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Static and dynamic IP address configurations for DHCP

%t min read | by Damon Garn

Static and dynamic IP configurations for DHCP

IP address configuration is one of the most critical, if simple, settings on your network devices. Workstations, servers, routers, and other components must have properly assigned IP address settings to participate on the network.

This two-part article series covers static and dynamic IP address settings and the configuration of a DHCP server. This article (part one) defines network identities, contrasts static and dynamic configurations, and covers the commands needed to manage the settings. Part two covers the deployment of a DHCP server, DHCP scope configuration, and client-side management of dynamic IP addresses.

[ You might also enjoy:  The name game: Naming network interfaces in Linux ]

Three identities

Network nodes have three identities: Hostname, logical address, and physical address. These three addresses provide different types of connectivity and are used in various ways during network communication.

The three identities are:

  • Hostname - descriptive, easy to remember names for the benefit of humans
  • IP address - logical address to uniquely identify a network node, primarily used by routers
  • MAC address - physical address encoded on the network interface card (NIC), used mainly by switches

Hostnames are configured when the OS is installed, and MAC addresses are hard-coded on NICs. Sysadmins typically configure IP address information on servers, workstations, portable systems, and network devices.

I’ll cover the two primary ways that IP address information is provided to the nodes: Static and dynamic configurations.

Static and dynamic configurations:

  • Static - manually configured by sysadmins
  • Dynamic - automatically leased by clients from a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server

The standard settings are IP addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, and nameservers.

Static configuration

NetworkManager primarily handles network configuration. NetworkManager can be used in a GUI, TUI, or CLI environment.

The nmcli process to set a static IP configuration is to create a connection profile and then set the values desired. Red Hat has documentation here .

Here is an example of creating a network connection named home-network with an IP address of 192.168.2.200/24, a default gateway of 192.168.2.1, and a name server of 8.8.8.8:

The GUI configuration can be accomplished by selecting the Manual button and then filling in the blanks with the appropriate information.

GUI Network Manager screen with static IP info

Recall that you can make no typographical errors when configuring IP addresses, and duplicate addresses will cause network connection problems.

Why static configurations?

Static IP addresses do not change unless the administrator actively reconfigures them. This is an important fact when it comes to servers because most client computers need to be able to find servers consistently.

For example, an NFS file server hosting department directories needs to keep the same IP address over time as configuration files such as a client computer’s /etc/fstab file may use the IP address for connectivity.

Other network nodes also may need an unchanging network identity. Appliance devices such as firewalls or proxies, print servers, name resolution servers, web servers, and virtually all other infrastructure devices need a consistent identity. Sysadmins will almost always configure these systems with static IP address information.

Tracking IPs

It is essential to track your statically assigned IP addresses. Depending on the size of your environment, this might be so simple as a text document or a spreadsheet, all the way up to specialized software that integrates with directory services and DHCP. I find it’s best to at least track IP address (and subnet mask), MAC address (not essential), hostname, role on the network (justifies why the devices have a static IP), and any additional notes.

spreadsheet tracking IP addresses, MAC addresses, hostnames, etc

Dynamic configurations

The devices that require a static IP configuration are a relatively small percentage of your network. Most network devices are end-user systems such as workstations, laptops, phones, tablets, and other transient devices. In addition, these systems do not usually host network services that need to be discoverable by other computers.

IP address configurations are unforgiving when it comes to duplicates and typos. In addition, static IP address settings are fairly time-consuming. Finally, IP address settings tend to be temporary, especially with the advent of portable devices like laptops, phones, and tablets. To save time and reduce the chances of a mistake, dynamic IP address allocation is preferable for these kinds of nodes.

Linux systems are configured as DHCP clients by using NetworkManager.

Here is an example of adding a network connection profile configured to lease an IP address from DHCP:

By not specifying an address NetworkManager assumes the DHCP client role.

Here is a screenshot of a dynamic IP address configuration from the GUI:

Network Manager GUI and static IP configuration

The dhclient command

The dhclient command is also used to manage dynamic IP address configurations. However, in RHEL 8, network configurations, including DHCP, are handled by NetworkManager. Older RHEL versions rely on dhclient , as do some other distributions.

The ip route command displays lease information.

The second article in this series goes over the dhclient command in more detail.

[ Free cheat sheet: Get a list of Linux utilities and commands for managing servers and networks . ]  

IP address settings are crucial to network communications. Values such as the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and nameservers can be manually managed, but sysadmins must be very careful not to make any mistakes. Static settings don’t change unless the administrator reconfigures them, so they are essential for servers whose services are made available across the network.

Dynamic IP configurations are far more convenient for systems that don’t host network services, such as end-user devices. Furthermore, many of these devices enter and leave the network regularly, and it would be very time-consuming to set IP values each time manually. Instead, a DHCP server is used to host a pool of available addresses that client systems can lease.

Understanding the difference between static and dynamic IP addresses is straightforward but essential for administrators. As a general rule, servers and network devices utilize static, unchanging IPs, while client devices rely on dynamically allocated IP configurations.

Leasing IP addresses

Damon Garn owns Cogspinner Coaction, LLC, a technical writing, editing, and IT project company based in Colorado Springs, CO. Damon authored many CompTIA Official Instructor and Student Guides (Linux+, Cloud+, Cloud Essentials+, Server+) and developed a broad library of interactive, scored labs. He regularly contributes to Enable Sysadmin, SearchNetworking, and CompTIA article repositories. Damon has 20 years of experience as a technical trainer covering Linux, Windows Server, and security content. He is a former sysadmin for US Figure Skating. He lives in Colorado Springs with his family and is a writer, musician, and amateur genealogist. More about me

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ip assignment dhcp

Glossary: What is DHCP?

What is DHCP? It assigns IP addresses dynamically

The answer to “What is DHCP?” is that it’s the standard mechanism to dynamically assign IP addresses within a network. It stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.

IP, or Internet Protocol, addressing is a logical means of assigning addresses to devices on a network. Each device connected to a network requires a unique IP address.

At home, dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) assigns IP addresses to your smartphones, laptops, tablets, and devices like doorbell cameras. When you use wifi on your home network, typically your router is a DHCP server.

In a large enterprise setting, a DHCP server is usually a dedicated computer. By simplifying IP address management, it saves money, is more secure, and doesn’t eat up valuable admin time.

In this glossary entry, we’ll explore the fundamentals of how DHCP works. Then, we’ll take a deeper look at two aspects: dynamic addressing and the communications protocol.

How does DHCP work?

DHCP is a network management protocol. A client device (or DHCP client), such as a laptop, joins a network and requests an IP address. The request is made to a DHCP server.

These servers are often configured with redundancy—often called DHCP failover —or clustering among other network servers. Servers can run on both IPv4 and IPv6 networks.

ip assignment dhcp

The server will quickly and automatically assign an IP address and some related network configuration parameters. Once the device has accepted the assignment, it can communicate with both the internal network and the public internet.

Relevant parameters

In addition to assigning IP addresses, these servers also provide relevant parameters, known as DHCP options. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), the global coordinator of IP addresses, defines available DHCP parameters .

Options number in the hundreds. Key among them is how long the IP address can be used—known as the lease time. They also include the default gateway, its subnet mask, and its DNS server.

Some additional definitions

To clarify, let’s quickly define some of these terms we just mentioned:

  • A default gateway transfers data back and forth between the local network and the internet, or between local subnets.
  • IP networking uses a subnet mask to separate the host address and the network address portions of an IP address.
  • A DNS server resolves names to IP addresses, translating domain names that we easily remember, like bluecatnetworks.com, into IP addresses like 104.239.197.100.

Dynamic IP addressing with DHCP

The assignment of IP addresses happens dynamically within a given address range. As a result, a device connected to the network doesn’t have a forever address. The IP address can periodically change as its lease time expires unless the lease is successfully renewed.

For services that always need to be on, a static IP address is often a better option. Corporate enterprises commonly use static IP addresses for hardware like mail servers. Certainly, a DHCP server should have a static IP address.

However, there are drawbacks to dedicating a specific IP address to a device or service. A network administrator must manually assign, configure, and track the IP address. It’s a time-consuming task. Oftentimes, it requires the admin to physically be with the device.

Meanwhile, dynamic IP addresses are usually the preferred choice because they:

  • Cost less to manage than static IP addresses;
  • May offer more privacy and security with a constantly changing IP address; and
  • Don’t require manual administration when a device roams from one subnet to another.

DHCP communications protocol

Communications to fulfill a DHCP request involves both the server and client. Furthermore, a relay agent or IP helper often facilitates communication between the two. Relay agents receive broadcast DHCP messages from clients and then re-send those messages with configuration information to servers.

ip assignment dhcp

Communication happens via small units of data, called packets, that are routed through a network. Networking protocols like IP govern all its rules.

Most of the time, communication occurs in four steps. Briefly, they are:

  • A discover packet is sent from the client to the server.
  • The server replies to the client with a DHCP offer packet containing an IP address.
  • The client receives and validates the offer, then sends a request packet back to the server to accept the address.
  • The server sends an acknowledgement packet back to the client to confirm the chosen IP address.

With this in mind, one final point: DHCP alongside DNS and IP address management ( IPAM ) are together known as DDI. Want to know how to define DDI or how it works to form a complete management solution? The BlueCat platform is the place to start.

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How DHCP server dynamically assigns IP address to a host?

DHCP is an abbreviation for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. It is an application layer protocol used by hosts for obtaining network setup information. The DHCP is controlled by a DHCP server that dynamically distributes network configuration parameters such as IP addresses, subnet masks, and gateway addresses.  What is a Dynamic host configuration protocol?    

  • Dynamic – Automatically
  • Host – Any computer that is connected to the network
  • Configuration – To configure a host means to provide network information(IP address, subnet mask, Gateway address) to a host
  • Protocol – Set of rules

Summing up, a DHCP server dynamically configures a host in a network.  The disadvantage of manually Configuring the host: Configuring a host when it is connected to the network can be done either manually i.e., by the network administrator or by the DHCP server. In the case of home networks, manual configuration is quite easy. Whereas in large networks, the network administrator might face many problems.  Also, the manual configuration is prone to mistakes. Say a Network administrator might assign an IP address that was already assigned. Thus, causing difficulty for both administrators as well as neighbors on the network.  So, here comes the use of the DHCP server. Before discussing how the DHCP server works, let’s go through the DHCP entities.   

