Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol services (DHCP) let network administrators centrally manage and automate the assignment of Internet Protocol (IP) Addresses on the network.  When a computer is connected to the network, it must have an IP address assigned to it in order to communicate.

Without DHCP, the IP address must be entered manually at each computer.  DHCP lets a network administrator supervise and distribute IP addresses from a central point and automatically sends a new IP address when a computer is plugged into a different place in the network.

DHCP uses the concept of a "lease" or amount of time that a given IP address will be valid for a computer.  Using very short leases, DHCP can dynamically reconfigure networks in which there are more computers than there are available IP addresses.

For more information about our DHCP services, contact our Network Engineering group.