MikroTik DHCP server setup and static leases

Last updated: 2 October 2026

The DHCP server hands out addresses to the devices on your network. On MikroTik it has three parts: a pool of addresses, the server on an interface, and the network settings clients receive.

The quick way

/ip dhcp-server setup

Choose the interface and accept the suggested values. The interface needs an IP address first.

By hand

/ip address add address=192.168.88.1/24 interface=bridge
/ip pool add name=lan-pool ranges=192.168.88.10-192.168.88.254
/ip dhcp-server add name=lan-dhcp interface=bridge address-pool=lan-pool lease-time=1d disabled=no
/ip dhcp-server network add address=192.168.88.0/24 gateway=192.168.88.1 dns-server=192.168.88.1

Give a device a fixed address

/ip dhcp-server lease print
/ip dhcp-server lease make-static [find address=192.168.88.50]

Or create it directly:

/ip dhcp-server lease add address=192.168.88.20 mac-address=AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF comment="printer"

Useful settings

DNS for clients: hand out the router itself and turn on allow-remote-requests, so you can change upstream DNS in one place.
Keep the range clear of fixed devices: start the pool at .10 or .50 and give printers and access points addresses below it.
Stop hand-typed addresses: with add-arp=yes on the server and arp=reply-only on the interface, only devices that got their address from DHCP can reach the router.

/ip dhcp-server set lan-dhcp add-arp=yes
/interface bridge set bridge arp=reply-only

Test that last pair in Safe Mode: a device with a fixed address, including your own computer, loses access.

Lease time

Short leases (30 minutes to 1 hour) suit public Wi-Fi where devices come and go; a day suits an office.

/ip dhcp-server set lan-dhcp lease-time=1h

Common problems

The server shows red or "invalid": the interface is a port inside a bridge. Move the DHCP server to the bridge.
Devices get 169.254.x.x: the server is disabled, the pool is full, or a cable or VLAN is wrong.
Pool full: widen the range or shorten the lease time.
A second DHCP server on the network: a home router plugged in backwards. Find it with:

/ip dhcp-server alert add interface=bridge valid-server=YOUR-ROUTER-MAC disabled=no

Questions and answers

Why is my DHCP server red in Winbox?

It is attached to an interface that is a bridge port. Set its interface to the bridge.

How do I see who has which address?

Run /ip dhcp-server lease print. It lists address, MAC address and host name.

Can one router run several DHCP servers?

Yes, one per interface or VLAN, each with its own pool and network.

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