Better to use STATIC IP or DHCP on a home network w/ 1 or 2 servers?

So I'm setting up a server at my place... I'm thinking, is it better to use DHCP or static IP's for my servers and machines? Or, static for the servers and dhcp for desktops/laptops?

But... what if server is off, desktop gets turned on, and takes the ip of the server? Then, again... a TRUE server should NEVER be off, but still... what do you guys think?

Thanks!

See if your router supports DHCP reservations by MAC address (even simpler than static for servers if available).

Otherwise, static for servers and DHCP for everyone else. In this case, be sure your static IPs are outside the range of the DHCP address pool.

I would give your server a static IP outside of the range of the DHCP, then everything should be fine.

Yeah, I didn't think of the 'outside of DHCP range' thing. Makes sense... thanks!

BTW... for the DHCP range, is it a range on top and bottom, or just the bottom? I think mine is 192.168.1.100, but there's no highest IP... is that right?

Thanks for the input!!

RavinDJ said:

Yeah, I didn't think of the 'outside of DHCP range' thing. Makes sense... thanks!

BTW... for the DHCP range, is it a range on top and bottom, or just the bottom? I think mine is 192.168.1.100, but there's no highest IP... is that right?

Thanks for the input!!

Click to expand...

On most of the home routers it lets you set the lowest IP for the range and then asks for the number you will allow.

When you're talking servers, you really want to do static IPs. With desktops, especially in a network that may change regularly or laptops may come and go if you have visitors, you really will get sick of static pretty quickly.

Here are two things.

1) Most routers/switches for home use such as LinkSys will be DHCP-capable. This means that if your DHCP server is down (the router/switch), well...you won't even care if something takes over IPs.

2) Chances are something will not take the IP of your servers if a server goes down. DHCP will be aware of what IPs are in use and what are not, and will still give it a lease time before it checks again. You can assign the servers a static IP in their network config. If your servers are down long enough to have their IP taken, honestly, you have bigger things to worry about by then.


If you're at home, I would go with mixed, since things don't change that much, and you're not really mission-critical anyway. If you're in a work network with machines that may change, DHCP is your bet. If you're in a total server-farm type network where no machines come in unless you build a new one, you need static so that servers don't spontaneously change IPs on you...you need them static.