Home Server/lab domain, should I use router as DHCP, or Server?

[renxwar]

I have a home Server that is mainly used as a file server, Plex Media Server, and VM host for testing/training purposes. I am wondering what the best option would be for DHCP. The Server is on 24/7. Would it be best to use the Server for the DHCP role, or the built-in DHCP in the router? What are the advantages/disadvantages of both?

Server:
Server 2008 R2
Xeon 1245v2
16gb DDR3 memory
3tb WD Red HD

Network:
ASUS RT-N56u

Clients:
Server is hardwired, has 3 VM guests
3-5 laptops running on Wifi
3 Rokus running on Wifi
5+ mobile devices running on Wifi

 

[choucove]

You have a nice quality network wireless router, so I'd say you are probably best off just using the DHCP built in to the router. First, some network devices don't like to hand out that job to other devices within their network very nicely (such as to an internal server.) Second, running the DHCP on the router leaves your server isolated from your underlying network in a lab environment which is nice if you need to make regular changes or modifications to your network settings (which is often the case in a lab or testing purposes.) And usually for a small home or office situation the only way I'd recommend NOT using the DHCP service built into the router is if for some reason the router is greatly under powered or causing issues with the network address configuration (such as being unable to hand out statically assigned IP addresses if needed.)

 

[dbhosttexas]

It all depends on your authentication model for your network. Is that server running any sort of Active Directory authentication services? If so you will need the DNS to automatically update from whatever DHCP is setting things. In that case it is FAR easier to let the Windows Server take on that role.

Just set the router with a static assignment for 1 IP, to the MAC address of the servers NIC, then limit the DHCP scope to that one IP.
Next on your server, set the DHCP scope to your entire subnet excluding the IP of the server itself, and the IP of the router.

FWIW, nice setup by the way. That Asus router is a nice one!