SETTING UP DHCP ON CISCO ROUTER

The primary focus of this article lies in helping you understand how to set up DHCP on Cisco Routers. But before that, you need to first get into what DHCP really means.

What is DHCP? DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. It's a network protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses and other network configuration information to devices on a network, allowing them to communicate with each other.

For more clarity, Imagine DHCP as a helpful coordinator at a party. When you join the party (network ), DHCP hands out unique name tags (IP addresses) to everyone in the party (each device on the network), so communication can become easier without confusion. I am sure you agree that this eventually saves everyone from manually figuring out who's who on the network.

Source: IP Check

What are CISCO Routers?

A router simply connects different networks. If a router is connected to a network, hosts of the network use the router as the default gateway to reach the host of other networks. Cisco routers are a product line of network devices designed and manufactured by Cisco Systems, a leading networking hardware and telecommunications equipment company. These routers serve as the backbone of many networks, enabling the interconnection of various devices and facilitating the flow of data between them. They often include various features such as security protocols, Quality of Service (QoS) controls, and support for different network protocols, making them widely used in enterprise and service provider environments for building and managing networks. .

Source: CISCO

I hope you've now got enough clarification on the concepts of DHCP and Cisco routers.

The Process of Configuring DHCP on CISCO Routers.

Configuring DHCP on a Cisco router involves several steps to ensure a seamless and efficient network. Here is a detailed process

Source: NXLog

• 1. Access the CISCO Router
  

  The first thing to do is to access the Cisco router. Begin by accessing the router's Command Line Interface (CLI). It's a text-based interface used for entering commands to interact with a computer or software. In the context of networking devices like Cisco routers, CLI allows users to configure settings by entering commands manually.
  Accessing the CLI can be done using a console cable or by establishing a Telnet/SSH connection. After connecting, log in using the correct credentials. The next thing to do is to access Global Configuration Mode by typing ‘enable’ followed by ‘configure terminal'. This grants you access to the router's configuration settings.

• 2. Configure the Router Interface
  

  Configuring the Router Interface is the next step to take. Determine the interface that will receive DHCP requests. Access the interface configuration mode using commands like ‘interface GigabitEthernet0/0’. After which you enable DHCP. Navigate to DHCP Configuration mode by typing ‘ip dhcp pool ’. Then you define the DHCP pool parameters such as network, default gateway, DNS servers, and lease duration.
  For instance: Router config #ip dhcp pool Floor DHCP Router(dhcp-config)#

• 3.Configure Lease Duration
  

  Specify the lease duration for IP addresses using the command: ‘lease ’. This determines how long an IP address is assigned to a device. If you do not specify this argument, the default lease time of 24 hours will be used. Also, prevent specific IP addresses from being assigned by configuring exclusions. Use the ‘ip dhcp excluded-address ’ command.

• 4. Verify DHCP Configuration
  

  After configuration, use the ‘show ip dhcp pool’ command to verify settings and check allocated addresses with ‘show ip dhcp binding’.

• 5.Save Configuration
  

  Save the configuration changes by entering ‘write memory or copy running-config startup-config’. This basic setup creates a DHCP pool, defines parameters, assigns DHCP to an interface, and eventually saves the configuration. You may also adjust the details based on your network requirements.

• 6. Testing DHCP
  

  Connect a device to the configured interface and check if it obtains an IP address automatically. Troubleshoot using the ‘debug ip dhcp server events’ command if needed.