Network administrators have automated configuring and assigning IP addresses to the network devices by using the DHCP servers and their protocols. The dedicated servers are scalable and easy to manage but are costly for an organization to have one at every point in a network. In such situations, we can configure routers on the network to provide the DHCP services without the need of having to buy the servers. Show
This article will cover how one can use the routers on the network to act as DHCP servers in assigning and managing the IP addresses to various DHCP clients. It will also equip the reader how one can configure the router to able to depict the functionalities of a DHCP server. Table of contents
PrerequisitesThe reader must put the following into consideration:
To download and install the Cisco packet tracer on a desktop or laptop, visit this link. Terminologies
Steps in Configuring Cisco IOS DHCPv4 ServerConsider the local network connection below. Step 1. Router Configurations.We configure the routers to be used as the DHCP server by statically assigning the IPv4 addresses to their various interfaces.
We now configured the interfaces with IP addresses both on R1 and R2.
Step 2. Create a DHCP server poolUse of
Step 3. Exclude IP addressesIn our network, we must exclude the IP addresses on the R1 and R2 interfaces, together with the other 9 addresses to be used for static assignment to other devices like servers and device management interfaces.
DHCP Server VerificationTo confirm that our DHCP server is configured on the two routers,
DHCP Server Router TestingOnce we have confirmed the routers have now configured to act as DHCP servers, we can test their functionalities by trying to assign Ip addresses to the clients. From our network, we have 4 PCs acting as the clients. Before the configurations, the router configured as the DHCP server could not assign the PCs the address dynamically, the DHCP failed as shown. After the configuration, we’ll try again to assign each client an IP address by selecting the DHCP option on the IP configuration interface window. The DHCP works successfully. This shows our routers are now DHCP enabled. We can also try to test the communication between two clients on the same subnet using the
ConclusionAs we have seen, network routers can save the organization the cost of buying dedicated servers by providing the DHCP server functionality when configured properly. This information is crucial and will equip the learner with the knowledge of how to configure the routers to eliminate the burden of statically assigning IP addresses. To summarize:
One can find more information about DHCP-router configuration here. Happy coding. Peer Review Contributions by: Collins Ayuya Which command do you use to define the range of available addresses in DHCP?Define the range of IP addresses that the DHCP server should provide to clients. Use the 'network [subnet-ID mask] or network [subnet-ID prefix-length]' command in DHCP pool configuration mode to define the range of IP addresses.
How do I find the DHCP on my Cisco router?Showing DHCP Status. Problem. You want to display the status of the DHCP server functions on the router.. Solution. To display the IP address bindings and their associated leases, use the following command: Router1# show ip dhcp binding. ... . Discussion. To display the status of the DHCP service, use the show ip dhcp EXEC command.. Which type of DHCP messages is sent from the client to ask to be assigned with IP address that was offered by the server?Assigning IP addresses
First, all modern device operating systems include a DHCP client, which is typically enabled by default. In order to request an IP address, the client device sends out a broadcast message—DHCPDISCOVER.
How do I set the DHCP IP address on a Cisco router?Steps to configure DHCP server through CLI.. Login to the device using SSH / TELNET and go to enable mode.. Go into the config mode. ... . Exclude IP addresses from being assigned by DHCP by using the ip dhcp excluded-address FIRST_IP LAST_IP. ... . Create a new DHCP pool with the ip dhcp pool NAME command.. |