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No, you can't. Essentials will work with DHCP on the router, but it does so by using a beacon client agent that properly supports domain functions. That client does not support XP. So the combination of XP, 2012 Essentials, and DHCP on the router is abdeadly one. It won't work as expected and users WILL complain.
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No, you can't. Essentials will work with DHCP on the router, but it does so by using a beacon client agent that properly supports domain functions. That client does not support XP. So the combination of XP, 2012 Essentials, and DHCP on the router is abdeadly one. It won't work as expected and users WILL complain.

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So what is the best way to proceed? Clients are on a 2003 SBS right now.
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So what is the best way to proceed? Clients are on a 2003 SBS right now.

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I've read the solution on another question, I am wondering if I can connect without using the domain? Right now a router is providing DHCP, and it really needs to stay that way. They are just using the server for file sharing.
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I've read the solution on another question, I am wondering if I can connect without using the domain? Right now a router is providing DHCP, and it really needs to stay that way. They are just using the server for file sharing.

2012 Server Essentials and XP client

Windows Server 2012 is the server version of Windows 8 and the successor to Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows Server 2012 is the first version of Windows Server to have no support for Itanium-based computers since Windows NT 4.0. Windows Server 2012, now in its second release (Windows Server 2012 Release 2) includes Foundation, Essentials, Standard and Datacenter, and does not support IA-32 or IA-64 processors.