Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Things we’ll cover

●
The purpose of DHCP

●
Basic functions of DHCP

●
Configuring DHCP in Cisco IOS
 The Purpose of DHCP
● DHCP is used to allow hosts to automatically/dynamically learn various aspects
of their network configuration, such as IP address, subnet mask, default
gateway, DNS server, etc, without manual/static configuration.

● It is an essential part of modern networks.

→When you connect a phone/laptop to WiFi, do you ask the network admin which IP
address, subnet mask, default gateway, etc, the phone/laptop should use?

●
Typically used for ‘client devices’ such as workstations (PCs),
phones, etc.
●
Devices such as routers, servers, etc, are usually manually
configured.
●
In small networks (such as home networks) the router typically acts as the
DHCP server for hosts in the LAN.
●
In larger networks, the DHCP server is usually a
Windows/Linux server.
The Basic Functions of DHCP
The Basic Functions of DHCP
 The Basic Functions of DHCP
C:\Users\
user>ipconfig /all
[output omitted]
Ethernet adapter
Ethernet0: This PC was previously assigned this IP address by the DHCP
Connection-specific DNS Suffix server, so it asked to receive the same address again this
Description . . . . . . . . . . . :time.
Intel(R) 82579LM Gigabit Network
Physical Address. . . . . . . .
Connection
. : . : 78-2B-CB-AC-
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . .
08-67 . :
Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . :
IPv4
Yes Address. . . . . . . . . . . : (Preferred
192.168.0.167 )
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, January 23, 2021
12:02:04 PM Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, January
23, 2021 2:02:05 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . :
192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . :
Enabled
192.168.0.1
DNS Servers
[output . . . . . . . . . . . :
omitted]
192.168.0.1 DHCP server ‘lease’ IP address to clients.
These leases are usually not permanent, and the client must
give up the address at the end of the lease.
 ipconfig /release
C:\Users\user>ipconfig
/release
Windows IP
Configuration [output
Ethernet adapter Ethernet0:
omitted]
Connection-specific DNS Suffix
. : Default Gateway . . . . . .
. . . :
[output
omitted]

192.168.0.167 is now
free to assign to
another client. DHCP Release:
I don’t need this
address anymore.

. .16
192.168.0.0/
1 7
24
 DHCP
Release

.1
DHCP servers use UDP
67. DHCP clients use UDP
68.
192.168.0.0/
24

.16
7
 ipconfig /renew
C:\Users\user>ipconfig /renew
C:\Users\user>ipconfig /all

Ethernet adapter Ethernet0:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix
. :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82579LM Gigabit Network
Connection Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 78-2B-CB-AC-08-67
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . :
Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . .
. : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . :
192.168.0.167(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . :
255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, January 23, 2021
3:07:39 PM Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, January
23, 2021 5:07:38 PM Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

. .16
192.168.0.0/
1 7
24
 DHCP
Discover DHCP Discover:
Are there any DHCP servers in this
network? I need an IP address.

.
192.168.0.0/
1
24
 DHCP
Discover

.1

192.168.0.0/
24
 DHCP Offer
DHCP Discover:
Are there any DHCP servers in this
network? I need an IP address.

DHCP Offer:
How about this IP
address?

.
192.168.0.0/
1
24
 DHCP Offer

.1

The DHCP Offer message can

be either broadcast or
192.168.0.0/ unicast.
24
 DHCP
Request DHCP Discover:
Are there any DHCP servers in this
network? I need an IP address.

DHCP Offer:
How about this IP
address?
DHCP Request:
I want to use the IP address
you offered me.

.
192.168.0.0/
1
24
 DHCP
Request

.1

192.168.0.0/
24
 DHCP Ack
DHCP Discover:
Are there any DHCP servers in this
network? I need an IP address.

DHCP Offer:
How about this IP
address?

DHCP Request:
I want to use the IP address
you offered me.

DHCP Ack:
Okay, you may use
it.

.
192.168.0.0/ .16
1 7
24
 DHCP Ack

.1

The DHCP Ack message can

be either broadcast or
192.168.0.0/ unicast.
24
 DHCP D-O-R-A

Discover Client → Server Broadcast

Offer Server →Client Broadcast or Unicast

Request Client → Server Broadcast

Ack Server →Client Broadcast or Unicast

Release Client → Server Unicast

 DHCP
●
Relay
Some network engineers might choose to configure each router to act as the
DHCP server for its connected LANs.
●
However, large enterprises often choose to use a centralized
DHCP server.
●
If the server is centralized, it won’t receive the DHCP clients’ broadcast DHCP
messages. (broadcast messages don’t leave the local subnet)
●
To fix this, you can configure a router to act as a DHCP relay
agent.
●
The router will forward the clients’ broadcast DHCP messages to the remote
DHCP server as unicast messages.

