In order to use Abbreviationes™, you will need to be authenticated by a specific IPv4 address on the Internet. This address comes from your ISP and can be either statically or dynamically assigned. Your IPv4 address is fixed if your device has its own static IPv4 address, or if your device is assigned the same dynamic IPv4 address each time you connect to the Internet. This can be accomplished by configuring the DHCP server to reserve a specific IPv4 address for a client MAC address. Reserved addresses are assigned to devices that require permanent IPv4 settings. If your device does not have a fixed IPv4 address, ask your IT department for assistance.
If your device is part of a Local Area Network (LAN), it possesses two IPv4 addresses: a private or internal IPv4 address for the LAN connection, and a public or external IPv4 address for the WAN (Wide Area Network) or Internet connection. We need your public IPv4 address on the Internet, not your private IPv4 address on the LAN. You can tell whether an IPv4 address is public or private by looking at its first few numbers. If your IPv4 address starts with 192.168. or 10., or begins with 172. followed by the numbers 16 to 31, it’s a private address.¹ (Examples: 192.168.0.1, 10.0.0.1, 172.16.5.1.) To determine your public IPv4 address, visit: ip4.me.
With your registered static IP address in place, you will connect to Abbreviationes™ instantly, without any further authentication. When being away from home, connect to your LAN using WireGuard. You will then be able to access Abbreviationes™ from anywhere. If your Internet Service Provider (ISP) does not offer static IP addresses, purchase a dedicated IP address² from VPN service providers such as NordVPN, Surfshark, or CyberGhost. This IP will stay the same no matter where you are and which device you use to connect to the Internet. With your registered dedicated IP address in place, you will be able to access Abbreviationes™ from anywhere.
¹ RFC 1918 (Address Allocation for Private Internets): 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16.
² Dedicated, static, or fixed IPs are synonyms that describe an IP address that belongs only to you.
