Make Windows 7 act as a DHCP Server

Question

Hi,

is it possible to make Windows 7 act as a DHCP server (IP address provider) for a LAN? If yes, is it still possible even if Internet Connection Sharing is activated (and so Windows 7 configures static IP adresses)?

Thanks.

Answer 1

To the best of my knowledge, the only way to make Windows 7 act as a DHCP server (without 3rd-party software) is to enable Internet Connection Sharing.  ICS assigns a static IP address to the host computer's LAN connection, and its DHCP server assigns dynamic IP addresses to the other LAN computers.

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Boulder Computer Maven

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional

Answer 2

I didn't recommend disabling UMTS prior to enabling ICS.  Do that after enabling ICS, in order to change the Local Area network from "Public" to "Home" or "Work".

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Boulder Computer Maven

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional

Answer 3

I've tried. It does not work.

I have:

• 1 Ethernet connection (links the Windows 7 PC with my LAN - i.e. my laptop)
• 1 UMTS connection (links the Windows 7 PC to the Internet)

When the UMTS connection was disabled, I followed the steps in the page that you've linked and the result was that I was able to set the network as Work but still I was not able to set it as an Home network (i.e., the network was still identified as an "Unidentified network", I couldn't change the name of the network and I could't access the Network Profile dialog - the one that let you choose between Home/Work/Private). Needless to say, now Windows 7 has reset the network as a Public Unidentified network.

Any other suggestions?

Answer 4

When you enable ICS on the host computer's Internet connection, the host computer acts as a DHCP server on the local area network.  You don't need a 3rd-party DHCP server.

After enabling ICS, you can make the host computer's Local Area connection a Home/Work/Private connection (they're the same thing), not a Public one: follow the three steps in Reply #2 from SKJoy2001 in the How to change the network type? message in the Windows 7 and 8 Forum . 

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Boulder Computer Maven

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional

Answer 5

If I use 3rd party software (because I need that Windows 7 recognizes my LAN as an Home network, not as a Public one... I guess this happens because there is no DHCP Server and Windows 7 won't allow me to change the network's profile, reporting it as an "Unidentified network"), then do I still need ICS to share the Internet connection with the PCs in my LAN?

By the way, could you suggest me a software that acts as a DHCP Server that is compatible with Windows 7?

Thank you.