Configuring a host using DHCP : To configure a host, we require the following things:   

  • Leased IP address – IP address to a host that lasts for a particular duration which goes for a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks.
  • Subnet Mask – The host can know on which network it is on.
  • Gateway address – The Gateway is the Internet Service Provider that connects users to the internet. The Gateway address lets the host know where the gateway is to connect to the internet.

DHCP Entities

  • DHCP server:  It automatically provides network information(IP address, subnet mask, gateway address) on lease. Once the duration is expired, that network information can be assigned to another machine.  It also maintains the data storage which stores the available IP addresses.
  • DHCP client:   Any node which requests an IP address allocation to a network is considered a DHCP client.
  • DHCP Relay Agent:  In case, we have only one DHCP server for multiple LAN’s then this Agent which presents in every network forwards the DHCP request to the DHCP server. So, using DHCP Relay Agent we can configure multiple LANs with a single server.

How DHCP server assigns an IP address to a host?

  • DHCPDISCOVER: When a new node is connected to the network, it broadcasts the DHCPDISCOVER message which contains the source address as 0.0.0.0 to every node on the network including the server. DHCP server on receiving the message returns the DHCPOFFER message to the requested host which contains the server address and new IP address to the node.  
  • DHCPOFFER:  If there are multiple servers on the network, the host receives multiple DHCPOFFER messages. It is up to the host to select a particular message.   
  • DHCPREQUEST:  The requested host on receiving the offer message, again broadcasts the DHCPREQUEST message on the network with the address of the server whose offer message is accepted by the host. The server which pertains to that server address sent by the host checks whether the address to be assigned to the node is available in the data storage.   
  • DHCPACK: If the address is assigned, it marks the IP address in the storage as unavailable to ensure consistency. Now, the server sends a DHCPACK packet to the requested host which contains network information(IP address, subnet mask, gateway address). In case, if the address is assigned to another machine meanwhile, then the server sends the packet DHCPNAK to the requested host indicating that the IP address is assigned to some other machine.   
  • DHCPRELEASE: And finally, If the host wants to move to another network or if it has finished its work, it sends the DHCPRELEASE packet to the server indicating that it wants to disconnect. Then the server marks the IP address as available in the storage so that it can be assigned to other machines.   

References:   For reference to DHCP protocol,  click here      

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What Is a Dynamic IP Address?

A dynamic IP address is assigned by a DHCP server and can change; it's the opposite of a static IP address

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A dynamic IP address is an IP address  that's automatically assigned to each connection, or node , of a network, like your smartphone, computer, or tablet. This automatic assignment of IP addresses is accomplished by a DHCP server.

A DHCP-server-assigned IP address is called  dynamic  because it will often be different on future connections to the network.

The "opposite" of a dynamic IP address is called a static IP address (one that was configured manually).

Where Are Dynamic IP Addresses Used?

The public IP address that gets assigned to the router of most home and business users by their ISPs is a dynamic IP address. Larger companies usually don't connect to the internet using dynamic IP addresses and instead have static IP addresses assigned to them, and only them.

In a local network like in your home or place of business, where you use a private IP address , most devices are probably configured for DHCP, meaning they're using dynamic IP addresses. If DHCP isn't enabled, each device in your home network would need to have network information manually set up.

Some Internet Service Providers assign "sticky" dynamic IP addresses that do change, just less frequently than a typical dynamic IP address.

What Are the Advantages of Dynamic IP Addresses?

The main advantage of assigning IP addresses dynamically is that it's more flexible, and easier to set up and administer than static IP address assignments.

For example, one laptop that connects to the network can be assigned a particular IP address, and when it disconnects, that address is now free to be used by another device that connects later on, even if it's not that same laptop.

With this type of IP address assignment, there's little limit to the number of devices that can connect to a network, since ones that don't need to be connected can disconnect and free up the pool of available addresses for another device.

The alternative would be for the DHCP server to set aside a particular IP address for each device, just in case, that it wanted to connect to the network. In this scenario, a few hundred devices, no matter if they were being used or not, would each have their own IP address which could limit access for new devices.

Another advantage of using dynamic IP addresses is that it's easier to implement than static IP addresses. Nothing needs to be set up manually for new devices that connect to the network—all you have to do is make sure DHCP is enabled on the router.

Since almost every network device is configured by default to grab an IP address from the available pool of addresses, everything is automatic.

What Are the Disadvantages of Dynamic IP Addresses?

While it's extremely common, and technically acceptable, for a home network to use a dynamically assigned IP address for its router, a problem arises if you're trying to access that network from an outside network.

Let's say your home network is assigned a dynamic IP address by your ISP, but you need to remotely access your home computer from your work computer.

Since some remote access/desktop programs require that you know the IP address of your router to get to the computer inside that network (via port forwarding), but the IP address of your router changes periodically because it's dynamic, you could run into trouble.

A similar example could be given if you like to serve files from your home computer to remote users, like if you're running a website or your own file sharing server. Every time your IP address changes, any active downloads from your home server will abruptly stop, and your users will need to know your new IP address so they can reach your "new" server. This is a major reason most people don't set up such a service out of their house.

The reason behind these and similar issues can be summed up by the fact that a consistent IP address is necessary for establishing these kinds of connections. This is why users might opt for a dynamic DNS service. A DDNS service makes it easier to access your computer from outside your network because a specific name is assigned to your network, and that name is always tied to your current IP address, even if it changes.

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Step-by-Step: Configure DHCP Using Policy-based Assignment

Updated: May 27, 2016

Applies To: Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server role in Windows Server 2012 introduced a new policy based IP address assignment feature. Policy based assignment (PBA) allows an administrator to group DHCP clients by specific attributes based on fields contained in the DHCP client request packet. This feature allows for targeted administration and greater control of configuration parameters delivered to network devices.

In this guide

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for deploying DHCP policy based assignment in a test lab using one server computer and two client computers. Software and hardware requirements are provided, as well as an overview of DHCP policy based assignment.

The following instructions are for configuring a test lab using the minimum number of computers. Individual computers are needed to separate the services provided on the network and to clearly show the desired functionality. This configuration is neither designed to reflect best practices nor does it reflect a desired or recommended configuration for a production network. The configuration, including IP addresses and all other configuration parameters, is designed only to work on a separate test lab network.

DHCP policy based assignment overview

With a DHCP server running Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2, administrators can define an address assignment policy at the server level or scope level. A policy contains a set of conditions to evaluate when processing client requests. Policy based assignment enables flexibility for some common scenarios, including:

Multiple device types : A network includes many different DHCP client devices, such as printers, IP phones, and desktops. Administrators need the ability to classify these devices using different IP address ranges. This enables router policies and quality of service (QoS) based on IP address range policies to control network access or traffic. For example, you can add a vendor class of “Hewlett-Packard JetDirect” or Cisco Systems, Inc. IP Phone CP-7940G and configure printer and IP-phone policies to assign a specific IP address range to these devices.

Multiple roles : A network includes different types of computers, such as laptops, desktops, and servers in the same subnet. Depending on the type of client, the administrator might wish to provide different lease duration settings. All the wireless clients that connect via a specific relay agent can be assigned a four-hour lease duration. DNS dynamic update protocol can be disabled for clients matching this policy. Similarly, a server policy can be created using a list of server MAC addresses. Servers can be assigned a 12-day lease duration

Virtualization : A data center network employs virtualization for different workloads and applications. Virtual machines are added and removed dynamically depending upon load requirements at a given time. An administrator wishing to route traffic on the network differently for VMs can create a policy based on MAC address prefix to assign a short lease duration, specific IP address range, and different default gateway.

The following fields in the DHCP client request are available when defining policies.

Vendor Class

MAC address

Client Identifier

Relay Agent Information

Policy settings and evaluation

Policy settings can be of three types.

IP address range : The IP address range within a scope from which to assign an IP address to a client. A server level policy cannot have a setting for an IP address range.

Standard DHCP options : One or more standard DHCP options to send to a client in the response based on the options requested by the client in the parameter request list.

Vendor specific DHCP options : One or more vendor specific DHCP options to send to the client based on the vendor class field in the client request.

The DHCP server evaluates policies sequentially according to an assigned processing order. The DHCP administrator assigns the processing order to the policies. If policies exist at the server and scope levels, the server applies both sets of policies and evaluates the scope policies before the server policies. The processing order for a scope level policy defines the order of evaluation within the scope. If there are no policies defined at the scope level, the policies at the server level apply to the scope.

Address assignment

The DHCP server determines the scope to which a DHCP client belongs based on the gateway IP address of the relay agent or the interface of the DHCP server on which it receives the DHCP client packet. Once the server determines the client scope, the server evaluates the DHCP packet against the policies applicable for the scope in the processing order specified. The policies applicable at a scope are those configured at the scope and those inherited from the server. A single client request can match multiple policies.

If a client request matches the conditions of a policy for which a specific IP address range is associated, the server will assign the first free IP address from the range as determined by the rule. If a policy is associated with multiple address ranges, the server will assign IP addresses by first attempting to assign an IP from the lowest address range. If no IP addresses are available to use from the lower address range, the server will then look for a free IP address from the higher address ranges. If no IP addresses are free from any of the address ranges associated with the policy, the server will process the next matched policy as defined by the processing order.

If none of the matched policies has a free IP address, the server will drop the client packet and log an event. If a DHCP client packet does not match any of the policies applicable for the scope, or none of the matched policies for a client packet is associated with an IP address range, the server will lease the client an IP address from the IP address range configured for the scope exclusive of any policy-specific IP address ranges.

Option assignment

A DHCP client uses the parameter request list field in a DHCP packet to request a list of standard options from the server. The option assignment processing for a client is similar to that of IP address assignment. The DHCP server evaluates the fields in the client request against each policy applicable for the scope in the processing order specified. If the client request matches the conditions of any of the policies applicable for the scope, and its settings include specific options, the server returns these options to the client. If multiple policies match the client request, the server returns the sum of the options specified for each of the matched policies. The DHCP server sends vendor class options to the client based on the vendor class contained in the DHCP client request.

Scenario overview

This test lab demonstrates new DHCP functionality in Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2. One server computer and two client computers are used. See the following figure.

ip assignment dhcp

Hardware and software requirements

One server computer and two client computers are required to complete the test lab.

The following are required components of the test lab:

The product disc or other installation media for Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2.

One computer that meets the minimum hardware requirements for Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2.

At least one DHCP client computer is required.

The lab uses two computers running Windows® 8. If only one client computer is available, or clients are not running Windows 8, you must alter some of the procedures in the test lab accordingly.

Steps for configuring the test lab

The following procedures are used to configure computers for the demonstration portion of the test lab:

Configure DHCP1 : DHCP1 is a domain controller, DNS server, and DHCP server for the contoso.com Active Directory domain.

