How Are Dhcp Settings Labeled In A Windows Computer's Network Interface?

Configuring a Windows client for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is easy. The DHCP client is automatically included when you install the TCP/IP protocol, so all you have to exercise is configure TCP/IP to employ DHCP.

To do this, bring upward the Network Properties dialog box by choosing Network or Network Connections in the Control Panel (depending on which version of Windows the client is running). Then, select the TCP/IP protocol and click the Properties button.

This brings upward the TCP/IP Properties dialog box, every bit shown in the illustration below. To configure the computer to use DHCP, select the Obtain an IP Address Automatically option and the Obtain DNS Server Address Automatically option.

Automated Individual IP Addressing

If a Windows computer is configured to use DHCP but the computer can't obtain an IP address from a DHCP server, the figurer automatically assigns itself a individual address by using a feature chosen Automatic Individual IP Addressing (APIPA). APIPA assigns a private address from the 169.254.10.x range and uses a special algorithm to ensure that the address is unique on the network. Every bit soon as the DHCP server becomes available, the computer requests a new accost, then the APIPA address is used merely while the DHCP server is unavailable.

Renewing and releasing leases

Ordinarily, a DHCP customer attempts to renew its lease when the charter is halfway to the point of being expired. For example, if a customer obtains an 8-day lease, it attempts to renew the lease after four days. However, yous tin can renew a lease sooner by issuing the ipconfig /renew control at a command prompt. You may want to practice this if you lot changed the scope'due south configuration or if the client's IP configuration isn't working correctly.

You can besides release a DHCP lease by issuing the ipconfig /release control at a command prompt. When you release a charter, the customer estimator no longer has a valid IP address. This is shown in the output from the ipconfig /release command:

C:>ipconfig /release Windows IP Configuration Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:         Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :         IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0         Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0         Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Hither, you tin see that the IP address and subnet masks are set to 0.0.0.0 and that the Default Gateway address is blank. When yous release an IP lease, you tin't communicate with the network by using TCP/IP until you effect an ipconfig /renew control to renew the IP configuration or restart the computer.