Personal computing discussed

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Forge
Lord High Gerbil
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Thu Dec 27, 2001 10:43 pm

I prefer static myself. I have the table on the wall, with a note next to each address, indicating what kind of machine and where it is. I can look up a box on the wall and have the IP instantly. Sure, it's a tiny bit more work at the start than DHCP would be, but I like knowing IPs, even when the machine is down (Or hell, knowing the amchine is down by the IP being unresponsive).


Anyone have the opposing POV? I'd love to hear why DHCP rocks.
Please don't edit my signature for me. Thanks.
 
Splotto
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Thu Dec 27, 2001 10:48 pm

I use DHCP for all the PC's and I assign static IPs to the MAC addresses of my servers.
 
DiMaestro
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Fri Dec 28, 2001 2:36 am

DHCP is necessary in a large environment. If you'r maintaining 30+ machines, you absolutely have to go w/ DHCP. Using static is nice, but the logistics of static get too cumbersome in a large environment. I myself use static in my home network, but that's 4 pc's and an additional 4 that come over occassionaly.
 
Forge
Lord High Gerbil
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Fri Dec 28, 2001 5:29 am

Hmmm. I keep a table and just assign numbers in sequence. Once a number's assigned, I mark it on the board. You use your number until you have a bone fide reason to get a new one.

I can see that working on easily up to 500 or so boxen, as long as the IT department doesn't infight too much with it.
 
DiMaestro
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Fri Dec 28, 2001 5:46 am

Which would work great, until you changed your DNS ip to something different, and had to roll the changes to each and every pc on your block. Bad mojo. DHCP would take care of it. I think DHCP is a much more viable alternative to static in a larger environment everyday.

Or, you get a user who thinks they know something, changes their IP to something they like better, cause IP conflicts on the net, and you then have to try to figure out who the ahole is that changed their ip. Hypothetical, not really gonna happen, but it's possible. DHCP helps avoid those errors.
 
keifront
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Fri Dec 28, 2001 8:29 am

Static
Main system: AXIA 1.2 @ 1.4 Ghz | 2X19" | G400MAX | Voodoo 5 5500 | KT7A Raid | 512MB SDRAM cas 2 | 60GB IBM 60GXP Second: Intel N440BX server board Dual PIII 550 | 19" Monitor | G200 | 256MB SDRAM cas2 (ECC) | 45GB IBM 75GXP
 
Xylker
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Fri Dec 28, 2001 9:05 am

Well, I like using static at home. As has been pointed out already, it is a little easier on the management end to use DHCP in large environments. Plus DHCP scales so much better...
 
ANApex
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Fri Dec 28, 2001 9:27 am

Like DiMaestro and some others have said using DHCP is mainly for convenience when it comes to managing/maintaining a network. I personally prefer to use DHCP because it makes handling client settings a lot easier(A good thing when trying to troubleshoot your home net connection over the phone with your wife). Also there is sort of a middle ground between DHCP and static, which around my office we refer to as dHCP. With dHCP you enter the MAC address of the computers from your network in and assign IPs to those addresses. So your client settings can still be simplified and you still get the same benefits of a static. The only time I can think of needing a static is when running a DNS server, I'm sure there are others I just can't think of them right now. Hope this helps.
 
Forge
Lord High Gerbil
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Fri Dec 28, 2001 2:09 pm

Thanks, everyone. Good points all, and I've reconsidered the usefullness of DHCP. I'll still run static, though, as there are only ever 6 or so aholes to interrogate... :smile:
 
lenzenm
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Fri Dec 28, 2001 4:39 pm

Static: servers, always up production worksations
Dynamic: everything else....just too damn much work otherwise in a large environment.

Plus, using DHCP, I can assign DNS & WINS servers, Time servers, domain controllers, gateways, etc. to the clients.
Assigning Time servers is nice, 'cause then all the PC clocks are sync'd and a database that is open on multiple PC's/worksations at once can have accurate timestamps on any changes made.
 
Bruce
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Tue Jan 08, 2002 6:48 am

Hi,

One problem that DHCP does have - anyone can plug in on your LAN and get your IP/subnet/WINS/DNS settings straight away. There are some instances where that may not be wanted (staff bringing in personal laptops, for example).

Bruce
 
ANApex
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Tue Jan 08, 2002 7:08 am

Well DHCP can be setup to assign only to machines that it knows the MAC address of, from what I remember.
 
Bruce
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Tue Jan 08, 2002 9:36 am

Hi,

Yes it can, but if you go to that trouble, you may as well use static (IMHO).

Bruce
 
ANApex
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Tue Jan 08, 2002 9:41 am

Well with the MAC DHCP way you can still have DNS,WINS,whatever else assigned dynamically besides the IP so I consider it a nice halfway point between DHCP and static.
 
hiphop
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Thu Jan 10, 2002 9:49 pm

I work for the computer helpdesk at a college with about 2,000 students, and a couple years ago it got switched from DHCP to static. It's hell. Having to keep track of thousands of IPs, which includes every student, and every school owned pc, which is just about every employee plus computer labs. It's just a headache, especially when you run into an IP conflict. Not to mention, the support we have to do for students configuring their computers; it's a lot easier for them if they have to do it with DHCP than static.