Configure Client1 : Client1 is a DHCP client computer.

Configure Client2 : Client2 is a DHCP client computer.

Configure DHCP1

DHCP1 is a computer running Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2, providing the following services:

A domain controller for the contoso.com Active Directory domain.

An authoritative DNS server for the contoso.com DNS zone.

A DHCP server.

Initial configuration of DHCP1 consists of the following steps:

Install the operating system and configure TCP/IP on DHCP1

Install ad ds, dns server, and dhcp server, create a domain administrator account, create a dhcp scope on dhcp1, to install the operating system and configure tcp/ip on dhcp1.

Start your computer using the Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 product disc or other digital media.

When prompted, enter a product key, accept license terms, configure clock, language, and regional settings, and provide a password for the local Administrator account.

Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and sign-in using the local Administrator account.

If you are prompted to enable Windows Error Reporting, click Accept .

Click Start , type ncpa.cpl , and then press ENTER . The Network Connections control panel will open.

The previous step demonstrates the functionality in Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 that enables you to search and run applications, settings, and files by clicking Start and then typing a search term. You can also open the Network Connections control panel by clicking next to Ethernet in Server Manager using the Local Server view. For more information, see Common Management Tasks and Navigation in Windows Server 2012 ( https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=242147 ).

In Network Connections , right-click Ethernet and then click Properties .

Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) .

On the General tab, choose Use the following IP address .

Next to IP address type 10.0.0.1 and next to Subnet mask type 255.255.255.0 . It is not necessary to provide an entry next to Default gateway .

Next to Preferred DNS server , type 10.0.0.1 .

Click OK twice, and then close the Network Connections control panel.

DHCP1 will serve as a domain controller, DNS server, and DHCP server for the contoso.com Active Directory domain.

To configure DHCP1 as a domain controller, DNS server, and DHCP server

The Server Manager Dashboard is displayed by default. In the navigation pane, click Configure this local server .

Under PROPERTIES , click the name next to Computer name . The System Properties dialog box will open.

On the Computer Name tab, click Change and then type DHCP1 under Computer name .

Click OK twice, and then click Close .

When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Restart Now .

After restarting the computer, sign-in using the local Administrator account.

In Server Manager, under Configure this local server , click Add Roles and Features .

In the Add Roles and Features Wizard , click Next three times, and then on the Select server roles page select the Active Directory Domain Services checkbox.

When you are prompted to add required features, click Add Features .

Select the DHCP Server checkbox.

Select the DNS Server checkbox.

Click Next five times, and then click Install .

Wait for the installation process to complete, verify on the Installation progress page that Configuration required. Installation succeeded on DHCP1 is displayed, and then click Close .

Click the Notification flag and then click Promote this server to a domain controller . See the following example.

ip assignment dhcp

In the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard , on the Deployment Configuration page, choose Add a new forest and then next to Root domain name , type contoso.com .

Click Next , and then on the Domain Controller Options page, under Type the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password , type a password next to Password and Confirm password . Confirm that Domain Name System (DNS) server and Global Catalog (GC) are selected, and then click Next .

Click Next four times, verify that All prerequisite checks passed successfully is displayed, and then click Install .

The computer will restart automatically to complete the installation process.

Sign in using the local Administrator account.

A domain administrator account is required to configure settings in the test lab.

You can use the CONTOSO\Administrator account in this test lab and skip creation of a domain administrator account if desired. This account has domain administrator privileges, and other privileges. However, it is a best practice to disable or rename this account. For more information, see Active Directory Best Practices ( https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=243071 ).

To create a domain administrator account

On the Server Manager menu bar, click Tools , and then click Active Directory Users and Computers .

In the Active Directory Users and Computers console tree, double-click contoso.com , right-click Users , point to New , and then click User .

In the New Object – User dialog box, type user1 under User logon name and next to Full name , then click Next .

Next to Password and Confirm password , type a password for the user1 account.

Clear the checkbox next to User must change password at next logon , select the Password never expires checkbox, click Next , and then click Finish .

Click the Users folder, and then double-click user1 and then click the Member Of tab.

Click Add , type domain admins under Enter the object names to select , click OK twice, and then close the Active Directory Users and Computers console.

Click Start , click Administrator , and then click Sign out .

Sign in to the computer using the user1 credentials. Click Other user and then type the user1 name and password.

Next, create a DHCP scope on DHCP1.

To create a DHCP scope on DHCP1

On the Server Manager menu bar, click Tools and then click DHCP . The DHCP console opens.

In the DHCP console tree, navigate to IPv4 . Right-click IPv4 and then click New Scope . The New Scope Wizard opens.

Click Next and then type a name for the new scope next to Name (ex: Contoso-scope1).

Click Next and then in IP Address Range , type 10.0.0.1 next to Start IP address , type 10.0.0.254 next to End IP address , and type 24 next to Length . The value of Subnet mask will change automatically to 255.255.255.0 .

Click Next , and then in Add Exclusions and Delay type 10.0.0.1 under Start IP address , type 10.0.0.10 under End IP address , and then click Add . This allows the first ten IP addresses in the 10.0.0.0/24 subnet to be used for static addressing of servers on the network.

Click Next and then in Lease Duration under Limited to enter 0 Days , 0 Hours , and 2 Minutes . This very short lease duration will simplify the DHCP demonstration.

Click Next three times, and then in Domain Name and DNS Servers , verify that the Parent domain is contoso.com and 10.0.0.1 is listed as the only DNS server.

Click Next twice, and then in Activate Scope select Yes, I want to activate this scope now .

Click Next , and then click Finish .

In the DHCP console tree, right-click dhcp1.contoso.com , and then click Authorize .

Refresh the view in the DHCP console and verify that DHCP1 is authorized and that the Contoso-scope1 is active.

Note: To review scopes on the current server using Windows PowerShell, right-click Windows PowerShell , click Run as Administrator , click Yes in the User Account Control alert that appears, and then type the following command at the Windows PowerShell prompt, and then press ENTER.

Configure Client1

Client1 is a computer running Windows® 8 that is acting as a DHCP client.

Configuration of Client1 consists of the following steps:

Install the operating system on Client1

Pin windows powershell to the taskbar.

During the demonstration portion of the test lab, Client1 will be used as a DHCP client.

To install the operating system on Client1

Start your computer using the Windows 8 product disc or other digital media.

When prompted, enter a product key and accept license terms.

When prompted to enter a computer name, type Client1 and click Next .

Click Use express settings .

On the Sign in to your PC page, click Don’t want to sign in with a Microsoft account and then click Local account .

Next to User name , type user1 , enter a password and password hint, and then click Finish .

The DHCP failover demonstration on Client1 makes use of Windows PowerShell to verify DHCP lease information. To make Windows PowerShell more easily accessible, it will be pinned to the taskbar.

To pin Windows PowerShell to the taskbar

The Start menu is displayed by default. If Start is not displayed, move the mouse cursor to the lower left corner of the screen until Start is displayed, and then click Start .

Type powershell and then under Results for “powershell” right-click Windows PowerShell and then click Pin to taskbar .Confirm that Windows PowerShell is pinned to the taskbar.

Client1 can also be joined to the contoso.com domain; however this is not required to complete the test lab.

Configure Client2

Client2 is a computer running Windows 8 that is acting as a DHCP client.

Configuration of Client2 is nearly identical to Client1. To configure Client2, repeat the identical procedures used to configure Client1, except when you enter a computer name, type Client2 instead of Client1.

DHCP policy based assignment demonstration

For the DHCP policy based assignment demonstration portion of the test lab, a MAC address based policy will be configured to assign unique DHCP options and IP address ranges to Client1 and Client2.

A demonstration of DHCP policy based assignment on Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 consists of the following procedures:

Determine MAC addresses

Create policies, demonstrate policies.

Unique MAC addresses on Client1 and Client2 will be used to match different DHCP policies.

To determine MAC addresses

On DHCP1, open the DHCP console and navigate to IPv4\Scope [10.0.0.0] Contoso-scope1\Address Leases .

Click Address Leases and then in the details pane write down the MAC addresses listed for Client1 and Client2 under Unique ID .

ip assignment dhcp

The DHCP Policy Configuration Wizard will be used to create a unique policy for Client1 and another policy for Client2. A policy configured for an individual computer is not typical and is only configured for demonstration purposes. On a corporate network, you can use wildcards and other conditions to match multiple DHCP client devices.

To create policies

In the DHCP console, under Scope , right-click Policies and then click New Policy .

Ensure that you select the Policy folder under the Scope folder. This is the scope-level folder. The other Policies folder is for server-level policies and if you create a policy there you will not be able to create the IP address range policy for this exercise.

Next to Policy Name , type Client1 Policy , and then click Next .

On the Configure Conditions for the policy page, click Add .

In the Add/Edit Condition dialog box, choose MAC Address next to Criteria , type the MAC address for Client1 next to Value (001DB7A63D in this example), and then click Add , then click OK .

ip assignment dhcp

Click Next , and then in Configure settings for the policy , type 10.0.0.100 next to Start IP address and type 10.0.0.199 next to End IP address .

ip assignment dhcp

Click Next , and then under Available Options , select 003 Router , type 10.0.0.7 under IP address , and click Add .

Repeat the previous steps for Client2 using the following conditions, IP address ranges, and options:

Policy Name : Client2 Policy

Condition : MAC Address equals (in this example) 00155DB7A63E.

Start IP address : 10.0.0.200

End IP address : 10.0.0.254

003 Router : 10.0.0.8

Next, review the effect that these policies have on the IP address configuration of Client1 and Client2.

To demonstrate policies

In the details pane, under Policy Name , right-click one of the two policies you just created.

Note that you can move the policy up or down in the processing order, delete the policy, or disable the policy.

Click Properties .

Review the available parameters that you can edit on the General , Conditions , IP Address Range , Options , and DNS tabs.

Click OK , and then on Client1 type ipconfig /all at the Windows PowerShell prompt.

ip assignment dhcp

Client1 has been assigned the first IP address in the 10.0.0.100 – 10.0.0.199 range, and a default gateway of 10.0.0.7, as determined by the policy based assignment.

If the IP address hasn't changed yet, you can type ipconfig /release and then ipconfig /renew to get a new lease.

Repeat the previous step on Client2.

ip assignment dhcp

Client2 has been assigned the first IP address in the 10.0.0.200 – 10.0.0.254 range, and a default gateway of 10.0.0.8.

Policy based assignment in Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 DHCP allows you to create simple yet powerful rules to administer DHCP on your network.

