Skip to content

Linux DHCP network configuration

Linux DHCP network configuration involves setting network interfaces to obtain an IP address dynamically from a DHCP server, typically within a virtualized environment like VMware.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]

Configuration Files

On Linux systems (specifically CentOS/RHEL based on the source syntax), network configurations are typically managed via interface files located in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]

DHCP Configuration

To enable DHCP, the configuration file (e.g., ifcfg-ens33) requires the following parameters:

  • BOOTPROTO: Set to dhcp to enable dynamic IP assignment.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]
  • ONBOOT: Set to yes to ensure the interface starts at boot.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]
  • DEVICE/NAME: Must match the interface identifier (e.g., ens33).^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]

Example configuration:

TYPE=Ethernet
BOOTPROTO=dhcp
DEFROUTE=yes
NAME=ens33
DEVICE=ens33
ONBOOT=yes

Static Configuration

In contrast to DHCP, a static IP configuration requires defining specific network parameters.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md] Key directives include:

  • BOOTPROTO: Set to static.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]
  • IPADDR: The desired static IP address.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]
  • PREFIX or NETMASK: Defines the subnet mask.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]
  • GATEWAY: The default gateway IP.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]
  • DNS1: The DNS server IP.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]

Hostname and Resolution

After network configuration, system identification is managed through the hostname and local host files.^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]

  • Setting Hostname: The hostnamectl utility is used to set the system's hostname^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md].
  • Local Resolution: The /etc/hosts file can be edited to map IP addresses to hostnames for local network resolution, useful for environments with multiple VMs^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md].
  • [[Static IP configuration]]
  • [[Network interface]]

Sources

^[600-developer__tools__vscode__vmware.md]