Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DCHP) on RouterOS

DHCP means Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. We use this protocol to provide IP addresses dynamically to network devices.

Imagine you are running a network of 100 PCs. Those PCs (as what we have seen) require having the following information to be connected to the internet:

IP address
Subnet mask
Gateway
DNS

Imagine that you, as a network engineer, need to go to each PC and assign to it an IP address, a subnet mask, a gateway and a DNS. This takes a lot of time and effort.

Instead of doing that, you can simply configure a DHCP server on LAN interface of the MikroTik router, then the PCs will communicate with the MikroTik router asking for an IP and the router will lease for them the IP and the rest of the information.

This way, the PCs will get a lease automatically without the need for you to go to each PC and assign for them that information.

In addition, the MikroTik RouterOS can be a DHCP client. That means it will get an IP dynamically on its DHCP client interface via a DHCP server. That’s also possible to be configured on the MikroTik RouterOS.

Enough from theory, let’s apply this on a LAB so you can understand it better.