"The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network protocol used to configure devices that are connected to a network (known as hosts) so they can communicate on that network using the Internet Protocol (IP)." [1] When a computer uses a static IP address, it means that the computer is manually configured to use a specific IP address. One problem with static assignment, which can result from user error or inattention to detail, occurs when two computers are configured with the same IP address. This creates a conflict that results in loss of service. Using DHCP to dynamically assign IP addresses minimizes these conflicts. Or, just imagine that we have 1000 computers on the network and that we assign the IP address to this computers manually. That will be a lot of work to do. So we need something which can help us to do the job quickly, and this is where the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) comes in handy. We can configure network settings of all devices (computers, printers...) within network automaticly with the help of DHCP. DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. DHCP is all about the request that your computer makes and the response that it receives when assigning a “dynamic” IP address as well as as additional configuration informations. DHCP is a protocol used by networked devices (clients) to obtain various parameters necessary for the clients to operate in an Internet Protocol (IP) network.
"How DHCP Works? " [2]
DHCP is a protocol used for automatic configuration of computers connected to IP networks. DHCP operates on a client server model in four phases: Discover: A client broadcasts DHCP Discover message when it comes alive on the network to determine whether there are any DHCP servers out there. Offer: When a DHCP server receives the DHCP Discover message from the client, it reserves an IP address for the client and sends a DHCP Offer message to the client offering the
References: 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Host_Configuration_Protocol 2. http://gunnalag.com/2012/03/27/how-dhcp-works/ 3. http://ucomm.wayne.edu/~carlo/Manual/tcpipfund_ch06.mspx.htm Words: 615 / 1000