Download Article
A simple guide to turning on DHCP on your Windows or Mac computer
Download Article
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network protocol that allows a server to automatically assign an IP address to your computer. Enabling DHCP can help prevent configuration errors by assigning a unique IP address to your computer, as well as prevent loss of service due to sharing the same IP address with another computer on your network.
Things You Should Know
Steps
-
Navigate to the desktop and press the Windows + X keys. This will open the Power User Task menu.
- If you're using an older version of Windows, jump to instructions for Windows 7, Vista , and Windows XP ,
-
Click on “Network Connections,” then select either “Ethernet” or “Wi-Fi,” based on your Internet connection type. This will open the network connection status window.Advertisement
-
Click on “Properties,” then select “Internet Protocol Version 4. ”
-
Click on “Properties,” then place checkmarks next to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically. ”
-
Click on “OK,” then close the network connection status window. DHCP will now be enabled on your Windows 10 or Windows 8 computer. [1] X Research source
Advertisement
-
Click on the Apple menu and select “System Preferences. ” This will open the System Preferences menu.
-
Click on “Network,” then select your Internet connection type from the left pane. For example, if using an Ethernet Internet connection, select “Ethernet.”
-
Click on the dropdown menu next to “Configure IPv4” and select “Using DHCP. ”
-
Click on “Apply,” then close the System Preferences window. DHCP will now be enabled.
Advertisement
-
Click on the Start menu and select “Control Panel. ” This will open the Control Panel menu.
-
Click on “Network and Sharing Center,” then click on “Local Area Connection” under “View your active networks. ” This will open the Local Area Connection Status window.
-
Click on “Properties,” then select “Internet Protocol Version 4. ”
-
Click on “Properties,” then place checkmarks next to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically. ”
-
Click on “OK,” then close the network connection status window. DHCP will now be enabled on your Windows 7 or Windows Vista computer. [2] X Research source
Advertisement
-
Click on the Start menu and select “Control Panel. ” This will open the Control Panel menu.
-
Double-click on “Network Connections,” or “Network and Internet Connections. ”
-
Right-click on “Local Area Connection,” then click on “Properties. ”
-
Click on “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP),” then click on “Properties. ”
-
Place checkmarks next to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically. ”
-
Click on “OK. ” DHCP will now be enabled.
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Tips
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
References
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 105,323 times.
Advertisement
