subject: What is DHCP? [print this page] DHCP is the abbreviation of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A simple way of remembering what it is used for is to break its names to its basics.
Dynamic, when referred to in computing terms, would be to refresh its contents periodically, or a change in activity. A host, on the other hand, refers to the computer containing data that can be accessed by other computers through the means of a network or modem. Configuration basically means how components are set up to make a system. As for protocol, it refers to a standard procedure in which must be followed so that the data transmission can be regulated properly between computers. When these four words are put together, they basically mean that it is a set of procedures (protocol) that automatically assigns (dynamic, configuration) the IP address to a computer to be set up into a network (host).
The automatic assigning of address happens when a system is started with a DHCP client, which is a computer that uses DHCP to configure the IP address. What happens is that a broadcast request will be sent to look for the DHCP server to answer. The DHCP relay agent will be the one that listens out for these requests and then relays the message to a configured DHCP server. The DHCP server then looks for an available but suitable IP address to be given to the client. Then, the DHCP server will send a message containing the address' information back to the DHCP relay agent to relay the message back to the client. After the client received the information, it will inform the server that it will be using the given address. The server will then tell the client that they are given the lease to use the address for a period of time.
