Windows 2000 Quick Fixes

Assign IP addresses automatically without a DHCP server

Automatic IP address assignment takes the headache out of IP address management. When adding systems you don’t have to worry about finding an unused address but can simply hook up the computer, boot it, and let it take its address lease automatically.

While automatic address assignment becomes more important as network size increases, it still can be an important tool even on small networks. It often isn’t practical on a small network to install a DHCP server because of server hardware and software costs. Fortunately, with Windows 2000 you can take advantage of automatic address assignment without the presence of a DHCP server.

Use automatic address assignment

Windows 2000 supports Automatic Private IP Addressing, or APIPA. When a Windows 2000 computer that is configured for dynamic addressing boots and can’t locate a DHCP server, Windows 2000 automatically assigns an IP address in the range 169.254.n.n with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. This means that all computers on the LAN can automatically assign themselves a nonconflicting IP address in the same range, providing connectivity between them.

Tip

Windows 98 clients also support automatic address assignment through APIPA.

Each computer polls the network every five minutes for the presence of a DHCP server, and if one is found, the computer obtains an address lease from the DHCP server in whatever address scope(s) the DHCP server handles. This means you can add a DHCP server ...