TCP/IP and the DHCP Client
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4/8/2010
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a standardized protocol that enables clients to be dynamically assigned with various configuration parameters, such as an IP address, subnet mask and other critical network configuration information. DHCP servers centrally manage such configuration data, and are configured by network administrators with settings that are appropriate for a specific network environment.
Windows Embedded CE does not support the services required to operate a full DHCP server. However, it does support a subset of these services called the DHCP allocator. **
DHCP servers communicate with DHCP clients through the use of DHCP messages.The DHCP server supplies the addresses of DNS servers to DHCP clients during address assignment. The DNS server resolves the queried domain name to an IPv4 or IPv6 address and returns the results. The DNS server either stores domain name-to-IPv4 or domain name-to-IPv6 address mapping records or has records of other DNS servers. For more information, see Host Name Resolution for Dual Stack (IPv4/IPv6).
You can also automatically configure an IPv4 address and subnet mask when the DHCP client is started on a small private network where no DHCP server is available to assign addresses, such as a home network.
In a gateway device, the public interface IP address can be dynamically configured using a DHCP client to retrieve the settings from the external network. The private interface is configured to allocate addresses to systems on the internal network by acting as a DHCP server to those clients.
DHCP for IPv6 (DHCPv6) is a configuration protocol that passes configuration data to devices in a TCP/IPv6 network. Windows Embedded CE supports DHCPv6 Lite, which is similar to DHCPv6, but removes address configuration and the need for the DHCP Authentication mechanism. **For more information about DHCPv6 Lite, see DHCPv6 Lite Registry Settings.
For information about DHCP standardization, see the Requests for Comments (RFCs) and Internet drafts from the Internet Engineering Task Force Web site.
See Also
Concepts
TCP/IP Support in Windows Mobile
Automatic Client Configuration for IPv4