DHCP Pool Planner - Home Network Admin

What is a DHCP pool?

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is how your router automatically hands out IP addresses to devices that join your network. The DHCP pool (or "scope") is the range of addresses it's allowed to give out. Any address in your subnet that's outside the pool is free for you to assign manually as a static IP - useful for printers, servers, NAS boxes, or port-forwarding targets that should never change.

Planning tips

Leave the gateway (usually .1) out of the pool - it's your router.
Reserve a block at the start or end of the subnet for static devices, and point the DHCP pool at the middle.
Size the pool for your peak device count plus headroom for guests.

Not sure of your subnet's range? Run it through the subnet calculator first.

Frequently asked questions

What is a DHCP pool?

A DHCP pool is the range of IP addresses your router hands out automatically to devices. Addresses outside the pool can be reserved for static assignments.

How big should my DHCP range be?

Leave enough addresses for every device that connects, plus headroom for guests. This planner shows how many addresses each range gets when you split a subnet.

Should I reserve addresses for static devices?

Yes. Keep printers, servers, and network gear outside the DHCP pool (or use DHCP reservations) so their addresses never change.