Networking Intermediate

What is DHCP?

A protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses and network configuration to devices on a network.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) eliminates manual IP configuration. When a device joins a network, it sends a broadcast request. The DHCP server responds with an available IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers.

The DORA process (Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge) handles address assignment. Leases have expiration times, after which addresses must be renewed.

Related Terms

SDN (Software-Defined Networking)

An approach that separates the network control plane from the data plane, enabling centralized, programmable network management.

A server that sits between clients and backend servers, forwarding client requests and returning server responses on their behalf.

MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit)

The maximum size of a data packet that can be transmitted over a network without fragmentation.

Two transport layer protocols: TCP provides reliable, ordered delivery while UDP provides fast, connectionless delivery without guarantees.

A device or software that distributes network traffic across multiple servers to ensure reliability and performance.

NAT (Network Address Translation)

A method of mapping private IP addresses to public IP addresses, allowing multiple devices to share a single public IP.

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