DHCP II

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IP Address

It is a number typically written as four numbers separated by periods for e.g., 107.4.1.3 or 84.2.1.111. An IP address is also known as an IP number. It distinctively identifies a computer which is using Internet. It is equivalent to a telephone number. As a telephone number is used by the telephone network for direct calling to us, in a similar manner an IP address is used by the Internet to direct data to our computer. DHCP helps out in getting a functional and unique IP number into the hands of the computers that make use of the Internet.

DHCP lease

It is the amount of time granted by DHCP server to the DHCP client permission for using a particular IP address. A typical server permits its administrator to set the lease time.

Allocation Methods

Based on implementation, the DHCP server allocates IP-addresses in following three ways.

  1. Dynamic allocation: In this method, a network administrator assigns a range of IP addresses to DHCP, and each client computer on the LAN has its IP software configured to request an IP address from the DHCP server during network initialization. The request-and-grant process uses a lease concept with a controllable time periods, allowing the DHCP server to reclaim and then reallocate IP addresses which are not renewed i.e. the dynamic re-use of IP addresses.
  2. Automatic allocation: In this method, the DHCP server permanently assigns a free IP address to a requesting client from the range defined by the administrator. This is similar to dynamic allocation, but the DHCP server keeps a table of past IP address assignments, so that it can preferentially assign the same IP address to a client that the client previously had.
  3. Static allocation: In this method, the DHCP server allocates an IP address based on a table with MAC address/IP address pairs, which are manually filled in. Only requesting clients with a MAC address listed in this table will be allocated an IP address. This feature is not supported by all routers and is differently called Static DHCP Assignment by DD-WRT, fixed-address by the dhcp documentation, DHCP reservation or Static DHCP (by Cisco/Linksys and IP reservation or MAC/IP binding by various other router manufacturers.

Other Methods of Allocation

  • Manual allocation: In this method, the DHCP server does not assign the IP address; instead, the client is configured with a user-specified static IP address.
  • Autoconfiguration: Address autoconfiguration of a link-local IP address is used when a host is unable to obtain an IP address by any other method.

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