As long as the owner of the computer does not need local and Internet connections, you do not have to worry about how to enable DHCP on a router, modem or network adapter. But with a network, everything is completely different. Of course, you can safely use the capabilities of the client-server DHCP system all your life without even knowing about it. An inquisitive user, for sure, at least once in the operating system or on the device configuration page saw DHCP settings. What is hidden under this abbreviation, and how to enable DHCP?
The current network protocol implies that any computing device connecting to the network must have at least a unique IP address and a number of other parameters that can be identified. To obtain this data, in fact, means to make the computer (device) visible to all other participants. This is similar to a first and last name, allowing you to quickly find and distinguish people. Unlike the real world, identifying parameters are assigned to the client computer by the server at the time of connection, therefore they are not rigidly fixed and can be changed. It is worth noting here that at the dawn of the development of network technologies, each card, nevertheless, was identified through a MAC address that was “wired” at the factory , but this practice was later abolished.
DHCP is a protocol that enables dynamic configuration of a network node. For the abbreviation, the first letters of the English words Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol are taken . It is easy to guess that DHCP can be enabled in software settings, because this is a protocol. Where exactly - depends on the device.
Before we figure out how to enable DHCP, we’ll indicate how to assign IP addresses. There are three of them:
- manual. It assumes a direct indication by the administrator of the necessary data. The external hardware address of the Ethernet interface is mapped to the IP number of the connecting computer. To do this, the IP and subnet mask are registered on the client side . This method allows you to use the same address each time you connect. For example, if you need to "share" a webcam, then its address should always remain unchanged;
- dynamic. Most commonly used. The server assigns the connecting device the necessary free addresses from the entire available range. After the session time is over, the client device makes a repeated request to obtain the necessary data;
- automatic. Session time is unlimited, so the assigned IP address is constant.
It is easy to understand that dynamic configuration is the best solution if there are no special requirements. That is why the question “How to enable DHCP” is often asked.
The answer is complex. First of all, in the list of system services, we check the status of NetBios and DHCP. We call the properties "My Computer", then "Management - Services and Applications - Services". Here, the DHCP client and the NetBios support module (often also needed) are set to automatic start.
How to enable DHCP if the function still remains inactive?
Further, it all depends on the equipment used. If it is, for example, a router or an ADSL modem, then DHCP should be enabled on the device configuration page. We launch the browser, in the address bar we type 192.168.0.1. Next, enter the password. If it has not been specifically changed, then the standard one is admin. In the settings menu, look for DHCP and enable it.
And finally, in the properties of the connection itself (Network - Internet Protocol), you need to put everything in automatic mode of receiving addresses. Of course, this only works if there is a server on the network. So, two computers connected via Ethernet cannot work correctly if at least one of them is not in server mode. Accordingly, the automatic IP acquisition mode in this case will be useless.