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DHCP Full form

Read this article to know the full form of DHCP, its history, characteristics, advantages & disadvantages.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is known as DHCP. IP address allocation (dynamic) is carried out within a network using this established method. The dynamic host configuration protocol gives IP addresses to devices like doorbell cameras and smartphones (DHCP). When utilising WiFi at home, routers frequently serve as DHCP servers. In big companies, the DHCP server is often a dedicated computer. Simplifying IP address management lowers costs, offers security, and doesn’t waste crucial admin time.

Table of Contents

  1. History of DHCP
  2. Characteristics
  3. Components of DHCP
  4. Advantages
  5.  Disadvantages

History of DHCP

The Internet Engineering Task Force’s Dynamic Host Configuration Working Group developed DHCP.

RFC 1531, published in October 1993, first described DHCP as a standard-track protocol that would replace the Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP), a network protocol used by network clients to retrieve IP addresses from configuration servers. The most recent DHCP specification for Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) networks was issued in October 1997 with RFC 2131. RFC 3315, which describes DHCPv6’s extensions, was released.

Characteristics

  • Automatic and centralised TCP/IP setup
  • The effective management of IP address changes for clients that need to be updated often, including those for portable devices that travel between sites on a wireless network
  • The process of relaying initial DHCP messages through a DHCP relay agent does away with the importance for a DHCP server on each subnet
  • The capacity to specify TCP/IP setups remotely

Components of DHCP

It’s important to understand every aspect of DHCP. The parts are broken out as follows:

  • DHCP Server

A DHCP server is any connected device that controls the DHCP service. For instance, an SD-WAN device may simultaneously operate as a router, server, and host. 

  • DHCP Client 

DHCP clients receive configuration data for DHCP servers from the endpoint. The network-capable device might be anything, from a laptop to an IoT device. DHCP is often enabled by default on most PCs and other devices. 

  • IP Address Pool

The IP address pool is a collection of addresses accessible to DHCP clients. In most circumstances, IP addresses are distributed gradually from the lowest to the highest priority level.

  • Subnet

An IP network segment that has been divided up into smaller segments is called a subnet. Subnets are used to maintain network control.

  • Lease

The duration of the validity of the address information that a DHCP client gets from the DHCP server is specified in the lease. When a lease expires, the tenant is required to re-sign it.

Advantages

Compared to older techniques for obtaining IP addresses, DHCP servers provide several benefits. A DHCP server can provide the functionalities listed below.

  • IP address management is done automatically, and duplicate IP address issues are avoided
  • DHCP enables support for BOOTP clients, allowing for a simple switch from BOOTP to DHCP on the networks
  • It offers the administrator to specify lease times, even for IP addresses that were manually assigned
  • It allows for restricting the MAC addresses serviced by dynamic IP addresses.
  • DHCP also allows the administrator to specify DHCP option types other than BOOTP
  • It supports the definition of the IP address pool or pools for dynamic allocation
  • A user’s server may require the pool to be an entire subnet or network
  • The server shouldn’t require such a pool to include just contiguous IP addresses

Disadvantages

DHCP’s drawback is that clients will accept any server. As a result, the client may connect to another server nearby when one is nearby, and this server may provide the client with erroneous data.

Additionally, MAC address security is not offered.