Static vs Dynamic

i think that using static is more useful than dynamic. Because with static, nothing changes by itself and by the way you always know the configuration. In a small network , i'd like to prefer static.

There is no doubt that static gives you more control over the network. The advantage of dynamic is in administrating large networks where tracking IP addresses would be a nightmare. That said I support a three system network and use DHCP for ease ofsupport, a four system network with static IP assignment. Seems that you can have it both ways. Hope this helps.

I would have to agree that static routing is the most efficient way to handle a small network. The only problem you may face is as the LAN grows...

I tend to use a combination of static and dynamic routing. Static on the end or stub routers, dynamic on those that are larger and more powerful (where I expect the LAN to grow etc).

This is from "Managing IP Networks with Cisco Routers":

The chief advantages of dynamic routing over static routing are scalability and adaptability. A dynamically routed network can grow more quickly and larger, and is able to adapt to changes in the network topology brought about by this growth or by the failure of one or more network components.

With a dynamic router protocol, routers learn about the network topology by communicating with other routers. Each router announces its presence, and the routes it has available, to the other routers on the network. Therefore, if you add a new router, or add an additional segment to an existing router, the other routers will gear about the addition and adjust their routing tables accordingly. You don't have to reconfigure the routers to tell them that the network has changes. Similarly, if you move a network segment, the other routers will hear about the change. You only need to change the configuration of the router (or routers) that connect the segment that moved. This reduces the chance that errors will occur.

Devices like printers and routers require static addresses. Workstations do not, unless there's something unique about it. Keeping track of static address assignments becomes difficult as your network grows. I have a small group of addresses reserved for printers and such, but use DHCP for my users. It's much easier that way.

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