Why You Should Manage and Protect Your DHCP Server – Because Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are so important to networking, you can’t connect to any network if you don’t have one. It is also important to know that the way a network administrator sets up their dynamic host control protocol (DHCP) server has a big effect on how well the network works. Some people pay too much attention to the layout of the network’s cables when they want to get the best results possible in terms of network connectivity. Even so, it is important to note that for the best results, the infrastructure must work with the DHCP server. READ What is a DNS server?
When managing DHCP servers, what are the most important things to keep an eye on?
All networked devices get their addresses from the DHCP server, which is also their point of responsibility. Because of this, if something goes wrong while setting up this server, it could make the whole network stop working. Here is a list of the most important things to keep in mind:
The beginning and end of the pool of IP addresses that the DHCP server uses.
Take care of the IP address reservations.
Keep a close eye on your static IP addresses at all times.
It’s important to figure out the first address your server can lease because that will let you decide how many devices can connect to your network segment at once. After you figure out this number, you can move on to the next step. You can make a choice about your subnet mask based on how many devices you have. SUGGESTED What is a DNS server?
It is always best to use static IP addresses on devices that host shared resources. This must be true because it makes it much easier for the person in charge of the network to connect other users to the right resource. If you have a shared resource whose address changes all the time, it will be hard for the network or systems administrator to get users back online every time the DHCP server gives out new addresses. This is because the administrator will need to go from place to place.
Advice on the Administration of Static IP Addresses
Before anything else, a system administrator must make sure that no other devices on the network are given a static IP address. This means that the network administrator has to make sure that these leases are reserved and that they are either above or below the range that the DHCP server gives.
You may also be able to bind specific IP addresses to the media access control (MAC) identity of the device you are using, but this will depend on the type of router or DHCP server that you are utilizing. Because MAC addresses are never shared between devices, doing this will give you peace of mind that no other device will ever be able to use the address above. ALSO READ How to Change IP Address in Windows 10
As an administrator, you may also have to do regular network scans on the system to find out what devices are connected to it. By doing this, you can get rid of devices that might have wrong addresses, which can cause problems and slow down your network. Most likely, wrong addresses are caused by portable computers, whose owners move from office to office, causing the computers to connect to a new network each time. When you scan your network and find devices with the wrong settings, you need to fix them and let the owners or users of those devices know how important it is to make sure their devices are correctly set up for better connectivity.
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