Difference between DHCP and Static IP

Hello everyone! Today, I want to continue to discuss the IP protocol with you.

In the IP protocol, each device on a network has a unique identifier, called an IP address. The simplest way to achieve this is to configure a fixed or static IP address. However, due to the limitations of static IP, we seek to use dynamic IP, and DHCP is a protocol that assigns dynamic IP addresses to devices connected to the network.

So, what is the difference between DHCP and static IP?

What is the static IP address?

A static IP address is a manually configured IP address for the device, not an IP address assigned by the DHCP server. It is called static because it does not change compared to dynamic IP addresses, which change. A static IP address is an address that is permanently assigned to your network device by your ISP and will not change even if your device restarts. Static IP addresses are generally available in two versions: IPv4 and IPv6.

How do I get my static IP address?

Here I recommend two simple ways to get your static IP address.

Method 1: If you are using Windows, you can use the ipconfig command at the command prompt to find the static IP address.

Method 2: If you are using Google Search, enter “What is my IP address” in the search box to obtain your static IP address.

What is DHCP?

A dynamic IP address is the opposite of a static IP address. A dynamic IP address is a constantly changing address. To create dynamic IP addresses, the network must be configured and run a DHCP server. The DHCP server assigns a blank IP address to all devices connected to the network. DHCP is a method of dynamically and automatically assigning IP addresses to network devices on a physical network.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network protocol for LANs. The IP address range is controlled by the server. When a client logs in to the server, the client automatically obtains the IP address and subnet mask assigned by the server. By default, DHCP is not automatically installed by the system as a service component of the Windows Server. You need to manually install DHCP and perform the necessary configurations.

DHCP vs Static IP

Thanks for your reading!

If you have more insights about static/dynamic IP addresses and DHCP, please share them in the comment section!