The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) provides a way to automate and manage the network configurations of devices that use the TCP/IP protocol suite. Without DHCP, network administrators must manually enter in IP addresses for each computer and network device and then manually change that address each time the device is moved to a different part of the network. The DHCP Handbook, Second Edition is a complete reference for understanding DHCP, deploying and managing DHCP services, and debugging problems with DHCP clients and servers. Chapters devoted to failover, authentication, Windows 2000, DHCPv6, and DHCP/DNS interaction reflect the recent updates to the standard and issues that are most pertinent to network planners and administrators. Throughout the book, the authors are careful to balance conceptual discussions of DHCP with detailed implementation examples and practical advice.