What is DHCP?
In order for a device to connect to the Internet, it must have an Internet Protocol or IP which is the computer¡¯s address on the Internet, which is just like an individual's telephone number, an identifier for people to communicate with the individual. Before 1990s, we had to manually configure a computer to connect to the Internet. With Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) introduced, an autoconfiguration protocol used on IP networks was implemented.
How DHCP Works?
In order for DHCP to work, there should be a device acting as a DCHP server. This device can be your computer, router or other type of network device. The DHCP server is configured with a range or ranges of IP addresses that can be used to give to clients that request one.
When DHCP servers are unavailable and the TCP/IP is set to get IP addresses from DHCP, 169.254.xxx.xxx addresses will be generated.
When DHCP assigns an IP address, it actually leases the identifier to the host computer for a specific amount of time, the default of which is five days. The network administrator can determine an appropriate lease based on their own particular circumstances.