Additional resources

ip assignment dhcp

Change TCP/IP settings

TCP/IP defines how your PC communicates with other PCs.

To make it easier to manage TCP/IP settings, we recommend using automated Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). DHCP automatically assigns Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to the computers on your network if your network supports it. If you use DHCP, then you don't have to change your TCP/IP settings if you move your PC to another location, and DHCP doesn't require you to manually configure TCP/IP settings, such as Domain Name System (DNS) and Windows Internet Name Service (WINS).

To enable DHCP or change other TCP/IP settings

Select  Start , then type settings . Select  Settings  >  Network & internet .

Do one of the following:

For a Wi-Fi network, select  Wi-Fi  >  Manage known networks . Choose the network for which you want to change the settings.

For an Ethernet network, select  Ethernet , then select the Ethernet network you’re connected to.

Next to  IP assignment , select  Edit .

Under  Edit network IP settings or Edit IP settings , select  Automatic (DHCP)  or  Manual .

To specify IPv4 settings manually

Under  Edit network IP settings or Edit IP settings , choose  Manual , then turn on  IPv4 .

To specify an IP address, in the  IP address, Subnet mask , and  Gateway  boxes, type the IP address settings.

To specify a DNS server address, in the  Preferred DNS  and  Alternate DNS  boxes, type the addresses of the primary and secondary DNS servers.

To specify if you want to use an encrypted (DNS over HTTPS) or unencrypted connection to the DNS server or servers you specify, for DNS over HTTPS , choose the setting you want:

Off : All DNS queries will be sent to the DNS server unencrypted in plaintext over HTTP.

On (automatic template) : DNS queries will be encrypted and sent to the DNS server over HTTPS. DNS queries will use the default settings for the automatic template or try to discover them automatically.

On (manual template) : DNS queries will be encrypted and sent to the DNS server over HTTPS. They’ll use the settings you enter in the DNS over HTTPS template box.

If you use DNS over HTTPS (automatic or manual template), turn Fallback to plaintext on or off:

When it’s turned on, a DNS query will be sent unencrypted if it can’t be sent over HTTPS.

When it’s turned off, a DNS query won’t be sent if it can’t be sent over HTTPS.

To specify IPv6 settings manually

Under  Edit network IP settings or Edit IP settings , choose  Manual , then turn on  IPv6 .

To specify an IP address, in the  IP address , Subnet prefix length , and  Gateway  boxes, type the IP address settings.

When you select  Automatic (DHCP) , the IP address settings and DNS server address setting are set automatically by your router or other access point (recommended).

When you select  Manual , you can manually set your IP address settings and DNS server address.

When you’re done, select  Save .

Note:  To install IPv4, run Command Prompt as an administrator, type netsh interface ipv4 install , and then press Enter .

Select Start   , then select Settings   > Network & Internet   .

For a Wi-Fi network, select Wi-Fi   > Manage known networks . Choose the network you want to change the settings for, then select Properties.

For an Ethernet network, select Ethernet , then select the Ethernet network you’re connected to.

Under IP assignment , select Edit .

Under Edit IP settings , select Automatic (DHCP) or Manual .

Under Edit IP settings , choose Manual , then turn on IPv4 .

To specify an IP address, in the IP address, Subnet prefix length , and Gateway boxes, type the IP address settings.

To specify a DNS server address, in the Preferred DNS and Alternate DNS boxes, type the addresses of the primary and secondary DNS servers.

Under Edit IP settings , choose Manual , then turn on IPv6 .

When you select Automatic (DHCP) , the IP address settings and DNS server address setting are set automatically by your router or other access point (recommended).

When you select Manual , you can manually set your IP address settings and DNS server address.

When you’re done, select Save .

In Windows 8.1, select the Start button, start typing View network connections , and then select View network connections in the list.

In Windows 7, open Network Connections by selecting the Start button, and then selecting Control Panel . In the search box, type adapter , and then, under Network and Sharing Center , select View network connections .

Right-click the connection that you want to change, and then select Properties . If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Select the Networking tab. Under This connection uses the following items , select either Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) , and then select Properties .

To specify IPv4 IP address settings, do one of the following:

To get IP settings automatically using DHCP, select Obtain an IP address automatically , and then select OK .

To specify an IP address, select Use the following IP address , and then, in the IP address, Subnet mask , and Default gateway boxes, type the IP address settings.

To specify IPv6 IP address settings, do one of the following:

To get IP settings automatically using DHCP, select Obtain an IPv6 address automatically , and then select OK .

To specify an IP address, select Use the following IPv6 address , and then, in the IPv6 address, Subnet prefix length , and Default gateway boxes, type the IP address settings.

To specify DNS server address settings, do one of the following:

To get a DNS server address automatically using DHCP, select Obtain DNS server address automatically , and then select OK .

To specify a DNS server address, select Use the following DNS server addresses , and then, in the Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server boxes, type the addresses of the primary and secondary DNS servers.

To change advanced DNS, WINS, and IP settings, select Advanced .

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TechDirectArchive

Hands-on on Windows, macOS, Linux, Azure, GCP, AWS

How does Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol work

Christian

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a client and server protocol that automatically provides an Internet Protocol (IP) host with its IP address and other related configuration information such as the subnet mask and default gateway. In this article, we shall discuss how does Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol works. Please see how to backup and restore a Windows DHCP Server via the DHCP Manager and PowerShell . Also, see WDS and DHCP Deployment Scenarios: Configure DHCP Options 60, 66, and 67 .

RFCs 2131 and 2132 define DHCP as an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard based on Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP), a protocol with which DHCP shares many implementation details. DHCP allows hosts to obtain required TCP/IP configuration information from a DHCP server.

Kindly refer to the following related guides:   Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol works , and  DHCP Icons: DHCP specific reference console icons . Information on  BOOTP Vendor Extensions and DHCP Options . And “how to fix we can’t sign you with this credential because your domain isn’t available:  Why Can’t I Connect with a 169.254 IP Address? “

DHCP Operation

When a device needs an IP address to communicate on the network. One way to assign an IP address to the device is to configure it statically. But if you are responsible for deploying a large infrastructure, configuring each device manually becomes impractical. Dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) is a way to automate the assignment of IP Addresses to the host.

DHCP communication

Step 1: DHCPDISCOVER

When a client boots up for the first time (or tries to join a new network). It needs to obtain an IP address to communicate. So it first transmits a DHCPDISCOVER message on its local subnet.

Because the client has no way of knowing the subnet to which it belongs. The DHCPDISCOVER is an all-subnets broadcast (destination IP address of 255.255.255.255, which is a layer 3 broadcast address) and a destination MAC address of FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF (which is a layer 2 broadcast address).

The client does not have a configured IP address, so the source IP address of 0.0.0.0 is used. The purpose of the DHCPDISCOVER  message is to try to find out a DHCP Server.

Please seehow to fix Can’t Sign In: Domain Unavailable & 169.254 IP Address Issue . You may want to see How to backup and restore a Windows DHCP Server via the DHCP Manager and PowerShell .

Step 2: DHCPOFFER

After receiving the discovery message, the DHCP Server will dynamically pick up an unassigned IP address from its IP pool. And then it broadcasts a  DHCPOFFER  message to the client (*) .

DHCPOFFER message could contain other information such as subnet mask, default gateway, IP address lease time, and domain name server (DNS).

Step 3: DHCPREQUEST

If the client accepts the offer, it then broadcasts a DHCPREQUEST message saying it will take this IP address. It is called request message because the client might deny the offer by requesting another IP address.

Notice that the DHCPREQUEST  message is still a broadcast message because the DHCP client has still not received an acknowledged IP. Also, a DHCP Client can receive DHCPOFFER messages from other DHCP Servers so sending broadcast DHCPREQUEST messages is also a way to inform other offers that have been rejected.

Step 4; DHCPACKNOWLEDGEMENT

With this understanding, let’s proceed to install the DHCP role on WS2019, see the following link for more information.

Please see how to install Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol on Windows Server 2019, and Configuring DHCP: Post-deployment of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol .

Benefits of DHCP

DHCP provides the following benefits listed below.

Reliable IP address configuration . DHCP minimizes configuration errors caused by manual IP address configuration, such as typographical errors, or address conflicts caused by the assignment of an IP address to more than one computer at the same time.

Reduced network administration . DHCP includes the following features to reduce network administration.

  • Centralised and automated TCP/IP configuration.
  • The ability to define TCP/IP configurations from a central location.
  • The ability to assign a full range of additional TCP/IP configuration values by means of DHCP options.
  • The efficient handling of IP address changes for clients that must be updated frequently, such as those for portable devices that move to different locations on a wireless network.
  • The forwarding of initial DHCP messages by using a DHCP relay agent which eliminates the need for a DHCP server on every subnet.

I hope you found this blog post on how Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol works helpful. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment session.

Thank you for reading this post. Kindly share it with others.

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How-To Geek

How to assign a static ip address in windows 10 or windows 11.

When organizing your home network it's easier to assign each computer it's own IP address than using DHCP. Here we will take a look at doing it in XP,

Quick Links

What is a static ip address, assign static ip addresses via your router, how to set a static ip address in windows 11, how to set a static ip address in windows 10, how to set a static ip address in windows 7 or 8 using "network connections", set a static ip address in windows vista, set a static ip address in windows xp, key takeaways.

  • To set a static IP address in Windows 10 or 11, open Settings -> Network & Internet and click Properties for your active network.
  • Choose the "Edit" button next to IP assignment and change the type to Manual.
  • Flip the IPv4 switch to "On", fill out your static IP details, and click Save.

Sometimes, it's better to assign a PC its own IP address rather than letting your router assign one automatically. Join us as we take a look at assigning a static IP address in Windows.

A static IP address is manually set to a permanent, fixed address rather than being assigned automatically by your router using a procotol known as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). DHCP is a handy way for devices to connect to your network more easily, because you don't have to configure IP addressing for each new device yourself. The downside to automatic addressing is that it's possible for a device's IP address to change from time to time, which is why people choose static IPs for certain types of devices. For example:

  • You have a device like a home media server that you want to be able to find using the same IP address or host name each time.
  • You have certain apps that can only connect to network devices using their IP address. In particular, many older networking apps suffer this limitation.
  • You forward ports through your router to devices on your network. Some routers play nice with port forwarding and dynamic IP addresses; others do not.

Whatever your reason, assigning static IP addresses to devices is not difficult, but you do have a choice to make---whether to do it from the router or on the device itself.

