Configuring the Printer for the Network
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Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) provides a mechanism for
delivering IP configuration parameters, including the IP address, Subnet mask
and default gateway, to devices (hosts) on an IP network. A DHCP server man-
ages the pool of available IP addresses and grants device requests for an IP ad-
dress.
At power-up, the Network Interface Board broadcasts a DHCP request for an IP
address. If a DHCP server is present the request might be processed, and an IP
address might be returned to the Network Interface Board. Upon receipt of the
IP address, the Network Interface Board resets, and prints a network configura-
tion page. The network configuration page might list the new IP address (and
Subnet mask and default gateway). Once an IP address has been assigned to the
Network Interface Board, it might no longer broadcast DHCP requests.
Important
❒
Network Interface Board IP address assignment by DHCP works only if the
Network Interface Board does not have an existing IP address.
The DHCP server leases a temporary IP address which expires after a period, or
leases a permanent or unlimited lease which does not expire.
Devices that are granted a temporary lease are notified before the lease expires
and asked if they would like to extend the lease. The Network Interface Board
continues extending its lease indefinitely (unless prohibited by your DHCP
server configuration) and thus maintain a consistent IP address.
Important
❒
If the Network Interface Board is not turned on or is not connected to the net-
work during the period when the DHCP server is sending requests to extend
the lease, the lease will not be extended. The DHCP server might cancel the
lease and might assign the IP address to another device. Therefore, it is highly
recommended to explicitly reserve an IP address for the Network Interface
Board in your DHCP server configuration.
If you prefer not to use DHCP for IP address assignment, it can be disabled using
the NIB Setup Tool. The NIB Setup Tool allows you to use a Wizard or a Prop-
erty Sheet to configure the Network Interface Board. Use the Property Sheet to
disable this feature. After you select the Network Interface Board with the NIB
Setup Tool, click
[
Configure
]
and then click the
[
TCP/IP
]
tab. If you prefer not to
use DHCP, select
[
Specify an IP Address
]
and set the IP address, the subnet mask
and the default gateway address.