How to choose router’s connection type for your network?

Normally, a router has 3 connection types, PPPoE, DHCP and Static IP. What’s the difference between them? How should you choose the correct connection type for your home network? This article will give you an answer.

PPPoE needs authenticating first. Only when your account password is correct, will it assign a valid IP to you. It is a specification for connecting the users on an Ethernet to the Internet through a common broadband medium, such as a single DSL line, wireless device or cable modem. In this connection type, the Internet Service Provider(ISP) will give you a username and a password, which are used to dial your ISP and establish a connection. But in today’s networks, with modems incorporated into the connection, you can simply set your username and password only once and your modem can automatically connect to the network whenever you turn it on.

Application scenario 1

You have a cable modem router and you want to establish a network. Then you are supposed to use PPPoE connection type with the cable modem router to connect to the Internet.

Application scenario 2

If you have a modem and a normal router. Then you can adopt PPPoE connection type for the router to connect to the Internet.

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DHCP doesn’t need authenticating, and the IP will be assigned automatically to you by the DHCP server from all the Internet IP addresses. It is a standardized client/server network protocol that dynamically assigns IP addresses and other related configuration information to network devices. DHCP is a way for a network to allocate unique IP addresses to the devices (i.e. computers, smartphones, and Gigabit Ethernet switch, etc.) within it so that traffic can be delivered back-n-forth without confusion. So, as for DHCP, it is typically used to dynamically assign IP addresses to a LAN or the Internet.

Application scenario 1

You have a modem (support PPPoE connection) and a router, but your modem doesn’t support wireless function, and you need the router to get your wireless devices to connect to the WiFi. In this scenario, you can adopt PPPoE connection for your modem and adopt DHCP connection for the router. Then the router can get a random IP address from the modem. The connection diagram is as follows.

Application scenario 2

You already have a modem and a old router, and you want to add a new router to expand the WiFi range. In this scenario, you can try to adopt PPPoE connection for your modem, adopt DHCP connection for the old router and adopt DCHP connection for the new router. Then the new router can get a random IP address from the old router. The connection diagram is as follows.

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A static IP address is an address that is permanently assigned to your network devices by your ISP, and does not change even if your device reboots. The static IP address requires manual configurations, and you need to input the IP address, the subnet mask, the default gateway and the DNS server. A static IP address is more likely to be relevant for a business, while a dynamic IP address is appropriate for a home network.

Application scenario 1

In a company, your ISP provide a static IP address for your business network. Then you can adopt Static IP connection for the router. The connection diagram is as follows.

Conclusion

Both PPPoE, DHCP and Static IP are critical in connecting to the network, which works to acquire an IP address. What distinguishes them is the methods to obtain IP. Their differences are shown in the table below.