Appendix A: Glossary - Compaq BL10e - HP ProLiant - 512 MB RAM Troubleshooting Manual

Appendix a: glossary

In this glossary, terms are listed alphabetically with detailed descriptions for each entry.
Table 3. Glossary terms
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Term
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
Dynamic IP Address
Fixed IP Address
IP Address Conflict
Media Access Control (MAC) Address
Static IP Address
Networking Glossary of Terms. U.S. Robotics. 25 July 2003.
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<www.usr.com/education/networkingglossary.asp>
Definition
DHCP is a protocol used for assigning dynamic IP addresses to a device
on a network. DHCP simplifies network administration because the
software keeps a log of IP addresses it hands out dynamically. By this
action, it allows an administrator to add computers to a network without
the hassle of manually assigning a unique IP address each time.
A dynamic IP address is an address dynamically assigned by the DHCP
server. As the name implies, dynamic addressing most often uses a
different IP address each time the computer or network device requests an
IP address from the DHCP server. The computer or network device will use
this assigned IP address until it is turned off.
A fixed IP address takes the best attributes of both the dynamic and static
IP address schemes. In this case, the DHCP service supplies the server with
an address that never changes. This assignment eliminates the need to
manually configure a static IP address on the server and allows that same
network device to be moved easily into an environment that participates
in DHCP addresses. This flexibility allows a network device with a fixed IP
address to participate on a network using a dynamic IP address without
additional configuration on the client side.
It is important for each computer or network device participating on a
single network to have distinct IP addresses. When two computers or
network devices have the same IP address then a conflict is created and
one or both systems will have network problems. Automatically
configuring IP addresses through a single DHCP server aids in preventing
IP address conflicts.
The MAC address is your network card's unique hardware number. This
MAC address usually is not used directly. It is often paired with an IP
address which is then used to communicate with that computer or network
device.
A static IP address is a permanent IP address (an address that does not
change). This address is manually configured, for example, it is not
distributed by a DHCP server. The network administrator usually controls
which static IP addresses are in use and who is able to use them.
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