Summary

16 IT Essentials: PC Harware and Software Companion GuideFigure 8-9TCP/IP PropertiesThis is the IP address information that a DHCP server can assign to hosts:■■■■IP addressSubnet maskDefault gatewayOptional values, such as a Domain Name System (DNS) server addressThe DHCP server receives a request from a host. The server then selects IP address informationfrom a set of predefined addresses that are stored in a database. After the IP addressinformation is selected, the DHCP server offers these values to the requesting host on thenetwork. If the host accepts the offer, the DHCP server leases the IP address for a specificperiod of time.Using a DHCP server simplifies the administration of a network because the software keepstrack of IP addresses. Automatically configuring TCP/IP also reduces the possibility ofassigning duplicate or invalid IP addresses. Before a computer on the network can takeadvantage of the DHCP server services, the computer must be able to identify the server onthe local network. You can configure a computer to accept an IP address from a DHCPserver by clicking the Obtain an IP address automatically option in the NIC configurationwindow, as shown in Figure 8-9.If your computer cannot communicate with the DHCP server to obtain an IP address, theWindows operating system automatically assigns a private IP address. If your computer isassigned an IP address in the range of 169.254.0.0 to 169.254.255.255, it can communicate