Related: How to Set a Static IP Address in Ubuntu

While this article covers assigning static IP addresses to PCs within Windows itself, there is another way to go about it. Many routers allow you to assign a pool of IP addresses that are handed out to specific devices (based on the device's physical, or MAC address). This method offers a couple of significant advantages:

  • IP addresses are still managed by the router, meaning that you won't have to make (and keep up with) changes on each individual device.
  • It's easier to assign addresses within the same IP address pool your router uses.

This article is about assigning static IP addresses directly to PCs running Windows. We've already got a great guide on How to Set Static IP Addresses On Your Router , so if that's the way you want to go, be sure to give it a read.

With all that in mind, though, let's take a look at how to assign static IP addresses within any version of Windows.

Related: How to Find Your Router's IP Address on Any Computer, Smartphone, or Tablet

To set a static IP address in Windows 11, you'll want to open Settings, go to Network & Internet, and then find the Properties for your network. Inside there you'll be able to click the Edit button for IP Assignment and then fill out the manual network details.

First, open up the Settings app and then find Network & Internet on the left-hand side. You'll be presented with a panel that shows your current network connection. You can click where it says "Properties" right underneath the network, or if you have multiple network connections you can drill down into the specific network to see the IP address details for each one . In this case it's called "Ethernet", but you will most likely see "Wi-Fi" as the option to choose.

Network & Internet Settings Windows 11

Once you've drilled down into the network connection that you want to set a manual IP for, scroll down until you see "IP Assignment" and then click the Edit button to the right.

Windows 11 Ethernet settings

Once there, you'll flip the drop-down to "Manual" and switch the IPv4 switch to "On". At this point you can fill out your network details and click Save to finish.

Windows 11 manual ip settings

You can also use the old-school Network Connections panel in Windows 11, so if you prefer to use that method, keep reading.

If you're interested in more advanced networking, you might need to set up a static TCP/IP route , reset the entire TCP/IP stack on Windows , check open TCP/IP ports , find your MAC address on Windows , or find your IP address from the Command Prompt . We've got you covered there too.

To set a static IP address in Windows 10, you'll need to open the Settings app and drill down to Network & Internet. From there you'll select Properties for your network, and then the Edit button next to IP Assignment where you can input a manual IP address.

First, open the Settings app and locate the Network & Internet button.

Windows 10 settings app

On the next screen you'll see your network status, which should show you your active network. Here you'll want to click the Properties button. If you have multiple different networks, you could select them from the left-hand menu---in our case you'll notice we have both Wi-Fi and Ethernet networks, so you'll want to pick the one that you are trying to set a manual IP address for. You'll notice this is the same method we use when we're trying to find an IP address on Windows 10 .

Windows 10 network & internet settings

On the network properties screen, scroll down until you see "IP settings" and click the Edit button under "IP assignment".

windows 10 network settings

In the resulting popup window, change the Edit IP settings dropdown to Manual and then flip the IPv4 switch to "On". Fill out the details, click Save, and you should be good to go.

Windows 10 manual ip settings

You might need to reboot to get all of your applications to work properly, just because it's Windows.

It's worth noting that you can use the old Network Connections method to set an IP address in any version of Windows, so if you prefer that method, keep reading.

To change the computer's IP address in Windows 7, you'll need to open the "Network Connections" window. Hit Windows+R, type "ncpa.cpl" into the Run box, and then hit Enter.

ip assignment dhcp

In the "Network Connections" window, right-click the adapter for which you want to set a static IP address, and then select the "Properties" command.

ip assignment dhcp

In the properties window for the adapter, select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and then click the "Properties" button.

ip assignment dhcp

Select the "Use the following IP address" option, and then type in the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway that corresponds with your network setup. Next, type in your preferred and alternate DNS server addresses. Finally, select the "Validate settings upon exit" option so that Windows immediately checks your new IP address and corresponding information to ensure that it works. When you're ready, click the "OK" button.

ip assignment dhcp

And then close out of the network adapter's properties window.

ip assignment dhcp

Windows automatically runs network diagnostics to verify that the connection is good. If there are problems, Windows will give you the option of running the Network troubleshooting wizard. However, if you do run into trouble, the wizard likely won't do you too much good. It's better to check that your settings are valid and try again.

Changing your IP from DHCP to a Static address in Vista is similar to other versions of Windows, but getting to the correct location is a bit different. Open the Start Menu, right-click on Network, and select Properties.

ip assignment dhcp

The Network and Sharing Center opens...click on Manage network connections.

ip assignment dhcp

Right-click on the network adapter you want to assign an IP address and click Properties.

ip assignment dhcp

Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) then click the Properties button.

sshot-2010-06-06-[02-49-46]

Now change the IP, Subnet mask, Default Gateway, and DNS Server Addresses. When you're finished click OK.

sshot-2010-06-06-[02-51-04]

You'll need to close out of Local Area Connection Properties for the settings to go into effect.

sshot-2010-06-06-[02-51-16]

Open the Command Prompt and use the

command to verify that the changes were successful.

sshot-2010-06-06-[02-52-29]

To set a Static IP in Windows XP, right-click the "My Network Places" icon, and then select "Properties."

ip assignment dhcp

Right-click the adapter for which you want to set the IP, and then select "Properties" from the context menu.

ip assignment dhcp

Select the "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" entry, and then click the "Properties" button.

sshot-2010-06-05-[22-27-58]

Select the "Use the following IP address" option. Type in the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server addresses you want to use. When you're finished, click the "OK" button.

sshot-2010-06-05-[22-28-15]

You will need to close out of the adapter's properties window before the changes go into effect.

sshot-2010-06-05-[22-29-15]

And you can verify your new settings by using the

 command at the command prompt.

sshot-2010-06-05-[22-37-10]

By and large, it's better to let most of your devices have their IP addresses assigned automatically by your router. Occasionally, though, you might want to set a static IP address for a particular device. While you can set static IP addresses directly on your devices (and this article has shown you how to do just that on Windows PCs), we still recommending setting up static IP addressing on your router if possible. It will just make life easier.

Related: How to Find Any Device's IP Address, MAC Address, and Other Network Connection Details

Homenet Howto

Giving the computer an IP address

A computer needs the following information to function properly on a computer network:

  • Subnet Mask
  • IP address of a Default Gateway (router)
  • IP address of a DNS server

There are two ways that a computer can obtain those details. Either automatically, or via manual configuration.

DHCP – automatic assignment of IP addresses

In a home network, the router usually decides how the LAN should work. The router will forward traffic between the clients on the LAN and also between the LAN and the Internet.

With that in mind, it is only natural that the router also hands out IP addresses and other necessary information to the computers on the network. This is done via DHCP , which stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. In other words, it is a protocol to automatically hand out configuration to computers and other devices on the network.

Usually when you receive your home router it is already pre-configured with a DHCP server to hand out configuration to your computers and other devices. The router is also prepared so that the addresses that the router hands out via DHCP is on the same IP network as the router’s LAN IP address. This is necessary for the clients to be able to use the router as their Default Gateway.

When a computer connects to a network it will try to ask for an IP address. This is done by sending out a DHCP request where it asks if there are any available DHCP servers on the network. If any DHCP server responds then the computer will use DHCP to ask for an IP address and all the other necessary information it needs from the DHCP server.

So when your router sees this DHCP request it will hand out an available IP address from its pool of free IP addresses, together with the other details that the computer needs.

In the above example, the router’s DHCP server has a pool of available IP addresses starting with 192.168.1.2 and going all the way up to 192.168.1.254. The router will hand out the first available IP address from that pool and will mark the address as “ leased”  so that it does not hand out the same IP address to any other client on the network.

All clients on the LAN will receive the same Subnet Mask, Default Gateway and DNS Server settings from the DHCP server since those details are common to all clients.

Manual configuration of an IP address

Instead of letting the computer obtain its IP address from the router via DHCP you can choose to manually configure the IP settings on the computer. Normally this is avoided since it can cause a few different problems unless it is handled properly by the administrator, which is you.

When and why would you need to manually configure an IP address on a client?

If a computer obtains its IP address automatically via DHCP then it is not certain that the computer will obtain the same IP address each and every time you start the computer. The DHCP server remembers which computer that has gotten which IP address, but only for a certain amount of time. If a computer is powered off for too long (often a day or two, depending on how the router is configured) then the DHCP server will forget which IP address that it handed out to the computer. Also, if the router is powered off for any reason then it will typically forget about any DHCP leases it has previously handed out.

In some special cases, this could lead to problems. One such example is if you have had to make a Port Forward (a subject which is discussed in further details in other parts of this guide). Port forwards often point to an internal LAN IP address of a computer. As long as the computer keeps the same IP address the Port Forward will work. But if the computer changes IP addresses every so often, then after each IP address change the Port Forward must be updated in the router configuration.

In that situation, it is often recommended to configure the computer that should receive the Port Forward manually with an IP address. That way the IP address will always stay the same and the Port Forward keeps working.

When you configure an IP address manually on a computer you need to configure the same settings that a computer normally receives via DHCP:

  • An available IP address on the same IP network as the router
  • The same Subnet Mask that the router is using
  • Default Gateway, which should be set to the LAN IP address of the router
  • DNS Server address – either the router LAN IP address or another DNS server on the Internet. You may use the same address that the router normally hands out via DHCP

IP address conflicts

If you choose to manually configure an IP address on a computer, then you also should make sure to exclude that IP address from the pool of DHCP addresses in your home router. Otherwise the router might hand out the same IP address to some other computer on the network.

Using the street address analogy again, if two houses on the same street for some reason had the exact same house number, then the confusion would be great. Some packages and letters would end up at the correct house whereas others would end up at the wrong place. It would very much be hit and miss with a big random element to it.

The same thing would happen on a computer network where two devices were configured to use the exact same IP address. You then have an IP address conflict on the network, and the result is basically that communication stops working for the involved clients. Network communication simply does not work if only approximately half of the traffic ends up in at the correct place.

In modern networks and with newer operating systems the computers will try to avoid IP address conflicts by checking first if the IP address seems to be taken already. But even then only the first computer that obtains the IP address will work correctly. The second computer that accidentally is given the same IP address as the first one will notice the IP address conflict and will then simply avoid talking on the network until it has been given another IP address.

Previous Topic

Configuring DHCP Server for Client IP Assignment

The DHCP server is a built-in server, used for networks in which clients are assigned IP address by the Virtual Controller. You can customize the DHCP pool subnet and address range to provide simultaneous access to more number of clients. The largest address pool supported is 2048. The default size of the IP address pool is 512.

You can configure a domain name, DNS server and DHCP server for client IP assignment using Instant UI or CLI.

