What is DHCP?

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a network management protocol used on IP networks whereby a DHCP server dynamically assigns an IP address and other network configuration parameters to each device on a network so they can communicate with other IP networks. DHCP eliminates the need to manually assign IP addresses, reducing configuration errors and administrative overhead. It's commonly used to automatically configure devices on networks, such as assigning IP addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, and DNS server addresses.