How to Set up DHCP on a Local Area Network

Setup a quick and easy DHCP server on Windows using dhcpd32.

Steps

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    Decide what range of IP addresses you would like to use. You should use a "Private IP Range", otherwise you may well have problems related to traffic to and from your network being routed incorrectly. For a simple LAN, stick with 192.168.0.100, a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and a pool size of 50. This will allow up to 50 machines to be set up on your network without having to change anything.
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    Set the IP address of your computer to 192.168.0.2 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 (an address in the same subnet as the addresses in the pool, but not an address in the pool itself!)
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    Download tftpd32 from http://tftpd32.jounin.net/
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    Unzip the file to your computer and run tftpd32.exe.
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    Click Settings.
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    Select the DHCP tab in the Settings window.
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    Set the "IP pool starting address" to the address you want the first computer to use DHCP to have. (192.168.0.100 if you're not sure!)
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    Set the "Size of pool" to a little more than the number of computers and devices you think you'll need on your LAN. (if in doubt, 50 is a nice number)
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    Leave the "Boot File" field blank
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    Enter the IP address you gave the computer (192.168.0.2) in field "Def. Router (Opt 3)
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    If you have a DNS server on your network, or one accessible to the machines on your network, enter it's IP address in the "WINS/DNS Server" box. If you don't, or don't know what it means, leave it blank.
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    Set "Mask" to your subnet mask. If you don't know what that is, follow my addressing scheme and set it to 255.255.255.0
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    Leave the "Domain Name" and "Additional Option" boxes as they are.
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    Press "OK". Your DHCP server is now set up!
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    What should I put in the def router field?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Set it as the same as your original IP address (in this example, 192.168.0.2). This will force your system to act as the default route for any clients connecting to it.
  • Question
    When setting up DHCP on a LAN will it interfere with other computers that are running on the network?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    If other computers are set to obtain IP automatically, your DHCP server will serve those computers too, but will not interfere in any other way.
  • Question
    What would DHCP primarily be used for on a private LAN?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It would be used to assign IP address automatically to client computers and devices on the local network (tablets, phones, smart TVs, printers, etc.).
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Warnings

  • If you don't know about private ranges and subnet masks, either read up on them or use my address scheme. Improper addressing can cause you, and possibly others, a BIG headache.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subnetwork
  2. http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/proxy.htm

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 17 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 380,459 times.
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Co-authors: 17
Updated: September 16, 2021
Views: 380,459
Categories: Computer Networking
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