In the Instant UI

To configure a DHCP pool:

(Instant Access Point)(config)# ip dhcp pool

(Instant Access Point)(DHCP)# domain-name <domain>

(Instant Access Point)(DHCP)# dns-server <DNS-IP-address>

(Instant Access Point)(DHCP)# lease-time <lease-time>

(Instant Access Point)(DHCP)# subnet <IP-address>

(Instant Access Point)(DHCP)# subnet-mask <subnet-mask>

To view the DHCP database:

(Instant Access Point)# show ip dhcp database

DHCP Subnet :192.0.2.0

DHCP Netmask :255.255.255.0

DHCP Lease Time(m) :20

DHCP Domain Name :example.com

DHCP DNS Server :192.0.2.1

[Wireless Router] How to manually assign IP around the DHCP list?

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In general, the device connected to ASUS router will receive a dynamic private IP address from router DHCP server, like 192.168.1.3.  However, if you want to share files in a computer to other devices, then you might need a manual assign IP function to set a static IP for the computer so you don't need to search and confirm the IP address of the computer every time when you want to access it.

To assign a fixed IP address for your devices, you may follow the steps below.

Method1 : You can assign a fixed IP address from your device's network card. (For how to configure the built-in network card of your device, please contact the device manufacturer.)

Method2: Set up a fixed IP for device via ASUS router DHCP server.

Step1 .  Connect your computer to ASUS router via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable.

    Note : Wired connection is recommend to avoid setup interruptions due to unstable wireless network signals

ip assignment dhcp

Step2:  Open a web browser and navigate to Web GUI. http://www.asusrouter.com

ip assignment dhcp

Step3:   Enter your login username and password on the login page and then click [ Sign In ]. 

ip assignment dhcp

     Note:  If you forget the user name and/or password, please restore the router to the factory default status and setup. (The default username and password is admin/admin).   

   Please refer to  [Wireless Router] How to reset the router to factory default setting?   for how to restore the router to default status.

Step 4 : Go to [ Advanced Settings ] > [ LAN ] > [ DHCP server ], you can find the IP address range of RT-AX92U is 192.168.50.2 ~ 192.168.50.254.

ip assignment dhcp

Step5:  Find [Enable Manual Assignment] and click [Yes] to enable manual assign function.

ip assignment dhcp

   

Step6:   In Manually Assigned IP area, please fill in the device MAC address and the IP address binding to this device only.

     Client Name (MAC Address) :Use the dropdown list to choose the device or manual enter the device's MAC address.

     IP address :Enter the IP address that you want to bind to this device.  Please make sure the IP address needs to be in the IP pool of your DHCP server.

                         For example, if the IP pool of your router’s DHCP server is 192.168.50.2~192.168.50.254​, you should enter an IP address within this range, like 192.168.50.75.

     DNS server (Optional) :Default is blank. You can enter the preferred DNS server if needed.

ip assignment dhcp

Step7:   Click the "+" icon and the [Apply] button to complete the setting.

ip assignment dhcp

Step8:  You will be direct to DHCP page if the setting is completed. Please make sure the rule you just set does show up in the manual assign IP list and MAC address/IP address are correct.

ip assignment dhcp

1. What is DHCP server?

   A DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server in ASUS router can provide user's devices a private IP address, Subnet mask, Default gateway, DNS server that user does not need to manual assign IP for devices.

2. Why can't I manual assign IP to my device successfully after following the steps?

    a. Please make sure you've set and apply the rule successfully and you can see the rule show up in the manual assign IP list.

    b. Please make sure the device MAC address is correct.     c. Please make sure your device's network card is set to obtain IP automatically.     d. Please upgrade your router to latest firmware and reset your router to default status and try again from Step1.

    For how to do firmware upgrade, please refer to: [Wireless] How to update the firmware of your router to the latest version ?

    For how to reset router, please refer to:  [Wireless Router] How to reset the router to factory default setting?

3. Can I change to the IP address after rule is set?

    No. If you want to assign a different IP address for same device, you need to click the delete button to remove this rule and apply the setting first then back to Step4  to set a new rule again.

ip assignment dhcp

How to get the (Utility / Firmware)?

You can download the latest drivers, software, firmware and user manuals in the  ASUS Download Center .

If you need more information about the  ASUS Download Center , please refer this  link .

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Static IP Address assignment vs DHCP address assignment

I manage a small-ish network that consists of less than 70 nodes. The previous system administrators opted to have a dhcp server and manually set dhcp addess.

I have opted to rather use dhcp address assignment instead of static address assignment except for my domain controllers and EXS hosts. I have been critised for following this scheme, but its way easy for me to manage the address scope with out having to scan the network for available ip addresses. Am i on the right track or have i lost the plot?

masegaloeh's user avatar

7 Answers 7

Why were you criticised for doing it that way? I mean I think it's crazy not to use DHCP for workstations at least, but maybe there is something specific to the environment that changes that equation.

The only issue I can see with DHCP is ensuring that your scope is properly created and doesn't cross over with the pool of static addresses you use (even that can be got around with reservations but its more work than needed).

That aside, users should never ever need to know whether or not you use DHCP because their workstation should 'just work', except for when the DHCP server is not available (and if that's an issue, you just have more than one DHCP server online).

EDIT: Convict makes a good point about documentation, make sure you do have the IP address ranges documented, explaining what you've done, why and how to find it. I don't think people are comfortable with the idea that some tools are "self documenting" (and to an extent they might have a point, how would you easily re-create your DHCP database with all your reservations, if you couldn't restore from backup?).

Rob Moir's user avatar

  • I too am seriously curious! What reasons were given for this criticism? –  quux Jun 10, 2009 at 8:21
  • previous network admins assignment addresses in the dhcp pool to servers, without excluding those addresses. Since 95% of the computers are infact servers offering custom applications i prefer to assign these 'servers' addresses by way of dhcp reservation –  biosFF Jun 10, 2009 at 8:27
  • @biosff - well the way you're doing things there certainly makes sense. I'm still boggling at the idea you'd get criticised for it, few of our users know or care about whether we use DHCP or a dartboard to assign and manage IP addresses and as long as things work they don't care either! –  Rob Moir Jun 10, 2009 at 8:49
  • 1 The documentation is the DHCP database, IMHO. You should back it up and test restoring it. Why keep separate documentation that will fall out of date when you can use the database / config file that drives the DHCP server as the authoritative documentation? –  Evan Anderson Jun 10, 2009 at 12:03
  • Evan, I'm inclined to agree but that makes people who don't understand that uncomfortable. At the very least you need to write a puff piece of documentation explaining what you've done and where to look and how to pick it all up. –  Rob Moir Jun 10, 2009 at 12:31

Yes, I think you're on the right track.

I suspect that you're being criticised because ...

of the lack of documentation about your network, rather than your choice of technology to assign an IP address;

you're doing IP address assignment differently to the way it's always been done . You're challenging the status quo.

Ask more questions to find out the real reason for the criticism. You may have to teach your detractors about DHCP and its benefits to your network administration.

People will come around to your way of configuring the network once they see how much easier it is to add another workstation to the network when the IP address is allocated by DHCP. DHCP should mean the end of those pesky duplicate IP address allocation errors that have plagued your network in the past.

Convict's user avatar

When you say the previous administrators "manually set DHCP address" do you mean static assignments?

If so, this is generally the easier way to manage pools of workstations on a LAN. Statically tie each machine's MAC address to a specific IP and deliver them by DHCP. You get the trade off of knowing exactly where each machine is and being able to change the assignments without visiting each discrete machine.

Dan Carley's user avatar

Adding my vote to DHCP all the way. I can't understand why someone would criticise you for suggesting this, the whole point is to make it easier to manage the address scope, and as soon as you have more than 5 or so workstations, it makes sense.

Maximus Minimus's user avatar

About the critics: there are still people around, that don't know DHCP with StaticIP via the MAC-Adress. They think, that DHCP = CHAOS, so you better tell em whats really in the bag.

I also can recommend different IP-ranges, something like this:

1-9 important Servers (static) 10-99 misc. Servers (static) 100-150 Sales & Marketing (DHCP with MAC) 151-200 Developers (DHCP with MAC) 200-253 Tech.Stuff (DHCP with MAC)

Another vote for DHCP is, that you can handle all IPs from one, central instance.

Phil Swiss's user avatar

  • 1 Tee-hee... I remember when I "cared" what host portions of their IP address were assigned to certain kinds of computers, devices, etc. I'm glad I let go of that. (Which network portion that gets assigned matters a lot, and is related to the VLAN the host lives in. As far as host portions of IP addresses, though, I couldn't care less. I have dynamic DNS, reverse lookup zones, and DHCP reservations... the host portion of the IP address is meaningless to me.) –  Evan Anderson Jun 10, 2009 at 12:05

DHCP is by far the best choice as soon as you have more than a few stations.

Static entries should be for servers and communication devices.

I use IP range: Static .1 - .50 for servers, printers, routers, etc. DHCP .51 - .150 for workstations

Jindrich's user avatar

  • 1 "Static" and "DHCP" are not exclusive. It is very common to use DHCP to deliver static addresses (see mh's reply). –  bortzmeyer Jun 10, 2009 at 19:58

One possible disadvantage to this is that it introduces a startup order dependancy: things which DHCP need to wait for the DHCP server to come up.

pjc50's user avatar

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ip assignment dhcp

ip assignment dhcp

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Cisco Meraki Documentation

SSID Modes for Client IP Assignment

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The Client IP assignment section of the Wireless >  Configure > Access control  page controls how clients will be placed on the wired network and receive an IP address when associating.

This article describes each of the client IP assignment options available, how they impact clients, and recommended use cases.

Bridge Mode

In bridge mode, the Meraki APs act as bridges, allowing wireless clients to obtain their IP addresses from an upstream DHCP server.

