Dell PowerConnect 28xx Systems User Guide 83
Defining DHCP Server Settings
The DHCP server is used mainly for centralized control over assignment of IP addresses to attached 
hosts. 
A switch can operate as either a DHCP client (obtaining its own IP from a DHCP server) as a DHCP 
server.
The DHCP server uses a fined pool of IP addresses (user-defined) from which it allocates IP addresses to 
DHCP clients. 
The DHCP server can allocate IP addresses in three configuration modes: 
•
Static allocation
 — The network administrator maps the hardware address of a host to an IP address 
on the DHCP server. 
•
Permanent allocation
 — An IP address received through a standard request-reply mechanism is owned 
by a client permanently (unless changes in the network environment/connections take place, for any 
reason). 
•
Dynamic allocation
 — A network device obtains a leased IP address for a specified period of time. The 
IP address is revoked at the end of this period and the switch must request another IP address. 
This section contains information for configuring a DHCP server on a DHCP-server-enabled switch. 
To open the DHCP Server page, click System 
 DHCP Server in the tree view. 
Configuring DHCP Properties
The DHCP Server Properties page contains fields for enabling the DHCP server and configuring pinging 
capability. The DHCP Server pings a pool address before assigning this address to a requesting client. If 
the ping is unanswered, the DHCP Server assumes (with a high probability) that the address is not in use 
and assigns the address to the requesting client. To open the DHCP Server Properties page, click System 
 DHCP Server  DHCP Server Properties in the tree view.