Tim wrote: > Tim: > >>>Even if you like the automation features of using DHCP to configure your >>>LAN, I'd still place servers on fixed addresses. > > > > Mikkel L. Ellertson: > >>If your DHCP server will let you do it, assign the servers fixed >>IP address based on MAC address. > > > Yes, you can set static IPs either way, on the boxes or fixed entries > through DHCP. Whichever way you do it, you want to ensure that your > DHCP server doesn't want to dole out the IPs to something else at some > time. Which means either limiting the DHCP range, or specifying some > static IPs in its configuration. > Definitely. You have to limit the range in ether case so that your static IP's are not in the dynamic range. You also have to remember to update the DHCP server if you change NICs. (Or configure the new NIC to use the old MAC address.) > > >>One other way I have done it is to use dnsmasq as the name server for >>the local LAN. This works well for small LANs, and has the advantage >>of updating its DNS tables with changing DHCP leases. (It can act as a >>DHCP server, or read the lease files of another DHCP server on the >>same machine.) > > > I haven't used dnsmasq, but I do the same with BIND and DHCPD that comes > with Fedora. If one were already using them, I would consider > configuring them for using it instead of setting up yet another thing. > Dnsmasq lets you combined the two in one program. It is also much simpler to set up then BIND and DHCPD. It is also easy to set it up to use your ISP's name servers. It works well with dial-up connections. But it does not have the flexibility of BIND and DHCPD. It is useful for setups that do not need it. It also has options that BIND does not - thing like including the information from /etc/hosts. The one you use depends on your needs. I find that dnsmasq fits in nicely when your LAN is a bit large for just using /etc/hosts and static IP's, but not really big enough that using BIND and DHCPD is called for... It also work well when you need to be able to quickly and easily change the forwarding name servers. (Firewall systems that get the WAN information using DHCP.) Mikkel -- Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!
