How to Set up DHCP on a Local Area Network

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

Steps

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.
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!)
Download dhcpd32 from http://tftpd32.jounin.net/
Unzip the file to your computer and run dhcpd32.exe
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!)
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)
Leave the "Boot File" field blank
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.
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
Leave the "Domain Name" and "Additional Option" boxes as they are.
Press "Save".
Your DHCP server is now set up!

Tips

If you're running Windows 98SE, ME or XP you may be able to use the built-in Windows Internet Connection Sharing which includes a DHCP server.
Using this server along with a proxy server such as AnalogX Proxy gives you a free and flexible alternative to Windows ICS.
If you don't know how to specify an IP address for your computer that runs the DHCP server, use on of the links here:
Windows 2000 http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308199&sd=tech
95 or 98 http://www.speed.net/support/ipchange/win98.html
XP http://www.portforward.com/networking/static-xp.htm
To have your machine ask for an IP address by DHCP, run "ipconfig /release" then "ipconfig /renew" for Windows 2000 and XP, or "winipcfg" in Windows 95, 98 and ME, select your network card in the dropdown box, click "release" then "renew".

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.

Steps

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.

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!)

Download dhcpd32 from http://tftpd32.jounin.net/

Unzip the file to your computer and run dhcpd32.exe

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!)

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)

Leave the "Boot File" field blank

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.

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

Leave the "Domain Name" and "Additional Option" boxes as they are.

Press "Save".

Your DHCP server is now set up!

Tips

If you're running Windows 98SE, ME or XP you may be able to use the built-in Windows Internet Connection Sharing which includes a DHCP server.

Using this server along with a proxy server such as AnalogX Proxy gives you a free and flexible alternative to Windows ICS.

If you don't know how to specify an IP address for your computer that runs the DHCP server, use on of the links here:

Windows 2000 http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308199&sd=tech

95 or 98 http://www.speed.net/support/ipchange/win98.html

XP http://www.portforward.com/networking/static-xp.htm

To have your machine ask for an IP address by DHCP, run "ipconfig /release" then "ipconfig /renew" for Windows 2000 and XP, or "winipcfg" in Windows 95, 98 and ME, select your network card in the dropdown box, click "release" then "renew".

PcBerg