Static IPs on cloud desktops: when the $5/month is worth it

Every DeskBoot session gets a public IP. By default, that IP changes each time you stop and start the session — that's how AWS's auto-assigned public IPs work. For most people, that's fine. For some, it's a real problem. Here's how to know which camp you're in.

What "static IP" actually means on DeskBoot

We call it an Elastic IP (EIP), because that's what AWS calls it. Under the hood: you allocate an IPv4 address from AWS, and it stays yours until you release it. You attach it to a session; the session gets that fixed IP. Stop the session, start it again next week — same IP.

Cost: $5/IP/month flat. That's exactly what AWS charges us; no markup. If you never launch a session for a month, you still pay $5 as long as you hold the IP.

When it's worth $5

• Your workflow depends on IP-based access rules. VPN allowlists, DB firewalls, geo-fenced APIs that need a stable identity.
• You run a service on the box that other people connect to. Serving something on port 443 for a demo, running a game server, testing a webhook receiver.
• You SSH in from a device with a stale ~/.ssh/known_hosts. Fresh IP each time = SSH complains every time. Static IP = one entry, forever.
• Your session runs long-lived monitoring. Alerts, dashboards, cron jobs that other systems poll.

When it's not

• You're just RDP-ing in to do work. Your client tolerates changing IPs fine.
• The session runs only in bursts and you terminate at the end. New session = new IP anyway.
• You already have a domain + Dynamic DNS setup. DDNS pointed at your session updates the DNS automatically when the IP changes. That's a free alternative to an EIP.

The "reused IP" trick

You don't have to attach an EIP at launch. You can:

1. Launch a session with the default auto-assigned IP.
2. If you decide later you want it fixed, allocate an EIP and attach it — the session picks up the new IP within seconds.
3. If you're done with a session but want to keep the IP for the next one, detach the EIP, terminate the session, allocate the EIP to your next launch.

That last pattern is how power users hold onto an IP across many sessions without paying for a permanent one when the session isn't active. Note the EIP costs $5/mo whether it's attached or not — the meter runs on allocation, not attachment.

The catch AWS never mentions

An EIP that's not attached to a running instance actually costs more than one attached to a running instance. AWS's logic: they want you attaching your IPs to real workloads, not hoarding them for future use. In practice this bites you if you stop a session that has an EIP — the EIP stays attached (which is free), but if you terminate the session without releasing the EIP, it detaches and starts billing at the higher rate.

DeskBoot's UI warns you about this at terminate time. Take the warning seriously.

The short version

$5/month is nothing if you need a stable IP for real reasons. Don't buy one just because it feels safer — the default dynamic IP is fine for 80% of workflows.