Configuring and Troubleshooting DHCP

Overview of the DHCP Server Role

One of the major problems in networks when the move was made to the TCP/IP protocol, was getting the IP address input onto each machine.

The solution is DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). The DHCP server maintains a pool of IP addresses and DHCP leases out an IP address for a period of time to DHCP-enabled host machines on the network. DHCP provides the IP address along with the subnet mask and default gateway (router). The IP addresses are returned to the pool to be reallocated, when they are no longer in use. DHCP waits for the client to request an IP address using network Broadcasts.