Setting up a network for the first time can be confusing. There are so many settings and just making heads or tails out of everything can take hours. Even worse, your equipment may make it seem like everything is just plug and play, but when you’re almost set up, you find that nothing works as it should. One setting that you may have to manually tweak for your server is the DHCP reservation setting.
DHCP reservations simplified
So, you may be wondering what exactly a DHCP reservation is and when you would ever need to use one. There are several different scenarios in which you would want to set a DHCP reservation.
In short, setting a DHCP reservation allows you to keep the same IP address for your computer or connected device. Your server computer needs a consistent IP address. You may want to set the same IP address for your wireless printer. Maybe you want to set up forwarding ports for gaming. These are just a few of the situations you’ll encounter when you need the same IP address consistently. Without DHCP reservations, your devices will get reassigned a new IP every time it’s rebooted, which can be a real pain. This is when it’s important to change your DHCP reservation settings.
Why not static IPs?
A DHCP reservation achieves a similar result to a static IP, but it works differently. With a true static IP you configure the address manually on the device itself; with a reservation the device still uses DHCP normally, but the router always hands it the same address based on its MAC address. Because reservations are managed in one place - your router - they are easier to set up, change, and keep track of than configuring static addresses on every device. With your user manual and a little patience, you can get your network running smoothly in no time.
Setting up your DHCP reservations
Setting up these reservations shouldn’t be too much of a hassle, but since instructions vary by manufacturer, it may take a little bit of troubleshooting. In general, though, the steps are fairly similar from router to router.
Most routers are equipped to set DHCP reservations right out of the box, but if not, this issue can be resolved by downloading updated firmware, which can be found at the website of your router manufacturer.
You can enter your router settings by typing your IP address into the navigation bar of your chosen browser. You can scan through the settings to find DHCP Reservation, which many also be under DHCP Static Lease.
You will need to have the computer or device’s MAC address on hand when setting your DHCP reservation. Under the settings, type out the MAC address for your chosen computer or device, followed by the IP address you would like to reserve. You can repeat this step for several devices. Make sure to save your settings.
If you find that your computer isn’t running on the IP address, you may need to enter commands to release and renew the IP through command prompts or by accessing system preferences. Once completed, your device or computer should be on its assigned network and will remain on that network, even when you reboot.