Bridge mode should be enabled when any of the following is true:

  • Wired and wireless clients in the network need to reach each other (e.g., a wireless laptop needs to discover the IP address of a network printer, or wired desktop needs to connect to a wireless surveillance camera)
  • Layer 2 multicast and broadcast packets (e.g., ARP, Bonjour) need to propagate in a limited manner to both wired and wireless clients for device discovery, networking, etc.
  • The wireless network needs to support legacy VPN clients (i.e., those that do not support NAT Traversal)
  • Wired and wireless clients need to have IP addresses in the same subnet for monitoring and/or access control reasons (e.g., a web gateway in the network allows/denies internet access based on the client’s IP address)
  • Wireless traffic needs to be VLAN-tagged between the Meraki AP and the upstream wired infrastructure 
  • If IPv6 is used on the network; see the article on IPv6 bridging for more information

The implications of enabling bridge mode are as follows:

An administrator cannot enable  adult content filtering  on the SSID; it is disabled by bridge mode using the DNS server(s) advertised by the network’s DHCP server because the feature is DNS-based

Multiple DHCP servers are allowed, but they must assign IP addresses to wireless clients from the same subnet; this enables the IP addresses to be routed by the LAN, to which the Meraki APs are connected

Bridge mode works well in most circumstances, particularly for seamless roaming , and is the simplest option to put wireless clients on the LAN. Layer 3/7 firewall rules and traffic shaping can be used to restrict client traffic before it can reach the wired network, and VLAN tagging can be used to put wireless clients on a specific subnet upstream.

In the example below, note that the source IP address of the client traffic remains the same after transparently passing through the access point.

4e213038-abda-45ad-be2a-027a6e107243-2.png

Additional Info

For information on how to apply VLAN tags to wireless client traffic with a bridge SSID, please refer to our  VLAN Tagging on MR Access Points  documentation.

In NAT mode, Meraki APs run as DHCP servers to assign IP addresses to wireless clients out of a private 10.x.x.x IP address pool behind a NAT.

NAT mode should be enabled when any of the following is true:

  • Wireless clients associated to the SSID only require internet access, not access to local wired or wireless resources 

There is no DHCP server on the LAN that can assign IP addresses to wireless clients

There is a DHCP server on the LAN, but it does not have enough IP addresses to assign to wireless clients

The implications of enabling NAT mode are as follows:

  • Devices outside of the wireless network cannot initiate a connection to a wireless client
  • Wireless clients cannot use layer 2 discovery protocols to find other devices on either the wired or wireless network
  • Legacy VPN clients (i.e., those that do not support NAT Traversal) may not be able to establish IPSec tunnels over the wireless network. (One workaround is to upgrade the VPN client or configure the VPN client to establish an IPSec tunnel over TCP, e.g. SSL) 
  • VLAN Tagging  wireless traffic is not supported in NAT mode 

Please note that each AP will NAT to its own management IP address. As a result, LAN flows will be interrupted when the client roams between APs.

The DHCP service for NAT mode will only hand out addresses in the 10.0.0.0/8 subnet. SSIDs in NAT mode can still be used on wired networks already using a 10.x.x.x address space, however clients on the NAT SSID may be unable to communicate with these networks.

NAT mode works well for providing a wireless guest network since it puts clients on a private wireless network with automatic addressing. Layer 3 firewall rules can also be used to quickly limit or block access to network resources.

In this example, note that while the client has an address in the 10.0.0.0/8 network, the source IP is altered to the IP address of the access point upon entering the LAN.

8956ab55-d799-4e86-a05e-29bca8cac2ad-1-1.png

For more information on NAT mode, please refer to our documentation:

  • NAT Mode with Meraki DHCP
  • DNS and NAT Mode

Layer 3 Roaming

Layer 3 roaming is a built-in feature that allows seamless roaming even when changing to an AP that is hosted in a different VLAN. This feature doesn't require a concentrator which eliminates bottlenecks within the network, and allows the client device to retain the same IP address it received on the starting AP. The access points will create a connection from the current AP back to the starting AP if the originating VLAN is not present on the target AP. This connection then tunnels traffic back to the starting AP where the original VLAN exists. Configure distributed layer 3 roaming on the Access Control page.

The layer 3 roaming test will alert of any potential upstream network issues that may prevent the feature from establishing tunnels between access points. 

Distributed layer 3 roaming is best for large networks with a large number of mobile clients. This mode will provide a more seamless experience for client devices, ensuring they effectively roam between access points that are in different layer 3 boundaries on the network.  

L3R.PNG

In this example, the client initially connects at point 1 where its traffic is bridged onto the network. As the client roams to points 2 and 3, and associates to new access points, those access points will first tunnel the traffic back to the initial AP, and then bridge onto the network. All tunneling is done directly between APs.

6b26666b-8d2a-442b-b7ed-4d9a30a01d40-1-1.png

Additional Resources

Please refer to our Layer 3 roaming best practices  documentation for additional information. 

Layer 3 Roaming with a Concentrator

Layer 3 roaming allows a client device to maintain a consistent IP address as it roams across APs located in different VLANs. By maintaining a consistent IP address, a client can ensure uninterrupted access to latency-sensitive applications, such as VoIP.

It is possible to enable layer 3 roaming for Meraki MR access points by creating a secure mobility tunnel from each access point to a mobility concentrator, which can be either a VPN concentrator or an MX security appliance. More information on layer 3 roaming architecture is available in the Meraki  Layer 3 Roaming Solution Guide .

Layer 3 roaming with a concentrator is most helpful for networks with a moderate number of mobile clients. This mode will provide a more seamless experience. 

In this example, the client initially connects at point 1, then roams to points 2 and 3. At each point, the client's traffic is tunneled to the concentrator then bridged onto the network. 

08b30835-318a-4d14-80f8-49b33ec58514-1-1.png

Configuring a Mobility Concentrator

It is possible to configure an MX security appliance to act as a mobility concentrator for layer 3 roaming. Refer to the instructions regarding the MX security appliance .

Once your mobility concentrator is online and connected to the network, be sure to place the MX or VPN concentrator in passthrough mode :

Passthrough mode.png

Setting the SSID to Layer 3 Roaming

After configuring a mobility concentrator, an SSID can be configured to concentrate traffic:

  • Create an SSID to be used for layer 3 roaming on the Wireless > Configure > SSIDs  page.
  • On  Wireless > Configure > Access control > Client IP and VLAN , select External DHCP server assigned  and then click  Tunneled .
  • Select the previously created mobility concentrator in the Concentrator  menu.
  • Layer 3 roaming clients can optionally be tagged with a specific VLAN in the  VLAN tagging ID  field.

L3R with conc.PNG

VPN - Tunnel Data to a Concentrator

Meraki Teleworker VPN enables administrators to extend the corporate LAN to employees at remote sites with Meraki APs without requiring client devices to have client VPN software installed and running. The experience of wireless clients connected to remote APs will be the same as if they were on-site at headquarters with full corporate network access.  

The SSID can be configured to be in full-tunnel or split-tunnel mode depending on the targeted network design:

vpn conc.PNG

Teleworker VPN can be used to connect small branch offices, teleworker or executive home offices, temporary site offices (eg. construction sites), and traveling employees on the road back to the corporate LAN and provide access to resources back at headquarters. 

In this example, the client's traffic is passed through the secure VPN tunnel over the internet to the VPN concentrator before being bridged onto the network.

21d4a26d-f29f-4b1d-ba6b-47aaebc8fe38-1.png

Security.org

What Is a Static IP Address?

I f you’ve done any research on internet protocol (IP) addresses, then chances are you’ve run into the term “static IP address.” Static means unchanging, but is that a good or a bad thing for your overall digital security? We’ll break down what a static IP address is and figure out if it’s right for your devices.

A static IP address is an IP address that stays the same. Typically, users create static IP addresses manually; internet service providers, or ISPs, can assign them, as well. Static IP addresses can be either IPv4 or IPv6, although as of now, IPv4 is much more common.

Your private information

My ip address.

20.237.210.148

Unprotected

My IP Information

Internet provider:

MICROSOFT-CORP-MSN-AS-BLOCK

Region/ State:

Hide my IP address

View IP Details

Browser name:

Browser version:

Device brand:

Device type:

Postal code:

  • Better support for DNS
  • Better for voice and video communications that use VoIP
  • Better for geolocation services, like changing your Tinder location
  • Easier to hack
  • Makes you easier to locate and track
  • Higher cost

What Is an IP Address?

If you’re not sure what an IP address is, we’ve got you covered. “IP” stands for “internet protocol,” and it’s a device’s identifying number both within a computer network and outside of that network. Think of an IP address like a street address that lets people send letters to each other, but in this case it’s data. IP addresses reveal the user’s approximate physical location including their city and ZIP code.

» Learn about: How to find your IP address

What Is a Dynamic IP Address?

The opposite of a static IP address is a dynamic IP address, one that changes periodically. A Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server assigns dynamic IP addresses automatically; after a period of time, they expire and get replaced.

  • Makes you harder to follow online
  • No need to change your IP address manually
  • Bad for DNS servers
  • Less accurate geolocation information
  • Websites won’t remember who you are

Static vs. Dynamic IP Addresses

Now, let’s put static and dynamic IP addresses head to head. Both show a user’s approximate geolocation, but they’re useful for different purposes.

When You Need a Static IP Address

To be blunt, you won’t need a static IP address most of the time, except for websites that need to remember your IP address. If you have a business with your own website or internet service and employees working from home, use a static IP address along with a business VPN . This will help your employees work from home safely .

When You Need a Dynamic IP Address

For everything else, there are dynamic IP addresses, the choice of most consumers. Since dynamic IP addresses make it harder to track you online, they’re the default option the majority of the time.

» Learn more: How to get a US IP address

Which Type of IP Address Do You Have?

Finding your IP address is easy, whether you need to find your printer’s IP address , find your Roku’s IP address , or find your router’s IP address . We’ve included instructions for the major operating systems below.

Follow these steps to check your Mac’s IP address :

  • Open the System Settings…
  • Select Network.
  • Select your Wi-Fi network.
  • Click Details…
  • Your internal IP address should then be listed.

PC (Windows 11)

Find your Windows computer’s IP address:

  • Click on the Taskbar.
  • Click Wi-Fi Network.
  • Click Select Network.
  • Select Properties.
  • Look under IPv4 Address for your IP Address.

To find your Android device’s IP:

  • Open your Android Settings.
  • Click About.
  • Click Status.
  • Click IP Address.

And last but not least, to find your iPhone’s IP address :

  • Open Settings.
  • Click Wi-Fi.
  • Under the lowercase i, click Network.
  • You’ll find your IP address under IPv4 Address.

Is It Hard to Change Your IP Address?

Once you’ve found it, changing your IP address isn’t hard. You can use a number of methods, but installing a VPN is the easiest option. But don’t worry; we’ll get to that soon.

How to Get a Dynamic IP Address

Now, to change your IP address (and change it again and again), we recommend using a VPN with dynamic IP addresses. However, although there are free VPNs as well as free trial VPNs , you’ll probably have to pay for a VPN in the long term. If that doesn’t work for you, we’ve provided some other options.

» Further Reading: Learn how to get a UK IP address

VPNs hide your IP address and change it periodically. Additionally, VPNs hide your browsing history for some added privacy, if that’s your reason for using a VPN .

