Patent ID: 8543674

Claim:
A method of configuring a router to provide DHCP IP address services to a number of network clients sending messages to the router to request IP addresses, wherein the network clients connect to a network via the router which is under the control of a control system, the method comprising the steps of: i) obtaining configuration instructions at the router by sending messages from the router to the control system to request configurations for DHCP services; ii) receiving, at the router from the control system, configuration instructions generated by the control system based on a determination of whether the router should act, for a network client requesting an IP address from the router, as a DHCP server or a relay agent for an external DHCP server, wherein said determination is made by the control system according to at least one pre-defined criterion; and iii)) configuring the router in accordance with the configuration instructions to: a) in response to at least one client request, act as a DHCP server and provide an IP address; and b) in response to at least one other client request, act as a relay agent and forward the request from said at least one other client to an external DHCP server and forward an IP address response from the external DHCP server to said at least one other client.