Studying networks in computer science is very important. Without the knowledge of computer networks, people cannot understand the way computers work and the connection behind them. The two important connection protocols in computer networks are DHCP and BOOTP. DHCP is a network management protocol, and BOOTP is an internet protocol.
DHCP vs BOOTP
The main difference between DHCP and BOOTP is that the mobile machines are supported by DHCP. Whereas mobile machines are not supported by BOOTP. The lease duration of DHCP is lesser than the lease duration of BOOTP. DHCP provides a temporary IP address, but it has been limited to a certain period. The temporary IP addressing service is not provided by BOOTP.
DHCP is used for reducing network administration. It is one of the reliable IP address configurations. It will not slow down the internet. The DHCP server is almost used in all the home routers. In some cases, people will use a raspberry pi as a DHCP server on some other computers. On your Windows operating system, you can install and run a third-party DHCP server.
BOOTP can be used to configure the host along with the host address and bootstrap info. It is widely used in various types of networks. For enabling the BOOTP service, you have to do it via DHCP. The biggest disadvantage is that they don’t provide security. They will simply send the information to whoever asks. They think that your network is configured for making the server world accessible.
Comparison Table Between DHCP and BOOTP
| Parameters of Comparison | DHCP | BOOTP |
| Expansion | Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol | Bootstrap Protocol |
| Temporary IP addressing | It will provide. | It will not provide. |
| Mobile machines | It will support. | It does not support. |
| Configuration | It uses auto-configuration. | It uses manual configuration. |
| Clients | BOOTP clients are supported here. | DHCP clients are not supported here. |
What is DHCP?
It is a network management protocol. This is used for configuring devices in IP networks. It allows using network services such as NTP, UDP, DNS, and TCP. If you find any chance of misbehavior in the networks, you can switch off the DHCP. Sometimes there will be unsecured networks and wrong configurations. These are the only cases where people will switch off DHCP. In normal cases, it is one of the best solutions for providing IP addresses.
It ensures that the router is not assigned to any other devices in the network. Creating a DHCP server is simple. It can be done with some simple steps. The first step is to click Add. It will open the DHCP server. For the second step, you need to select an interface. In the third step, you need to click Next. For the fourth step, you need to select the network environment for the server.
In the fifth step, you need to click Next. For the sixth step, you have to configure the static IP address. In the last step, you need to configure the DHCP settings. The best thing about using DHCP is it can manage the IP addresses on its own. The downside of using DHCP is it is difficult to trace the internet activity. Because the machine might have two or more different IP addresses in it. If you don’t have a static IP, then you cannot use DHCP as their IP will change.
What is BOOTP?
It is used in internet protocol for assigning an IP address to network devices using a configuration server. With the help of BOOTP, a client can find their IP address. They can also find the name of the load file from a server. A client can easily find this information without interrupting the user of the client. BOOTP was defined originally in RFC 951. In Mac, it is a network service that automatically learns various network parameters.
It can be enabled and disabled using the front panel. They are used in a diskless environment without media because all the data will be stored in the network cloud for efficient use. It is a transfer of data between a server and a client for sending and receiving requests. It also sends the corresponding responses using a network server. It uses motherboards and network managers, so no external storage outside the network is required.
You can use the BOOTP client on any device that needs to be configured. BOOTP server is a network device that is specially used for responding to BOOTP client requests. It can be programmed with addressing and other information then clients can provide this information whenever required. It is the basis of the advanced network management protocol. It is used during the bootstrap process when the computer is in the initial starting stage.
Main Differences Between DHCP and BOOTP
- The duration of the lease period in DHCP is eight days for Microsoft and one day for cisco routers. On the other hand, the duration of the lease period in BOOTP is 30 days.
- DHCP is used required disks for storing and forwarding the required information. On the other hand, BOOTP is for providing information to workstations or diskless computers.
- In DHCP, IP can be provided only when the OS is fully loaded. On the other hand, in BOOTP, IP can be provided when the computer is loading.
- Mobile machines are supported by DHCP. On the other hand, mobile machines are not supported by BOOTP.
- DHCP uses auto configuration. On the other hand, BOOTP uses manual configuration.
Conclusion
Both these network protocols are important for giving a secure connection. In BOOTP, DHCP connections are involved. So, having good knowledge about DHCP is very important when it comes to giving connections in BOOTP. Both have simple steps to follow for giving connection. Both offer a lease period by Microsoft and Cisco routers.
These connections can be easily installed in your Windows Operating System. Their operations have a different way, and they work in different types for different situations. But the downside of BOOTP is it will not support any mobile machines. Whereas mobile machines are supported by DHCP. So, this becomes an advantage.
References
- https://www.grdjournals.com/uploads/article/GRDJE/V01/I01/0015/Published_file_2015_12_29_10_35_30.pdf
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01200851