Router – Using IP addresses from IP pool given by ISP

ip addressipv4nat;routersubnet

My ISP says that it can provide an optic fiber connection with a pool of 4 static IP addresses (subnet 255.255.255.248 i think).
My question is that if I get that connection,
1 ip will be used for network
1 for default gateway
1 for broadcast.
So I will get only 1 usable ip address, while other internet plan have only 1 static ip address and cost less. So what is the benefit of pool of 4 ip?

EDIT

netmask would be 255.255.255.252

Best Answer

This depends on exactly how the ISP provides them to you. You may have "4 DHCP addresses", a "routed" /30, or a "connected" /29.

For example, Time Warner Cable (business class) allows 4 devices to use DHCP to get an address. (similar to residential service that's limited to one)

"routed" is what you'd see where you have a WAN side and LAN side. This is the traditional "lease line" model where the T1/DS3/etc. ISP side has an independent address to which the static address block is routed; from there they can be assigned as a LAN or NAT'd individually (the firewall situation Bulki mentions.)

"connected" would be where the ISP provides your LAN (i.e. a data center, or the "routed" example where you don't control the router)