On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 7:07 AM, Timothy Murphy <gayleard at alice.it> wrote: > Ljubomir Ljubojevic wrote: > >> Also, there should be distinction between default and max lease time. >> DHCP server uses default lease time too force DHCP client to "chek-in" >> in that time period. If device does not respond, then DHCP server will >> reuse that IP. >> >> Max lease time is used to allow DHCP client so the traffic is lesser and >> after that time DHCP client will ask for renewal of the IP. > > When is the max lease time used, as a matter of interest? > Looking at /var/log/messages on my home server, > it seems each device is checked after half the default time, > ie every 5 minutes. Devices aren't 'checked' by the server. It is up to the client to renew the lease and they normally try when the lease is halfway up if they are powered on and connected. But the IP stays reserved for the MAC address that has it until the max time and the client will normally request (and get) the IP it had last time unless it has been given out to something else. -- Les Mikesell lesmikesell at gmail.com