switch with DHCP server capability

[lifespeed]

I need a gigabit switch that can hand out DHCP addresses, ideally 16 to 24 ports. This is for 13 computers used as cash registers/scanners in a portable (laptops, but wired ethernet) environment. Mostly, there won't be an internet connection available so the usual role of a router as DHCP server won't really exist. I might occasionally tether a smartphone to one of the computers and "share" the internet connection, but I don't really see this as an application where a router is appropriate. And I am running windows 10, only two of the computers have windows 10 pro.

Any recommends for a switch, probably layer 3, that can hand out DHCP addresses and do DHCP address reservation so the laptops get the same IP every time based on their MAC address? I would rather not use static IPs on the computers as this breaks their connection if they ever get connected to a different subnet.

Oh, and as always, price is a concern. Not really wanting to buy a $400 switch if possible.

 

[System Error Message]

You're looking at a fully managed switch. Cisco and juniper high end switches would be such. In the lower cost theres ubiquiti and mikrotik switches that are also routers so also have router capabilities.

 

[lifespeed]

Thanks, got the Ubiquiti EdgeLite-24. Couldn't figure out the DHCP address reservation in time, just had to use it with static IP for the event this weekend. The menus seem to indicate considerable configurability, which can be difficult to understand.

 

[sfx2000]

One can hand0ff DHCP to a lower layer, just watch settings...

Sometimes, better to manage DHCP at a layer above a managed switch...

 

[lifespeed]

Sometimes, better to manage DHCP at a layer above a managed switch...

I think you are right. But when I bought this switch I had no intent to connect the network to the internet. So the usual router/gateway function of assigning addresses via DHCP was not there. And I don't run a Windows Server domain either, seems a bit overkill for what I need. Sooooo . . . a switch that handles DHCP seemed like a good idea. I guess the jury is still out on that one.

However, an entirely different headache is Windows 10 absolutely hates to connect to a network without an internet gateway. It is flummoxed by a network with no internet connection, and dumps it into the Public Network category firewalling off useful network traffic. It refuses to allow you to change it to a private network, apparently as far as windows is concerned it isn't really a network at all if it lacks internet access. It won't even make an entry in the registry for the network (which is one place to manually change it from public to private).

So it appears that in order to make windows happy I must connect some kind ethernet cellular IP gateway to the Ubiquiti switch so that Windows will behave as if it is on a private network and allow traffic without me disabling the firewall and static-IP'ing all the computers to enable communications.

 

[System Error Message]

The issue with windows is the same with windows vista and above, all of them have the same attitude.

The problem is you cannot have dual gateways in windows. Linux has no issue with this. For example i can combine NICs and use virtual NICs so i can have 2 networks, both can have a gateway and it will still work fine but i cannot do any of this in windows.

 

[lifespeed]

The issue with windows is the same with windows vista and above, all of them have the same attitude.

The problem is you cannot have dual gateways in windows. Linux has no issue with this. For example i can combine NICs and use virtual NICs so i can have 2 networks, both can have a gateway and it will still work fine but i cannot do any of this in windows.

I was not trying to use dual gateways, the issues arose when I had a network set up without an internet gateway. In the future I will probably buy a cellular IP gateway with ethernet port that can serve as the gateway for this network, if for no other reason than to allow windows to behave and configure as a private network. Seems ridiculous, but I want to be able to attach computers to the network and have them pull a reserved address without tech support intervention (turn off windows firewall, set appropriate static IP address).

 

[System Error Message]

you can have a fake gateway

 

[lifespeed]

you can have a fake gateway

Please elaborate.

 

[sfx2000]

Actually, one doesn't need a "Fake" gateway, just either need a DHCP server, or manually assigned static IP's within the network - a "Gateway" is only needed if one is trying to join another network..

RaspPI running Raspian with DNSMasq can act as a small isolated LAN/DHCHP server...

 

[lifespeed]

Actually, one doesn't need a "Fake" gateway, just either need a DHCP server, or manually assigned static IP's within the network - a "Gateway" is only needed if one is trying to join another network.

Please re-read post 5. I know about static IP, and the switch has a DHCP server built-in (although I haven't yet been able to get it to work). The goal is to be able to plug in a Windows 10 PC and have it pull an address pre-assigned by DHCP and not hard-code it as a public network, which is what happens without a gateway. Windows won't let you change it to a private network, indeed doesn't even recognize it as a network at all if it doesn't have internet. Then the Windows firewall must be disabled so the PCs can communicate on the network.