How To Enable DHCP On Cisco Router

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is used in most of the network devices to access correct network protocol and resources. The DHCP server assigns the IP address to all the devices connected to the network. The following section will guide you through the how to enable DHCP on Cisco router steps for enabling the DHCP server on your Cisco router.

In most of the Cisco router, the DHCP option is enabled by default.

To configure the DHCP server on your Cisco router, you have to enable the DHCP service.

To do it, use the command mentioned below.

R1# configure terminal

R1 (config)# service dhcp

After creating the DHCP service successfully, you have to create the DHCP pool. This pool defines the network of IP addresses. Create the DHCP pool, as mentioned below. Type in your preferred pool name.

R1(config)# ip dhcp pool pool name

R1(dhcp-config)# network network mask or length; in the network argument, specify your network’s subnet number.

Now on using how to enable DHCP on Cisco router guide, you have successfully created the DHCP pool. Following that, define the DHCP parameters as instructed below.

R1(dhcp-config)# default-router ip_address

R1(dhcp-config)# dns-server ip_address

R1(dhcp-config)# domain-name domain

R1(dhcp-config)# lease lease_time

The default lease time for an IP address is one-day. However, an example to set the lease time as 4 hours and 30 minutes is given below.

R1(dhcp-config)# lease 0 4 30

Now, gather the IP addresses that you wish to exclude from the DHCP server list and enter them in the below-mentioned format.

R1(config)# ip dhcp excluded-address

Now, you have configured the DHCP service on your Cisco router.

The below-mentioned command will help you to identify the client's details that have been served by the DHCP server.

Router(conf - dhcp)# ip dhcp binding