User's Manual

Dynamic IP Addresses
A dynamic IP address is automatically assigned to a device on the network,
such as PCs and print servers. These IP addresses are called “dynamic”
because they are only temporarily assigned to the PC or device. After a certain
time period, they expire and may change. If a PC logs on to the network (or the
Internet) and its dynamic IP address has expired, the DHCP server will assign
it a new dynamic IP address.
For DSL users, many ISPs may require you to log on with a user name and
password to gain access to the Internet. This is called “Point to Point Protocol
over Ethernet” or PPPoE. PPPoE is similar to a dial-up connection but does not
have a phone number to dial into, and PPPoE is a dedicated high-speed con-
nection. PPPoE also will provide the Router with a dynamic IP address to
establish a connection to the Internet.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Servers
DHCP frees you from having to assign IP addresses manually every time a new
user is added to your network. PCs and other network devices using dynamic
IP addressing are assigned a new IP address by a DHCP server. The PC or net-
work device obtaining an IP address is called the DHCP client. The Router’s
WAN port is, by default, set as a DHCP client.
DHCP servers can either be a designated PC on the network or another network
device, such as the Router. By default, a DHCP server is enabled on your
Router’s LAN ports. If you already have a DHCP server running on your net-
work, you must disable one of the two DHCP servers. If you run more than one
DHCP server on your network, you will experience network errors, such as
conflicting IP addresses. To disable the Router’s DHCP function, see the
DHCP section in Chapter 3: Configuring the Router.
NNoottee::
Even if you assign a static IP address to a PC, other PCs can still use
DHCP’s dynamic IP addressing, as long as the static IP is not within the
DHCP range of the LAN IP Address.
If the Router’s DHCP function fails to provide a dynamic IP address for any
reason, please refer to Appendix A: Troubleshooting.
Wireless Access Point Router with 4-Port Switch
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