DIGITAL GIGAswitch/Router User Reference Manual
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Chapter 5
DHCP
Configuration
Guide
DHCP Overview
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server on the GSR provides dynamic
address assignment and configuration to DHCP capable end-user systems, such as
Microsoft
®
Windows
®
95/98, Microsoft Windows NT, and Apple
®
Macintosh
®
systems.
You can configure the server to provide a dynamic IP address from a pre-allocated pool of
IP addresses or a static IP address. You can also configure parameters for use by the
clients, such as default gateway and network masks, and system-specific parameters, such
as NetBIOS Name Server and NetBIOS node type of the client.
The amount of time that a particular IP address is valid for a system is called a
lease
. The
GSR maintains a
lease database
which contains information about each assigned IP address,
the MAC address to which it is assigned, the lease expiration, and whether the address
assignment is dynamic or static. The DHCP lease database is stored in flash memory and
can be backed up on a remote TFTP or RCP server. You can configure the intervals at
which updates to the lease database (and backup) are done. Upon system reboot, the lease
database will be loaded either from flash memory or from the TFTP or RCP server.
Note:
The GSR DHCP server is not designed to work as the primary DHCP server in an
enterprise environment with hundreds or thousands of clients that are constantly
seeking IP address assignment or reassignment. A standalone DHCP server with
a redundant backup server may be more suitable for this enterprise environment.
