In this edition of Ask a Broadband Expert we provide insight into why a telco or DSL operator should migrate to DHCP from PPPoE or PPPoA.  And, if you are a broadband operator looking for a help with the provisioning of your CPE, don't forget to check out our managed provisioning services.

DHCP doesn't just solve IP address  management problems, it can save you at the bank when it's upgrade time. Want to know more? Read Scott's answers to DHCP questions and find out the number one reason operators switch, why most telco or DSL operators may already be equipped to make the switch, and more.  

These are just a few of the questions Scott answers in the full interview. 

So, how does DHCP work in the DSL world?  DHCP Enforcement and Option 82 

So why would an operator want to switch?  The number 1 reason!

So why don’t all operators switch?   Scott's take on the future

So chances are they’re already equipped to switch?  This might surprise you!

A few more excerpts...

Who in the Telco world does this issue address and why?

Helms: The primary audience could be almost anyone in the telco/DSL world concerned with transitioning to DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).

How did we get to DHCP Technology and why?

Helms: Let me give you a little bit of history and it’ll make more sense. In the early days of DSL most operators chose to do PPPoA (Point to Point Protocol Over Asynchronous Transfer Mode). It was the only good choice. Operators could still do DHCP or static assignments of IP addresses but both of those options left you vulnerable to having inaccurate IP information if you needed to answer law enforcement or a copyright abuse case or any other reason you’d need to know who had a certain IP address at a certain time. The other advantage that PPPoA had was that it worked with another system that operators were already comfortable with, which is RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial In User Service).

So if it worked so well, why did they change?

Helms: ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), which is the “A” part of PPPOA, was being phased out of operator networks because of the cost difference between an ATM interface versus an Ethernet interface. In many cases the difference was multiple tens of thousands of dollars. There was never a real technical reason for the phase out. Over time DSL networks began moving away from having an ATM core and transport network with PPPoA to having an Ethernet core and transport network in PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol Over Ethernet). So largely everyone moved over to PPPOE because it was pretty painless, and most often didn't require any replacement equipment.

This sounds like a great solution. So why is DHCP now preferable over PPPOE...