Your IP address may change depending on your network settings and service provider.
Your IP address may change depending on your network settings and service provider.
Yes, you could fix the server's IP address to a fixed range between 201 and 255. This change is made directly on the server, not through DHCP.
I see. That's a cool trick! And I like cool tricks! But surely this can only be guaranteed to work well with a single static IP client (such as a server in this example)? If you start piling on one and two, and three static IP clients in the 201-255 range, surely they will run into a conflict eventually at some point in time when two or more of them try to use the same IP.
This ensures unique identification for each device. When multiple units are present, they receive distinct IP addresses. This helps them be recognized properly within the network. If many people share a name and shout the same word, it can cause confusion.
The best approach is to configure the server with a fixed IP address and leave the router untouched. DHCP can automatically assign an available IP through negotiation. Many newer routers will reassign existing connections to a different free address if a client tries to use one that's already taken. As mentioned, there’s no need to interact with the router at all. Just assign the server a static IP, and the router will consistently allocate it via DHCP. This method prevents conflicts because DHCP never gives an address that another device is using. It’s wise to choose a high-range number (like 192.168.x.250) so the chance of overlap is minimal. Once the server connects and requests a static IP, the router will always reserve that address for you.
This feature is already included in DHCP as a service. You can find more details on the Wikipedia page about Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.
I prefer not to hardcode IP addresses directly on devices. Instead, I assign static DHCP leases through the router. This way, I don’t have to interact with my equipment if I need to modify parts of the network or split it into subnets—just log in to the router and tweak the leases as needed. It also helps when devices provide a preferred hostname during a DHCP request; the router caches that name along with its IP, enabling local DNS resolution instead of typing the address each time. There are more advanced features too, such as transmitting PXE data via DHCP or adding static routes, all managed automatically by the router rather than manually on any device.
Setting a fixed IP means DHCP is completely unnecessary, therefore no.
Splitting into subnets doesn't seem harder with DHCP. For hostname caching, I rely on hostnames regularly. My Ras Pi 4 runs on RaspberryPi, the NAS is on NAS, and Pi Hole uses it via Docker on the NAS. Everything functions smoothly. Keep in mind I'm using the NAS as my DNS for Pi Hole.