DHCP question with Router, AP, Client Bridge in one network

[roldogg]

I've read and heard about how these should be setup in a network multiple ways. My network is currently configured this way, but I have a question about how the DHCP should be setup. My primary router is 192.168.1.1, my AP is .2, and my client bridge is .3.

On my primary router, I have both the AP and the Client Bridge (setup using DD-WRT) with static IP addresses, and I have my range on the DHCP server set from 192.168.1.2 to .254. Most devices on my network also have static IPs, and I can access any device and any of these router's setup interface no matter which one I'm connected to. Is there any problems with this setup? I've read where some people would use 192.168.1.4 as their starting DHCP range and leave the AP and the client bridge out of the DHCP range. What's the difference?

Only my primary router is setup to use DHCP and assign IP addresses, so I never have any IP conflicts or anything. This is just something I've been curious about since I've read different ways people do it. Same with the AP. I've read where some people say I should use different SSIDs, but I'm using the same one throughout the house. Can someone answer this for me so I can quit wondering?

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[abailey]

If your DHCP range overlaps some static IP devices then it is possible that the DHCP server will hand out that IP and there will be a conflict with the device you have a static IP on. Therefore, it is best practice to exclude static IP's from your DHCP range.

 

[theveterans]

Another way to make sure that there are no IP conflicts is to basically DHCP reserve the MAC of the client bridges and APs.

 

[sfx2000]

for the 192.168 blocks, I typically will set the DHCP scope to start at 100, e.g. 192.168.1.100 and range it out a bit - 50 addresses is probably more than needed.

This gives me flexibility to manage address ranges above and below - fixed assets at .2 to .99, and VPN ranges I typically will start at .200 and above...

 

[fistv]

for the 192.168 blocks, I typically will set the DHCP scope to start at 100, e.g. 192.168.1.100 and range it out a bit - 50 addresses is probably more than needed.

This gives me flexibility to manage address ranges above and below - fixed assets at .2 to .99, and VPN ranges I typically will start at .200 and above...

Agree, no reason for 150+ dhcp addresses on a home consumer product. I keep printers and servers below x.x.x.100 and network devices [switches, AP's] x.x.x.240 and above.

 

[azazel1024]

I go with Router at .1, DHCP range up to .100 and then I do static addresses for all of my networking fixed infrastructure at 254 counting backwards (main AP at .254, secondary AP at .253, Switches at .252, .251 and .250 and again the router at .1).

I do have some fixed reservations for my server and desktop (they have multiple NICs, so multiple reservations), just because sometimes I need to actually remember the IP addresses for stuff and I don't want to have to do a lookup.

 

[roldogg]

I guess I should do this. I never have any IP conflicts probably because most of my devices are setup with a static IP address. I've always kept the range pretty much open but didn't have any sort of guidelines for my devices and their IP addresses. So if you give a client a static IP, that static IP should be outside of your DHCP range?

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[doubleroll]

I guess I should do this. I never have any IP conflicts probably because most of my devices are setup with a static IP address. I've always kept the range pretty much open but didn't have any sort of guidelines for my devices and their IP addresses. So if you give a client a static IP, that static IP should be outside of your DHCP range?

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Yes or you can reserve an IP for a particular MAC address...

 

[azazel1024]

I guess I should do this. I never have any IP conflicts probably because most of my devices are setup with a static IP address. I've always kept the range pretty much open but didn't have any sort of guidelines for my devices and their IP addresses. So if you give a client a static IP, that static IP should be outside of your DHCP range?

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Deffinitely. A DHCP reservation is different though, that can/is/should be within the DHCP range.

I am kind of suprised you haven't seen any conflicts. Most DHCP servers start giving out reservations at the bottom of the range and work their way to the top of the range as reservations are taken. Though I suppose it is possible that the router/DHCP server was being smart and saw the ARP traffic for the devices with static IPs and marked those IP addresses in the resevation list as not valid for leasing (for example, my router shows all devices on my LAN and their IP address (though can/does only resolve the host name when that device requests an address from the DHCP server, so I have a few persistant "unknown" clients on my network, because they have static IPs outside my DHCP range)).