I am looking for a DHCP server I can run on Windows XP. I want this because I configure a lot of printers and they come set to DHCP and customers want static ip's, host names, and other settings changed which can all be done through a web interface much easier than a panel with a couple of arrows.

I tried this one. It works but I kept having to reboot the PC and or printer to get the printer to grab an address so I am looking for something better or if you have used this program tell me what I am doing wrong.

I've used tftpd32 for quick and dirty stuff like that in the past. I can't remember if I've used its DHCP server, though. Worth a shot.

Well I like tftpd32 better if only because he just has a zip so I don't have to install it.

Oops I put this in general.

Any reason you don't do this on the internet router's DHCP server? Many of those routers come with all the features you need in a SOHO DHCP server.

Because I am going to customers to configure their printers and I don't want to carry more cables, the router, and other things. With something on the laptop I just need the laptop and one cable.

Install VMware on the notebook, and then install a suitable Linux distro inside VMware. Configure it (VMware) for "bridged" networking, and now you can run genuine DHCP, firewall/NAT, SMTP, DNS, etc.. whatever you like, and without having to settle for second-rate.

Even better, reverse the situation: install Linux on the notebook, and then VMware on Linux, and put XP inside there. Except I don't actually see any need for XP in your stated work scenario.

Cheers

Moved.

What? Are you leaving that laptop at your client's to act as a DHCP server? I'm pretty sure Tony wasn't suggesting you carry anything with you, but configure whatever router is on the client's network.

I don't know how a DHCP server running on your own portable machine is going to help but to set up a 1-time IP. Won't it just get wiped the next time the printers are rebooted? Does your client not have an existing DHCP service running on their network?

Do the printers also tend to support RFC3330/RFC3927 address autoconfiguration, a.k.a. the 169.254.x.y thing that Karma does? If so, you don't need DHCP; your XP laptop and the printer will work it out among themselves.

Peter

I'd also recommend installing Bonjour for Windows. Yes, it's an evil dreaded Apple open source technology, but most network printers support it, and will expose their web config site to IE or Safari. All you would have to do is plug in a network cable to the printer, and to the laptop, and wait a few moments for the 169.254 address to be settled on. If the printer supports bonjour, it must support self IP assigning.

He wants to setup a DHCP server so he can change the settings via the web interface instead of via the front panel.

I disagree. Bonjour added one of those irritating freeze-your-computer-for-30-seconds network timeout thingys to every startup, shutdown, and hibernate for my computer.

Never seen that behavior, Windows [XP/7] at [home/work] [boot/shutdown] at the same speed with or without Bonjour.

I encountered it on Vista.

Well there's your problem... :-P

That might explain one of the many issues that plagued my home Vista install. Well, outside the issues of dealing with multiple video cards, deciding to randomly blue screen, and so on. I'm just glad I never paid any real money for Vista.

Yes they do the 169.x.x.x thing so should I have the laptop set to dhcp to use this as well ? That would be the simplest solution.

Yeah, if Windows is set to get a DHCP address and fails, then it self-assigns a link-local address.

That said, how are you going to find the IP addresses of those printers? Link-local addresses are randomly chosen from a set of 65024 possibilities.

That said, how were you going to find the DHCP-provided addresses?

I can look on the printer screen and get the address. I would be near the machines I just don't want to put in everything using a couple buttons.

When I used Tiny DHCP I set it to only give out one address then the printer always got the same address so that might be easier than the local link address method. I will have to play with the server you linked and see what method is easier.

This Sourceforge project could work.

This seems to say that the XP resource cd has something on it.

Or you could try
http://www.brothersoft.com/magikdhcp-server-5569.html