Linux DHCP Server: Installation and Configuration (Complete Guide 2026)

🌐 SUMMARY: The DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is essential for automating IP address assignment on a Linux network. Discover how to install and configure a robust DHCP server on Debian, Ubuntu, or CentOS.

Installing a DHCP server simplifies the management of your IT infrastructure by avoiding IP address conflicts and tedious manual configurations.

1. DHCP Server Installation

On Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions, we use the isc-dhcp-server package.

sudo apt update && sudo apt install isc-dhcp-server

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2. Network Interface Configuration

Edit the /etc/default/isc-dhcp-server file to specify the interface the server should listen on (e.g., eth0 or enp0s3).

INTERFACESv4="eth0"

3. Configuring the dhcpd.conf File

This is where you define your address range (pool). Edit /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf:

subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
  range 192.168.1.50 192.168.1.150;
  option routers 192.168.1.1;
  option domain-name-servers 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4;
  default-lease-time 600;
  max-lease-time 7200;
}

💡 TIP: To set a static IP address for a specific machine (reservation), use its MAC address in a host section.

Once configured, don’t forget to secure your infrastructure, for example by following our guide on global IT security.