, phones etc) most often seem to be addressed in the 192.168.1.60 to 192.168.1.79 range. So if I need a range, maybe I go .85 to .90?

If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading! Any guidance is welcome and appreciated.

[Klojum]

Moved to Hardware section.

[nickr]

You can only bind one address per MAC. If you are unsure, bind both to fixed IPs.

[YVR_Guy]

You can only bind one address per MAC. If you are unsure, bind both to fixed IPs.

 Thank you. That's what I was thinking, one IP/MAC for my PC (the media server), the other IP/MAC for the dongle. Any comment on ranges vs one fixed address per device?

And just out of curiosity, wouldn't this "which IP" question be frequent in the community? For any streaming hardware, not necessarily Chromecast. Just wondering since I couldn't find an answer anywhere on the forums before posting this question.

[nickr]

I amnot even sure what this has to do with kodi. The normal way of using kodi has nothing to do with chromecast, you simply connect your playback device to your TV with an HDMI cable.

I have never seen dhcp software that allows you to allocate a range of ip addresses to a single machine. As the idea is to give each device a known ip address, the answer is obviously to give each device a known single ip address.

[YVR_Guy]

You're right, not necessarily a Kodi-specific question, more of a "can I use Kodi this way" question. Your "bind two IPs to their corresponding MACs" tip seems to have done the trick, so thank you!

Now I can do what I want..have my office PC stream Kodi seamlessly to my living room TV without another piece of hardware plugged into the TV there, and use Kore for remote control. Living room tidier, I've saved the hardware expense,  and I'm going to sleep happy tonight. Cheers! 

PS: For those who may find it helpful to their needs, most routers I've run across offer the user the ability to edit the DHCP Reservation Table.