Running out of class 'C' addresses

[Guest]

Hi

I have DHCP servicing my physical network on a class 'C', trouble is that
the networks is outgrowing it and most of the scope is reserved, for
bar-coders, registers etc.. Is there a painless way of increasing the number
of addresses available without going up a class and manually changing all the
static IP clients?

 

[Phillip Windell]

It is a good idea to keep the number of hosts per segment below 250-300
which would fall right into the Class C which gives the default 254 hosts.

You could roll the mask back by one bit so it is a /23 bit mask instead or
/24, but I would recommend that you just buy a LAN Router (a used one on
Ebay if you have to) and add an additional 254 host block to the system. You
can either divide things up between them, or just leave your existing ones
right where they are and only add the "new" ones to the new subnet as they
get brought it.

On the DHCP you simply create a new Scope for the new subnet (No
Superscopes!) and then configure the LAN Router to relay the DHCP Queries to
the DHCP Server. The Router and the DHCP Server are smart enough to know
what to do with each other after that,...and you are all done!