Cisco Packet Tracer
LAN with DHCP Server — Step-by-Step Guide
Network: Switch0 + Server0 (DHCP) + PC0 + Laptop0
Step 1 — Set Up the Workspace
Open Cisco Packet Tracer. From the bottom device panel, drag the following devices onto
the canvas:
• 1× Switch — type: 2950-24 (label: Switch0)
• 1× Server-PT (label: Server0)
• 1× PC-PT (label: PC0)
• 1× Laptop-PT (label: Laptop0)
Arrange them loosely on the canvas. The exact positions do not matter at this stage.
Image 1 — Initial workspace with four devices placed on the canvas
Step 2 — Connect Devices with Cables
Select the Copper Straight-Through cable from the connections panel (solid black line).
Connect each device to Switch0 using its FastEthernet0 port:
• Laptop0 FastEthernet0 ↔ Switch0 FastEthernet0/1
• PC0 FastEthernet0 ↔ Switch0 FastEthernet0/2
• Server0 FastEthernet0 ↔ Switch0 FastEthernet0/3
The result is a star topology with Switch0 at the centre. Link indicator dots will start orange,
then turn green once the interfaces come up.
Image 2 — Star topology: Laptop0, PC0, and Server0 all connected to Switch0
Step 3 — Assign a Static IP to Server0
Click Server0 to open its configuration window. Navigate to:
• Config tab → INTERFACE section → FastEthernet0
Set the IP Configuration to Static and enter the following values:
• IPv4 Address: [Link]
• Subnet Mask: [Link]
Leave the IPv6 address fields blank. The Link Local Address will auto-populate.
Image 3 — FastEthernet0 interface before entering the IP address
Image 4 — Static IP [Link] / [Link] entered on Server0
Step 4 — Configure the Default Gateway on Server0
While still in Server0, navigate to:
• Config tab → GLOBAL → Settings
Under Gateway/DNS IPv4, make sure Static is selected. Enter:
• Default Gateway: [Link]
This points the server back to its own IP since there is no router in this flat LAN. Leave the
DNS Server field blank.
Image 5 — Global Settings before entering the gateway
Image 6 — Default Gateway set to [Link]
Step 5 — Enable DHCP Service on Server0
In Server0, navigate to:
• Services tab → DHCP
Ensure the Service radio button is set to On. Fill in the pool fields as follows:
• Pool Name: serverPool
• Default Gateway: [Link] (leave as-is — no router in this LAN)
• DNS Server: [Link] (leave as-is)
• Start IP Address: [Link]
• Subnet Mask: [Link]
• Maximum Users: 155
Click Save. The pool will appear in the table at the bottom of the DHCP panel. Client devices
will receive IPs starting from [Link].
Image 7 — DHCP service configured with pool serverPool (start IP [Link])
Step 6 — Set PC0 and Laptop0 to DHCP
Configure each client device to obtain its IP address automatically:
• Click PC0 → Desktop tab → IP Configuration → select DHCP
• Click Laptop0 → Desktop tab → IP Configuration → select DHCP
Wait a few seconds. Both devices should receive addresses from the 192.168.1.x pool (e.g.
PC0 gets [Link] and Laptop0 gets [Link]). All link indicators should now be
green.
Step 7 — Test Connectivity with Ping
There are two ways to verify the network is working:
Option A — Command Prompt ping
Click PC0 → Desktop → Command Prompt, then type:
ping [Link]
A successful ping returns four replies. You can also ping Server0 at [Link].
Option B — Simulation mode (visual ping)
Switch to Simulation mode (bottom-right toggle). Click Add Simple PDU, then click Laptop0
as the source and PC0 as the destination. Click Play. The packet envelope will travel
through the switch and arrive at PC0. The event log at the bottom will show Last Status:
Successful.
Image 8 — Simulation mode showing a successful ICMP ping from Laptop0 to PC0
Network Summary
The completed network has the following IP configuration:
• Server0 — [Link] / [Link] (static)
• PC0 — [Link] / [Link] (DHCP)
• Laptop0 — [Link] / [Link] (DHCP)
• Switch0 — no IP required (Layer 2 device)
All devices are on the same subnet ([Link]/24) and can communicate with each other
directly through the switch without needing a router or default gateway.