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DHCP Server Settings
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. The DHCP section is where you configure the
built-in DHCP Server to assign IP addresses to the computers and other devices on your local area
network (LAN).
Enable DHCP Server
Once your router is properly configured and this option is enabled, the DHCP Server will manage the IP
addresses and other network configuration information for computers and other devices connected to
your Local Area Network. There is no need for you to do this yourself.
The computers (and other devices) connected to your LAN also need to have their TCP/IP configuration
set to "DHCP" or "Obtain an IP address automatically". When you set Enable DHCP Server, the
following options are displayed.
DHCP IP Address Range
These two IP values (Start and End) define a range of IP addresses that the DHCP Server uses when
assigning addresses to computers and devices on your Local Area Network. Any addresses that are
outside of this range are not managed by the DHCP Server; these could, therefore, be used for manually
configured devices or devices that cannot use DHCP to obtain network address details automatically.
It is possible for a computer or device that is manually configured to have an address that does reside
within this range. In this case the address should be reserved, so that the DHCP Server knows that this
specific address can only be used by a specific computer or device.
Your router, by default, has a static IP address of 192.168.2.1. This means that addresses 192.168.2.2 to
192.168.2.254 can be made available for allocation by the DHCP Server.
Subnet Mask
The subnet mask of the local area network.
Gateway
The IP address of the router on the local area network. For example, 192.168.2.1.
DHCP Lease Time
The amount of time that a computer may have an IP address before it is required to renew the lease. The
lease functions just as a lease on an apartment would. The initial lease designates the amount of time
before the lease expires. If the tenant wishes to retain the address when the lease is expired then a new
lease is established. If the lease expires and the address is no longer needed than another tenant may use
the address.
Add/Edit DHCP Reservation
This option lets you reserve IP addresses, and assign the same IP address to the network device with the
specified MAC address any time it requests an IP address. This is almost the same as when a device has
a static IP address except that the device must still request an IP address from the router. The router will
provide the device the same IP address every time. DHCP Reservations are helpful for server computers
on the local network that are hosting applications such as Web and FTP. Servers on your network should
either use a static IP address or use this option.
Computer Name
You can assign a name for each computer that is given a reserved IP address. This may help you keep
track of which computers are assigned this way. Example: Game Server.
IP Address:
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