This is weird.

I have a static IP ADSL connection through a UK ISP called Bulldog. I connect through an Origo router and never have any trouble.

However, last night I suddenly lost Internet connection and having checked a few basics I browsed over to the router and noticed that my normally static ip of had miraculously changed to Curious, I fired up my laptop, connected via a neighbour's WiFi link and did a quick whois of the new IP...it's a BT central Ip and not allocated to my ISP.

I renewed my ADSL connection and got another BT IP I rebooted my router and got another BT IP I left it over night and thsi morning I had my old static IP back but with a new netmaska quick renew later and all is back the way it should be.

I've phoned my ISP and they have no idea how this could happen.
I have no idea how this could happen but I'm pretty sure that it's happened before.

Just to eliminate afew obviouses.....NO, it is not now and never has been a dynamic IP.... No I have never had an account with BT Central....No, the router's pasword etc rermained completely unchanged.

So, how does a completely alien IP get assigned to my router?

well I see only one possibility : they messed up bad their DHCP server during the night and will never tell you.
If you are paranoiac, you could also think about the "evil hackers" thesis but I doubt some tried to send bad ip to their clients just for fun

I don't buy into the evil hackers theory...they pretty much aren't that bright and the ones that are surely couldn't be bothered doing something so trivial.

If my ISP (Bulldog) screwed up their DHCP that bad then a whole segement would have had BT central IP's last night and so far I'm the only one.

BTW, a few ex_BT techies work for BullDog and they too are mystified.

Somehow my physical line was connected to a different network for a few hours...gotta be a BT engineer with a patch cable and bad-eyesight somewhere that is keeping very quiet.