How to Enable DHCP

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A simple guide to turning on DHCP on your Windows or Mac computer

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: April 25, 2025

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• Windows 10 and 8
|
• Mac OS X
|
• Windows 7 and Vista
|
• Windows XP

|Show more |Show less

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network protocol that allows a server to automatically assign an IP address to your computer. Enabling DHCP can help prevent configuration errors by assigning a unique IP address to your computer, as well as prevent loss of service due to sharing the same IP address with another computer on your network.

Things You Should Know

• On Windows, open Network Connections, click your connection, expand its TCP/IP properties, then click "Obtain an IP address automatically."
• On a Mac, open the Network panel of System Preferences, click your connection, select "Using DHCP" from the menu, and then click "Apply."

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Windows 10 and 8

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1. 
   1
   Navigate to the desktop and press the Windows + X keys. This will open the Power User Task menu.

   • If you're using an older version of Windows, jump to instructions for Windows 7, Vista, and Windows XP,
2. 
   2
   Click on “Network Connections,” then select either “Ethernet” or “Wi-Fi,” based on your Internet connection type. This will open the network connection status window.
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3. 
   3
   Click on “Properties,” then select “Internet Protocol Version 4.”
4. 
   4
   Click on “Properties,” then place checkmarks next to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically.”
5. 
   5
   Click on “OK,” then close the network connection status window. DHCP will now be enabled on your Windows 10 or Windows 8 computer.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Mac OS X

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1. 
   1
   Click on the Apple menu and select “System Preferences.” This will open the System Preferences menu.
2. 
   2
   Click on “Network,” then select your Internet connection type from the left pane. For example, if using an Ethernet Internet connection, select “Ethernet.”
3. 
   3
   Click on the dropdown menu next to “Configure IPv4” and select “Using DHCP.”
4. 
   4
   Click on “Apply,” then close the System Preferences window. DHCP will now be enabled.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Windows 7 and Vista

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1. 
   1
   Click on the Start menu and select “Control Panel.” This will open the Control Panel menu.
2. 
   2
   Click on “Network and Sharing Center,” then click on “Local Area Connection” under “View your active networks.” This will open the Local Area Connection Status window.
3. 
   3
   Click on “Properties,” then select “Internet Protocol Version 4.”
4. 
   4
   Click on “Properties,” then place checkmarks next to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically.”
5. 
   5
   Click on “OK,” then close the network connection status window. DHCP will now be enabled on your Windows 7 or Windows Vista computer.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Windows XP

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1. 
   1
   Click on the Start menu and select “Control Panel.” This will open the Control Panel menu.
2. 
   2
   Double-click on “Network Connections,” or “Network and Internet Connections.”
3. 
   3
   Right-click on “Local Area Connection,” then click on “Properties.”
4. 
   4
   Click on “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP),” then click on “Properties.”
5. 
   5
   Place checkmarks next to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically.”
6. 
   6
   Click on “OK.” DHCP will now be enabled.
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