Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Overview

The dynamic host configuration protocol is a network service which usually is running on a router or a server. DHCP, as its name suggests, dynamically listens for requests from client devices for the configuration information it needs to operate on the local area network (LAN). The DHCP service provides an available IP address for the host to use on the LAN, the LAN's DNS server's IP address, default gateway IP address, and the proper subnet mask to be used on the LAN.