Why does PenTeleData require all commercial Cable/DOCSIS Broadband Internet Access users to set their equipment to obtain an IP address automatically (DHCP)?
This requirement is primarily a security measure. Requiring the use of DHCP for IP address assignment prevents things like: • A malicious user stealing the IP address of another user with the intent to deny that user service or masquerade as that user online. • A malicious user using an unassigned IP address in order to conceal his identity when engaging in activity like hacking or spamming. • A user misconfiguring other settings which are defined by DHCP, such as the domain name servers (DNS) they should be using.