Look for a VPN with dynamic IP addresses; we suggest ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, or IPVanish, to name a few. Learn more in our ExpressVPN review , Private Internet Access review , or IPVanish review . Once you’ve picked out a VPN:

  • Download the VPN from your app store.
  • Complete the installation process as guided.
  • Connect to a server. Your IP address will change automatically.

Another way to get dynamic IP addresses is to use Tor as your web browser. Tor is a free and open-source secure browser that isolates each website, clearing the cookies as soon as you move onto the next one. By changing your IP address and device information, Tor makes all users look the same, encrypting their IPs and web activity three times. You can download Tor for macOS, Linux, Android, or PC on the Tor Project website. 2

Proxy Servers

If you want to change your IP address only and don’t care about your web activity being hidden, you can use a proxy server in lieu of a VPN. Here’s how.

  • Open Safari.
  • Click Settings.
  • Click Advanced.
  • Under the Proxies section, click Change Settings.
  • Update your settings with the necessary information that was provided to you.
  • Open your Settings.
  • Click Network & internet.
  • Click Proxy.
  • Click Set up under the automatic or manual section.
  • Enter your proxy information.

Click Save.

  • Select the lowercase i, in the WiFi section.
  • Scroll to HTTP Proxy section.
  • Click Manual.
  • Change the setting from Off to Manual.
  • Enter in the Server and Port information needed.
  • Tap Settings.
  • Tap Connections.
  • Tap Settings next to the network name.
  • Tap View More.
  • Tap Proxy, then select Manual.
  • Enter your proxy port and hostname.
NOTE: Proxy servers encrypt your IP address only; your ISP will still be able to see everything you’ve done online.

How to Set up a DHCP Reservation

If you’ve ever tried to print wirelessly, then you know how hard it can be to connect your computer to your printer. That’s probably because your printer’s IP address keeps changing. So to combat this issue, some people set up DHCP reservations, which tell your Wi-Fi network to assign a device the same IP address every time. How to set up a DHCP reservation depends on the operating system, but if you use Google Home:

  • Open the Google Home app.
  • Click Advanced Networking.
  • Click DHCP IP Reservations.
  • Click the plus sign to add IP reservations.
  • Click the device you want to assign a static IP address.
  • Enter the static IP address.
  • Click Save. 3

How to Protect Your IP Address

The most surefire way to protect your IP address is to use a VPN, but you could also use a proxy server or the Tor browser, as we detailed above. If someone has your IP address along with your personally identifiable information , or PII, they could steal your identity , which is why it’s best to keep your IP addresses hidden .

And there you have it: everything you ever wanted to know about static IP addresses and more. But if we still haven’t answered your burning questions, keep reading below or check out our VPN how-to guides for even more information.

Laptop Computer with Windows

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  1. DHCP

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  2. DHCP and manual IP address configuration

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  3. What is DHCP? It assigns IP addresses dynamically

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  4. What is Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and How it Works

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  5. What Is DHCP? A Simple Guide To Understanding IP Address Assignment

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  6. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

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  3. 3 DHCP SERVER

  4. DHCP, DNS CCNA Training-May 25 2023

  5. How Client can request IP from DHCP server

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COMMENTS

  1. Assigning a fixed IP address to a machine in a DHCP network

    Currently, the DHCP address of the server is something like 192.168.1.66. Should I simply assign the server this same IP as fixed and configure the router so that it will exclude this IP from the ones available for DHCP? Or are there some ranges of IP that are traditionally reserved for static addresses?

  2. What Is DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)?

    DHCP automates the process of assigning IP addresses to devices connecting to a network, making it easier to connect multiple devices. DHCP allows you to control the range of IP addresses available for use, ensuring you can limit the number of devices connected to your network.

  3. Static and dynamic IP address configurations for DHCP

    IP address configuration is one of the most critical, if simple, settings on your network devices. Workstations, servers, routers, and other components must have properly assigned IP address settings to participate on the network. This two-part article series covers static and dynamic IP address settings and the configuration of a DHCP server.

  4. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

    Internet protocol suite Application layer BGP DHCP ( v6) DNS FTP HTTP ( HTTP/3) HTTPS IMAP IRC LDAP MGCP MQTT NNTP NTP OSPF POP PTP ONC/RPC RTP RTSP RIP SIP SMTP SNMP SSH Telnet TLS/SSL XMPP more... Transport layer TCP UDP DCCP SCTP RSVP QUIC more...

  5. What is DHCP? It assigns IP addresses dynamically

    The answer to "What is DHCP?" is that it's the standard mechanism to dynamically assign IP addresses within a network. It stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. IP, or Internet Protocol, addressing is a logical means of assigning addresses to devices on a network. Each device connected to a network requires a unique IP address.

  6. How DHCP server dynamically assigns IP address to a host?

    Say a Network administrator might assign an IP address that was already assigned. Thus, causing difficulty for both administrators as well as neighbors on the network. So, here comes the use of the DHCP server. Before discussing how the DHCP server works, let's go through the DHCP entities. Configuring a host using DHCP :

  7. What Is DHCP and How Does It Work?

    DHCP is a client-server protocol — a way for humans to get information from websites. You are the client in this interaction, and you communicate with a DHCP server. Network admins use DHCP servers to set up rules for assigning clients (that's you) an IP address. These rules could be:

  8. Automate Assigning IP Addresses Using DHCP

    Automate Assigning IP Addresses Using DHCP Welcome to the 100% online school for careers with a future. Get free access to all the features of this course (quizzes, videos, unlimited access to all chapters) by creating an account. Create an account or log in Discover the Advantages of DHCP Servers

  9. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

    A DHCP-enabled client, upon accepting a lease offer, receives: A valid IP address for the subnet to which it is connecting. Requested DHCP options, which are additional parameters that a DHCP server is configured to assign to clients. Some examples of DHCP options are Router (default gateway), DNS Servers, and DNS Domain Name. Benefits of DHCP

  10. What Is a Dynamic IP Address?

    A dynamic IP address is an IP address that's automatically assigned to each connection, or node, of a network, like your smartphone, computer, or tablet. This automatic assignment of IP addresses is accomplished by a DHCP server. A DHCP-server-assigned IP address is called dynamic because it will often be different on future connections to the ...

  11. How to Set Up Static DHCP So Your Computer's IP Address ...

    Here, my range of IPs would be 192.168.1.100 - 192.168.1.114. Now, click on the Services tab up top. Under the DHCP Server section, you can see that there's a list of "Static Leases" click on the Add button to add a new one. Enter the MAC address of each computer, give each one a name so you know which is which, and then assign them an ...

  12. Step-by-Step: Configure DHCP Using Policy-based Assignment

    The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server role in Windows Server 2012 introduced a new policy based IP address assignment feature. Policy based assignment (PBA) allows an administrator to group DHCP clients by specific attributes based on fields contained in the DHCP client request packet.

  13. Change TCP/IP settings

    Select Settings > Network & internet. Do one of the following: For a Wi-Fi network, select Wi-Fi > Manage known networks. Choose the network for which you want to change the settings. For an Ethernet network, select Ethernet, then select the Ethernet network you're connected to. Next to IP assignment, select Edit.

  14. What Is DHCP

    What Is DHCP - Overview of IP Address Assignment In today's world, it's more important than ever for devices to be efficiently networked once they connect. DHCP, meaning Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, is the mechanism for ensuring that devices can coexist on networks to which they're joined.

  15. List Assigned DHCP IP Addresses

    1. Overview In this tutorial, we'll learn commands that we can use to ask the DHCPD server to list assigned DHCP IP addresses. Before checking them out, we'll discuss what DHCP is and its significance. 2. DHCP and DHCP IP Addresses

  16. How does Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol work

    Dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) is a way to automate the assignment of IP Addresses to the host. Here is a screenshoot of a DHCP communication below. Step 1: DHCPDISCOVER When a client boots up for the first time (or tries to join a new network). It needs to obtain an IP address to communicate.

  17. How to Assign a Static IP Address in Windows 10 or Windows 11

    To set a static IP address in Windows 10 or 11, open Settings -> Network & Internet and click Properties for your active network. Choose the "Edit" button next to IP assignment and change the type to Manual. Flip the IPv4 switch to "On", fill out your static IP details, and click Save.

  18. DHCP and manual IP address configuration

    DHCP - automatic assignment of IP addresses In a home network, the router usually decides how the LAN should work. The router will forward traffic between the clients on the LAN and also between the LAN and the Internet.

  19. Configuring DHCP Server for Client IP Assignment

    When the DHCP server is configured and if the Client IP assignment parameter for an SSID profile is set to Virtual Controller Assigned, the Virtual Controller assigns the IP addresses to the WLAN or wired clients.By default, the IAP automatically determines a suitable DHCP pool for Virtual Controller Assigned networks. In the current release, the IAP typically selects the 172.31.98./23 subnet.

  20. [Wireless Router] How to manually assign IP around the DHCP list?

    1. What is DHCP server? A DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server in ASUS router can provide user's devices a private IP address, Subnet mask, Default gateway, DNS server that user does not need to manual assign IP for devices. 2. Why can't I manual assign IP to my device successfully after following the steps? a.

  21. Static IP Address assignment vs DHCP address assignment

    I also can recommend different IP-ranges, something like this: 1-9 important Servers (static) 10-99 misc. Servers (static) 100-150 Sales & Marketing (DHCP with MAC) 151-200 Developers (DHCP with MAC) 200-253 Tech.Stuff (DHCP with MAC) Another vote for DHCP is, that you can handle all IPs from one, central instance.

  22. DHCP vs Static IP: What's the Difference?

    Nowadays, most networking devices such as routers or network switches use IP protocol as the standard to communicate over the network. In the IP protocol, each device on a network has a unique identifier that is called IP address. The easiest method of achieving this was configuring a fixed IP address or static IP address.

  23. SSID Modes for Client IP Assignment

    Multiple DHCP servers are allowed, but they must assign IP addresses to wireless clients from the same subnet; this enables the IP addresses to be routed by the LAN, to which the Meraki APs are connected Use Cases

  24. What Is a Static IP Address?

    Click DHCP IP Reservations. Click the plus sign to add IP reservations. Click the device you want to assign a static IP address. Enter the static IP address. Click Save. 3; How to Protect Your IP ...

  25. What is a DHCP Lease and How to Manage It

    DHCP is a network protocol that assigns IP addresses and other network settings to devices automatically. But how does DHCP manage these assignments and avoid conflicts or errors? The answer is ...