In this lecture, we're going to study about automatic internet setup using DHCP

which is Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. Now, when you go and select that icon
on the top which is the automatic mode basically you're selecting DHCP. It's not
written DHCP but that's the technology that makes it possible. Basically, what are
you going to do? Well, in the former lecture you saw all the functions of what is
in here. All these numbers that we have in here, what they do, and how they help
the internet connection. Basically, DHCP does all of those automatically. It
receives all of this information in here, automatically, from a DHCP server in the
local network. Now, DHCP enables a computer or a smartphone to automatically
contact the local DHCP server and request for an IP address networking parameters
to connect to the Internet. Now, first, the requirements are a local DHCP server
must exist. Just because you clicked on the dot button does not necessarily mean
that you're going to get the DHCP services. You have to have a local DHCP server
supporting you. If you have it and you click on it then everything automatically
will happen. Next, when DHCP is used, set up is automatic. There is no need to
contact the local network administrator to have the internet connection set up
manually. In addition, this is why mobile devices commonly use DHCP. In addition,
DHCP is used for IPv4 for and IPv6 connections. Now, DHCP services are used to
enable internet access. The DHCP server dynamically assigns the following
information as the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, as well as the DNS
servers' IP address. And there's more to it. Now, the importance of DHCP? Well,
DHCP is so easy to use. It's all automatic. It's wonderful. And DHCP enables reuse
of IP addresses. So if there's a pool of IP addresses then it can dynamically
assign and, when the service is no longer needed, take it back and reuse these IP
addresses very effectively. So with a small number of IP addresses you can serve a
lot of people based upon their needs when they need it. Now, only a computer or
smartphone that needs internet connection at that time is assigned an IP address to
use. After the Internet connection ends, well, that IP address is returned back to
the server. And, someone else can use it. So, therefore, it is very effective for
subnets. Reuse of IP addresses is especially important for IPv4 networks because
there is a shortage of IPv4 addresses. Why? Well, it's like this, an IPv4 address
is 32 bits. So if you see how many possible address combinations you can come up
with, well, two to the power of 32 is a number that is slightly less than 4.3
billion. Which means that you have less than 4.3 billion IP addresses. But, then
again, a lot of the devices, like, today that we have for, like, your smartphone,
like, I shown you earlier, it has multiple interfaces. And, therefore, even a
single device may need multiple IP addresses. And, later on, as I'll show you and,
in addition, the network needs a destination address, the broadcasting will need a
separate IP address, and also the router interfaces will also need IP address
assignments. So, therefore, much more IP addresses are needed. And therefore,
basically, we already have more than 4.3 IP address needs. So, therefore, there is
already an exhausting problem that we're running out of IPv4 addresses. And DHCP
helps magnificently in this aspect. Now, currently there are much more than 4.3
billion. So, therefore, this becomes very important. This is why DHCP is needed. In
addition, that is one of the major reasons we needed to change to IPVv6. Such that
we had not a 32 bit but a 128 bit address which gives us much more address
combinations. Such that we will not run out of IP addresses in the near future.
DHCP operations are the next thing we need to look into. Now, DHCP operates on a
client-server model. The client is your PC, your laptop computer, your smartphone.
And the server is the DHCP server. Now, the basic operation is that the DHCP server
manages a pool of IP addresses, in addition, client information which include
default gateway, domain name, name servers, and time servers. The way that the set
up message and the operation works is, first, the client connects to the network.
Then, DHCP uses UDP to find the DHCP server. The client DHCP program broadcasts a
server discovery message requesting for network information. Any DHCP server on the
network can provide service by replying an IP lease offer a message to the client.
And then the client will send an IP lease request back to the DHCP server. That
DHCP server will send back an IP lease acknowledgement enabling use of an IP
address and network parameters for a limited time duration. If we were to summarize
the operations between the client device which is your smartphone, your PC, your
laptop computer. Then, how does it work with the DHCP server? Well, first step, is
server discovery. Next step, is IP lease offer comes back from the DHCP server.
And, then, an IP lease request is made to the server. And, IP lease acknowledgement
conceals the agreement such that the operations are now in work. Next, we look at
when a client tries to reconnect to the internet, what happens? If a computer or
smartphone needs an IP address again, the DHCP server tries to give the same IP
address that was used before by that computer or that smartphone. However, that may
not always be the case. A different IP address may be assigned if that IP address
is being used by some other device or due to the network administrator's assignment
regulations. In other words, we may prevent giving a device the same IP address
just for security reasons or something like, something like that. And, therefore,
we really don't know what's going to happen until we really look into the DHCP
server policies of how it's actually managed. Now, in the next lecture, we're going
to look into the IP gateway and router configuration. We're going to focus on the
IP address assignment and subnet and subnet mask setup part. Thank you.