Elastic IPs 🏠💻
Hey, cloud explorer! 🌤️
So you’ve launched an EC2 instance and secured it. But wait… every time you stop and start your instance, its IP address can change! 😱
That’s where Elastic IPs come in – think of them as your cloud apartment’s permanent house number.
What is an Elastic IP?
- Elastic IP (EIP) = Static public IPv4 address
- Assign it to your EC2 instance and it won’t change even if you stop/start the instance
- Perfect for websites, APIs, or any service where users need a consistent address 🌐
Why You Need It
- Avoid constantly updating DNS records 📝
- Ensure your app, website, or server is always reachable
- Makes your cloud instance look professional (and less like a noob 😉)
How Elastic IPs Work
- Allocate an Elastic IP → AWS reserves a static IP for you 🧾
- Associate it with your EC2 instance → Your instance gets a permanent address 🔗
- Use it → Connect via SSH, RDP, or point your domain to it 🌐
Pro tip: AWS charges for unused Elastic IPs – so don’t hoard them like Pokémon cards 😅
Quick Analogy
| Concept | Analogy |
|---|---|
| Regular Public IP | Temporary house number 🏚️ |
| Elastic IP | Permanent house number 🏠 |
| Association | Sticking your nameplate on the door 🏷️ |