# Activate the internal DHCP server on a engine interface

You can use the internal DHCP server in a Single Engine or Engine Cluster to assign IPv4 addresses to hosts in the protected network.

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This solution is meant for small installations. It might be more practical to assign the IP addresses using the engine rather than relay the DHCP requests from a separately maintained local DHCP server or from some other site’s DHCP server through a VPN.

The internal DHCP server can be set up independently on several Physical Interfaces, VLAN Interfaces, and Port Group Interfaces of an integrated Switch. When VLAN or Port Group Interfaces are configured, the DHCP server must be set up separately for each VLAN or Port Group. Only IPv4 addresses are supported. To use this feature, the Engine interface must have at least one IPv4 address.

Note: You can use the internal DHCP server to provide IP addresses to the VPN client Virtual Adapter only if you use Single Engines as VPN gateways.

For more details about the product and how to configure features, click Help or press F1.

## Steps

1. Right-click a Security Engine, then select Edit <element type>.
2. Browse to Interfaces.
3. Right-click a Physical Interface, VLAN Interface, SSID Interface, or Port Group Interface, then select Edit <interface type>.
4. On the DHCPv4 tab, select DHCPv4 Server from the DHCP Mode drop-down list.
5. Configure the settings, then click OK.
6. Click Save and Refresh to transfer the new configuration to the Security Engine.