DHCP – Dynamic host configuration protocol

Each host on a typical routed IP network must have certain parameters set correctly to
communicate. The 3 most common are:
IP address – uniquely identifies the host
Subnet mask – used to determine the network portion of the address
Default Gateway – used to represent IP address of the router to which all the
non-local traffic will be sent

Traditionally these parameters are configured manually on each device, These means
an administrator has to visit each device to configure IP parameters

2.DHCP uses the BootP protocol to automatically configure IP clients as they join the
network. The basic premise of DHCP service is that clients can be configured
automatically rather than manually as the computer is installed.

Since this configuration occurs each time the client computer attaches to the network
changes are dynamically updated in the client machine.

3.
There are two procedures required:
1.Configure the DHCP server
2.Configuring the clients as they attach to the network

Configuring the DHCP server

When configured properly DHCP server provide important services to the network.

An incorrectly (or worse, unplanned)DHCP server can wreak havoc- it could

conceivably hand out IP addresses that are either invalid or worse already in use.

For this reason DHCP server must be authorised before it can function in an Active
directory environment. Only domain controller and member servers can act as DHCP
servers in an active directory environment.

1. Authorise DHCP server

2. Create a scope
a. You must create a scope at the server, a database of the parameters
that the DHCP server will pass to the clients as they initialise
i. Scope name
ii. IP address
iii. Exclusions – use if you have devices manually configured
within the address range
iv. Lease duration – when client receives IP address it “leases”
it for an amount of time (default 8 days)
v. Additional options – IP default gateway, DNS, WINS etc..
can be configured lately
vi. Activate steps to make it operational
DHCP auditing
You may need to track DHCP actions (you may suspect unatuhorised computers neing
placed on the network, or need to backcharge usage times etc..) Once enabled DHCP
logging creates a text file that records all DHCP actions.

DHCP client config process

4 Packets are involved in configuring a DHCP Client
• Discover
• Offer
• Request
• Acknowledge
Process is as follows:

As client initialises it sends a “disclaimer: packet out. This is broadcast so all

computers on the network will receive it to determine whether they need to
respond.

Any DHCP server that receives “discover” packet will respond to each such server
checks it’s scope to see if it has an IP address available. If so it marks an address
as permanently in use and sends an “offer” packet to the client (this is also
broadcast because client doesn’t yet have an IP address”)

The client then accepts the first offer it receives (more than 1 DHCP server may
respond) It broadcasts for 2 reasons:
1.still has no IP address so broadcasts are mandated.
2.This informs other DHCP servers that client has made a selection

Finally the DHCP server broadcasts an

‘acknowledgement” packet and masks clients IP address as being in use. Any other
DHCP servers that respond also receive this broadcast and can free up the address that
it had temporarily marked as unavailable.

Although DHCP does reduce administrative overheads. By centralising control over

IP config, a few problems arise with traditional implementation.

First and foremost DHCP is broadcast – based technology

• Broadcast packets place unwanted overheads on the network
• -network traffic = collisions = performance issues
• -every computer that receives broadcast packets will need to respond this uses
processing power in every computer

Most routers are configured to prencen broadcast packets being forwarded to other
networks.

This means you need a DHCP server on each network segment or reconfigure routers
to forward DHCP traffic
Introduces a “point of failure” on the network. If DHCP server fails the whole
network fails. Consider multiple DHCP servers for fault tolerance.