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DHCP — Getting an IP Address

Beginner

The problem: new device, no IP

When you connect a device to a network for the first time, it has no IP address. Without an IP, it can't communicate.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) solves this automatically. Your device broadcasts a request, and a DHCP server (usually your router) assigns an IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers.

The process has 4 steps: Discover → Offer → Request → Acknowledge (DORA).

Packets in motion — click to inspect:

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Space to play/pause · ← → to step