Network Basics
Lyra Digital Mixer from D&R Phone +31 294 418014, email:
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7.3.5 DHCP
DHCP stands for: “Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol”.
DHCP is a TCP/IP service that you can use to set network clients' TCP/IP configurations automatically as
they attach to the network. This configuration is done by providing the DHCP server with one or more
scopes. A scope is nothing more than a range of IP addresses that may be assigned to clients on a
temporary basis. The length of time that a client is allowed to use an IP address from a DHCP server is
called the client's lease period.
As you can see, DHCP eliminates the need to manually configure each client; it also helps to prevent
duplicate IP addresses and can help to conserve IP addresses when they're in short supply. However, for
DHCP to function correctly and efficiently on large networks, proper planning is essential. If it is set up
improperly, DHCP can cause headaches.
As I mentioned earlier, DHCP automatically configures clients for TCP/IP at the time the clients attach to
the network. Obviously, this process doesn't happen by magic. Getting DHCP to configure a client for use
on a network requires several messages to be passed back and forth across the network. Although these
messages tend to be small, if many clients are attempting to get an IP address at the same time, the
excessive traffic created can slow down the network.
One way of dealing with this problem is to limit each DHCP server to servicing only one specific subnet. By
doing so, you'll isolate each subnet's DHCP-related traffic and prevent it from flowing onto the rest of the
network.
If you want to use static IP addresses on your servers, but you like the idea of using DHCP for consistency,
you can use a reservation system to ensure that a client receives the same IP address each time it
connects.
