DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol is a network management protocol that is used to
dynamically assign the IP address and other information to each host on the
network so that they can communicate efficiently. DHCP automates and centrally
manages the assignment of IP address easing the work of network administrator.
In addition to the IP address ,
the DHCP also assigns the subnet masks,
default gateway and domain name
server(DNS) address and other configuration to the host and by doing
so, it makes the task of network administrator easier.
Advantages of DHCP
- It is easy to implement and automatic assignment of an IP address means an accurate IP address.
- The manual configuration of the IP address is not required. Hence, it saves time and workload for the network administrators.
- Duplicate or invalid IP assignments are not there which means there is no IP address conflict.
- It is a great benefit for mobile users as the new valid configurations are automatically obtained when they change their network.
Disadvantages of
DHCP
- As the DHCP servers have no secure mechanism for the authentication of the client so any new client can join the network. This posses security risks like unauthorized clients being given IP address and IP address depletion from unauthorized clients.
- The DHCP server can be a single point of failure if the network has only one DHCP server.
