Configure Dhcp On A Cisco Router Or Switch

Configure DHCP on a Cisco router or switch | TechRepublic

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By David "Davis CCIE, MCSE+I, SCSA" May 5, 2005, 7:00am PDTWant to learn more about router and switch management? Automatically sign up for our free Cisco Routers and Switches newsletter, delivered each Friday! If you want to configure Dynamic HostConfiguration Protocol (DHCP) on PC clients, you currently have multiple options to choose for your DHCP server. One of the more common ways to accomplish this is by using a Windows or Linux server. However, mosthome networks get DHCP from their DSL or cable router. Many administrators forget—or don't even realize—that DHCP is also available on Cisco IOS routers and switches. Keep in mind that DHCP is onlyavailable on newer IOS-based switches. For example, Catalyst 3550 and 3750 offer DHCP.

Deciding if this is right for your organization
Using a router as a DHCP server has its pros and cons. Forexample, let's say you have a multisite network, and you've decided to use your routers as DHCP servers for each network. One benefit of running DHCP on a routers is that it doesn't require any extrahardware (like a Windows server does). In addition, running DHCP on a router can save your organization the cost of a dedicated DHCP server. It also provides DHCP locally at each site—regardless ofwhether the WAN is operational. But there are some drawbacks. For example, some administrators might not be too comfortable monitoring and troubleshooting DHCP from a router; they may prefer to use WindowsDHCP Manager rather than Cisco IOS commands to check the status of client leases, manually terminate a DHCP lease, or assign a static reservation. In addition, some administrators might preferimplementing a centralized DHCP server in order to have one place to monitor and troubleshoot DHCP. Of course, every IT shop is different, with varying skill sets, comfort levels, and budgets. Depending...