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B-6 User's Reference Guide
Distributing IP addresses
To set up a connection to the Internet, you may have obtained a block of IP host addresses from an ISP. When
configuring the Netopia R6000 Series, you gave one of those addresses to its Ethernet port, leaving a number
of addresses to distribute to computers on your network.
There are two schemes for distributing the remaining IP addresses:
Manually give each computer an address
Let the Netopia R6000 Series automatically distribute the addresses
These two methods are not mutually exclusive; you can manually issue some of the addresses while the rest
are distributed by the Netopia R6000 Series. Using the router in this way allows it to function as an address
server.
One reason to use the Netopia R6000 Series as an address server is that it takes less time than manually
distributing the addresses. This is particularly true if you have many addresses to distribute. You need to enter
information only once, rather than having to enter it on each host separately. This also reduces the potential for
misconfiguring hosts.
Another reason to use the Netopia R6000 Series as an address server is that it will distribute addresses only
to hosts that need to use them.
All Netopia R6000 Series Routers come with an integrated Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) server. Some
routers also come with a Macintosh Internet Protocol (MacIP) server. These servers provide a means of
distributing IP addresses to either a Mac or PC workstation as needed.
When setting up the DHCP or MacIP servers in the Netopia R6000 Series, it is necessary to understand how
workstations lease, renew, and release their IP addresses. This information is helpful in determining dynamic
address allocation for a network.
The term "lease" describes the action of a workstation requesting and using an IP address. The address is
dynamic and can be returned to the address pool at a later time.
The term "renew" refers to what the workstations do to keep their leased IP address. At certain intervals, the
workstation talks to the DHCP or MacIP server and renews the lease on that IP address. This renewal allows
the workstation to keep and use the assigned IP address until the next renewal period.
The term "release" refers to a situation where the workstation is no longer using its assigned IP address or has
been shut down. IP addresses can be manually released as well. The IP address goes back into the DHCP or
MacIP address pool to be reassigned to another workstation as needed.
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