Name
DHCP
Synopsis
Stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, a TCP/IP client/server protocol used to automatically configure IP addresses and other TCP/IP settings for hosts on the network.
Description
DHCP simplifies the configuration of host addresses on a TCP/IP network by allowing hosts to automatically obtain their IP address, subnet mask, and other settings from a centrally located DHCP server. This simplifies the assignment, administration, and maintenance of TCP/IP settings and is easier than the alternative—going in person to every host on the network and manually configuring a static IP address (for a third method, see Section in the article TCP/IP in this chapter).
How DHCP Works
When a DHCP client starts up, it contacts a
DHCP server (in our case, a Windows 2000 Server
computer with the DHCP Server service installed and configured on it)
and requests IP addressing information. The DHCP server responds by
selecting an available IP address from the range of addresses that it
manages (called the server’s
scope
).
It then leases this address to the DHCP client for a certain period
of time (eight days by default) and sends the client, in addition to
its IP address, the following information:
Subnet mask (required)
Default gateway address (optional)
Addresses of DNS servers (optional)
Addresses of WINS servers (optional)
Other optional TCP/IP settings
Once a
lease
is obtained, the DHCP client has to renew the lease periodically with the DHCP server to maintain its address. ...
Get Windows 2000 Administration in a Nutshell now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
