Should I insist on getting a static ip-address for developing machine?

Question

I was given the access to remote (over internet) desktop of a virtual machine (VM) to develop (or, rather, prototyping) Sharepoint 2010 solutions (ASP.NET 4.0, Windows Server 2008 R2 64 bit, SMTP, IIS7.5, MSSQL Server 2008 R2) in MS Visual Studio 2010.
I have no access (or info about) what is outside of VM....

With everything installed and preconfigured....
Kind of... Because, I could not develop or even create any Sharepoint projects in VS2010 having been given only creadentials of AD domain user with which I connected until I managed to change machine/local Administrator password (since I was not told it), connect with it to machine, so I resolved this problem myself.

I still feel awkward:

• Before, I always developed against static IP addresses (mostly 127.0.0.1). Now IP-address of my developing machine is dynamic (DHCP client) and is different each time I am my connecting to it.
• Before, I always developed in 32 bit environment... Where is there hosts file and why I am denied access to http://localhost (trying to connect to public external domain) as well as local Administrator credentials are not being accepted for http://127.0.0.1 ?

What are possible pitfalls of developing in machine with dynamic (always varying) IP-address or arguments against such developing environment in order to ask for getting static IP-address for developing machine?
Or. it is perfectly OK to develop in an isolated (for dev, with all servers inside) machine with a dynamic (varying) IP-address?

Answer 1

Its very annoying to have to worry about the rc to IP changing. Everytime the PC reboots it may change the IP. Therefore, if you can't rc you can't complete the required work.

So, when you rc you will still be using (127.0.0.1/localhost) but when you want to deploy it as a server of the rc'ed to machine. You can then minimize the rc screen and use that DHCP IP to test stuff against from the machine you used to rc with (192.168.xxx.xxx).

A way around it is to make them put a DNS for the DHCP to the machine you are working on. This way you just rc to that and it should redirect to the same machine.

Personally, All I need is the SVN username\password and I'm all set. If the tools are free and easy to find\use like Netbeans, but that is not the case with VS.