If you work on a network at home or at your office, you probably already know that multiple devices can be connected at one time to your network. However, have you ever stopped to think of how these devices are identified? They are identified by the DHCP Client ID.
First, What Is DHCP?
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. When this is enabled through your network, devices that connect will be automatically assigned an IP address without the need for you to go in and do this manually. This is ideal in office settings where employees are connecting to the internet through their laptops, computers, and smartphones.
In order for DHCP to work, it has to be enabled on a computer, which can be easily done through the Network Setting Properties. Once enabled, IP addresses will be automatically assigned without the need for you to do so manually.
What Are DHCP Client IDs?
Now that you know what DHCP is, it will be a little easier to understand the definition of a DHCP Client ID. DHCP is a protocol that allows clients, or devices, to connect to the network. These clients have their own IDs that identify themselves on the network. Typically, this is the Media Access Control, or MAC address, that is the serial number of the network adapter for the connected device, although sometimes, a separate client ID may also be used in addition to the MAC address.
Custom DHCP Client IDs
As previously mentioned, the MAC address is typically the Client ID through DHCP, but the administrator can override this to create custom IDs. This can be done if an administrator wants to be able to instantly identify any new clients that are accessing the network.
These settings can be accessed through the properties menu of your Network Settings on your PC or the System Preferences through your Mac.
Resources
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/what-is-a-dhcp-client-id
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E26502\_01/html/E28991/geflo.html#clientid