But on a much smaller scale? I like static, I always use it when I'm playing around with my own stuff.
 
ANApex
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Fri Jan 11, 2002 6:57 am

Nothing to say really, just wanted to get the topic flaming :wink:
 
Prototyped
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Mon Jan 14, 2002 9:40 pm

My network only has three nodes, so I go static. Were I to suddenly acquire, say, 10 more machines (! Living space issues in my 1 B/R apartment!), I'd likely run a DHCPd on my Linux box (the Barricade 7004ABR's DHCP server, providing overly dynamic IP addresses, sucks), provisioning out IP addresses based on claimed hostname.
 
ExcessOrder
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Sat Jan 19, 2002 6:12 pm

Ha! When I was at bucknell, they had _everything_ on Static IPs. Including students.

Addmittedly, this was a few years back, when not every student had a computer. You also had to pay extra for network access. They probably do something different now. But static IPs across the whole university rocked. I had a short list of people I knew and their IPs tacked up on the wall next to my comp! Made massive quake & quake2 beatdowns easy.
EO
 
fiz
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Sat Jan 26, 2002 5:25 pm

Neither. It's all about parallel port networking :wink:.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: fiz on 2002-01-26 16:25 ]</font>
 
Technie
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Sun Jan 27, 2002 6:14 am

I myself uses DHCP on my home network... pretty small, only like 4 pcs, but peeps come over now and then for some lan gaming no need to assign ip to them before hand.

And anyway, if you setup your work group correctly you can look up the ip address using the computer's netbios name. No problem at all.

Another thing about DHCP is that, it will always try to assign the same ip back to the same machine when it comes on, as long as no one else is using it... So if you dont really format your systems often, the IPs doesnt change.
 
HowardDrake
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Wed Feb 27, 2002 6:14 pm

I have a DHCP server running at home for one simple reason. We have many transient machines that come through our house (friends that don't have their own DSL connection), that trying to keep up static addresses on their boxes would drive me nuts.
Also, I do have static addresses for my home servers, I just set the DHCP server to start at .100 and put my server numbers below that. Simple.

-Howard
 
tanker27
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Wed Feb 27, 2002 9:44 pm

As to everyone that states DHCP is good for large environments. I worked for a large corporation that I will leave nameless (*cough "soft drink maker" Cough*) We were on a tried and true NT/9x envrionment then we rolled WIN2K. We cataloged every machines static IP. The reason we went with this was two fold; 1) one if there was an issue with a network connection it was easy to track the issue wether it be software or hardware 2) it was easier on the armies of mindless (I mean that in the most loving way because I strated out that way) PC Techs to fix and correct problems. We also had a large call center that used LANdesk to fix users issues and/or show them how to do something, thus saving a on-site tech a trip. You may say user logins could be used for that but if we had to service a remote PC, say in Houston, it was more reliable to connect through IP. Besides if you asked a user what there IP address was the usual reply was "What's an IP address?"

I know it may be redundant to catalog already in place PC's in a Large environment but I say for places with busness with 100 or less using static IP's can be a life saver.

We also pushed down updates through SMS static IP addresses were required (or better suited).

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tanker27 on 2002-02-27 20:46 ]</font>
 
Mr Bill
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Fri Mar 15, 2002 8:30 pm

On 2002-01-19 17:12, ExcessOrder wrote:
Ha! When I was at bucknell, they had _everything_ on Static IPs. Including students.

Addmittedly, this was a few years back, when not every student had a computer. You also had to pay extra for network access. They probably do something different now. But static IPs across the whole university rocked. I had a short list of people I knew and their IPs tacked up on the wall next to my comp! Made massive quake & quake2 beatdowns easy.

Umm. This is a question. I have 4 PC's on my network and decided to use DHCP provided by the gateway cause it was easy. But I observe that a WinNT4 box keeps its current IP address until you force it to release the address. (e.g. IPCONFIG /release) So, can't you have the convenience of static IP's once you have had one assigned? Or do Linux and the other Win-xx's behave differently?
 
Speed
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Sat Mar 16, 2002 2:24 am

Mr Bill, you can use DHCP to assign static IP addresses, if that's what you mean.
You are false data.
 
IntelMole
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Sat Mar 16, 2002 8:56 pm

Anyone feel like telling me what DHCP stands for?

(moves hand over head) WHOOOSH!

Ignorance is Bliss :grin:,
IntelMole
 
Mr Bill
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Sat Mar 16, 2002 9:59 pm

DHCP = Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
I don't really know how it works but heres a link to a DHCP primer
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/00/ ... tw=backend
Speed, what I mean is that in WinNT4, after you release the IP address and reboot with DHCP enabled; the PC gets assigned an IP address by the DHCP. Then it stays that way till you release it again. So after the DHCP server assigns it, its got that sort-o-static cling.

"Configuration not Allocation" Thanks Derek

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mr Bill on 2002-03-16 21:04 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mr Bill on 2002-03-16 21:04 ]</font>
 
Derek Andersen
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Sat Mar 16, 2002 10:01 pm

Configuration, not Allocation.


Derek Andersen

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