192.168.10.0/ 10.0.0.0/3 192.168.1.0/

0
24 24
.1 .2 .1 .1
.10 g0/1 g0/0 g0/0 g0/1

R2 R1 PC1
SRV1
 DHCP
Relay
Src: 192.168.1.1 Dst: Src: 0.0.0.0 Dst:
192.168.10.10 255.255.255.255 Discove
r
Src: 192.168.10.10 Dst: Src: 192.168.1.1 Dst: (unicast or
Offe 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.255)

r
Src: 192.168.1.1 Dst: Src: 0.0.0.0 Dst:
192.168.10.10 255.255.255.255 Reques
t
Src: 192.168.10.10 Dst: Src: 192.168.1.1 Dst: (unicast or
Ac 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.255)

DHCP
Relay
192.168.10.0/ 10.0.0.0/3 Agent 192.168.1.0/
24 0 24
. .2 . .1
DHCP .10 g0/1 g0/ g0/1 g0/1 .100
Serve 1 0 0
r
R2 R1 PC1
SRV1
 DHCP Server Configuration in IOS
R1(config)#ip dhcp excluded-address 192.168.1.1 Specify a range of addresses that
192.168.1.10 won’t
R1(config)#ip dhcp pool be given to DHCP clients.
LAB_POOL Create a DHCP pool.
R1(dhcp-config)#network 192.168.1.0 ?
/nn or A.B.C.D Network mask or prefix
length Specify the subnet of addresses to be
<cr> assigned to clients (except the excluded
addresses)
R1(dhcp-config)#network 192.168.1.0 /24
R1(dhcp-config)#dns-server Specify the DNS server that DHCP
8.8.8.8 clients should use.
R1(dhcp-config)#domain-name ensab.com

R1(dhcp-config)#default-router Specify the domain name of the

192.168.1.1 network. (ie. PC1 = pc1.ensab.com)
R1(dhcp-config)#lease 0 5
30
Specify the default
gateway.
Specify the lease time.
lease days hours minutes OR
lease infinite

192.168.1.0/
.1
R1 24
.1
g0/ PC1
1 1
 DHCP Server Configuration in IOS
R1#show ip dhcp binding
Bindings from all pools not associated with
IP
VRF: Client-ID/ Lease Typ
address Hardware expiration e
address/ User
192.168.1.11 name Jan 24 2021 10:52 Automati
0100.0c29.e727.39 AM c
C:\Users\
user>ipconfig /all
Ethernet adapter
Connection-specific DNS Suffix
Ethernet0: . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/1000 MT Network
ensab.com
Connection #2 Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-29-E7-27-39
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . :
Yes IPv4 . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.11(Preferre
Address. . d)
Subnet . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Mask . .
Lease . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, January 24, 2021
Obtained. 2:22:35 PM
Lease . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, January 24, 2021
Expires
NetBIOS . Tcpip. . . . . . . .7:52:35
over : PM
Default . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.
Enabled
Gateway 1
DHCP . . . 192.168.1.0/
. . . . . . : 192.168.1.
Server .1
R1 . . 24 1
.1
DNS . . . . . . . . . : 8.8.8.8
Servers . . g0/ PC1
1 1
 DHCP Relay Agent Configuration in IOS
Configure the interface connected to the
R1(config)#interface
subnet of the client devices.
g0/1
R1(config-if)#ip helper-address
192.168.10.10 Configure the IP address of the DHCP
R1(config-if)#do show ip interface g0/1 server as the ‘helper’ address.
GigabitEthernet0/1 is up, line protocol
is up
Internet address is 192.168.1.1/24
Broadcast address is 255.255.255.255
MTU is 1500
Address determined by non-volatile
memory
Helper
bytes address is
192.168.10.10
[output
omitted]

DHCP
Relay
192.168.10.0/ 10.0.0.0/3 Agent 192.168.1.0/
24 0 24
. .2 . .1
DHCP .10 g0/1 g0/ g0/1 g0/1 .10
Serve 1 0 0 0
r
R2 R1 PC1
SRV1
 DHCP Client Configuration in IOS
R2(config)#interface
g0/1
R2(config-if)#ip address
dhcp Use the ip address dhcp mode to tell
R2(config-if)#do sh ip interface g0/1 the router to use DHCP to learn its IP
GigabitEthernet0/1 is up, line protocol
isInternet
up address is address.
192.168.10.1/24 Broadcast address
is 255.255.255.255 Address
determined by DHCP
[output
omitted]

DHCP DHCP
Clien Relay
192.168.10.0/ t 10.0.0.0/3 Agent 192.168.1.0/
24 0 24
.1 . . .1
DHCP .10 g0/1 2
g0/ g0/1 g0/1 .100
Serve 0 0
r
R2 R1 PC1
SRV1
 Command Summary
C:\Users\user> ipconfig /release
C:\Users\user> ipconfig /renew

R1(config)# ip dhcp excluded-address low-address high-

address

R1(config)# ip dhcp pool pool-name

R1(dhcp-config)# network ip-address {/prefix-length | subnet-
R1(dhcp-config)#
mask} dns-server ip-
address DHCP server
R1(dhcp-config)# domain-name domain-name
R1(dhcp-config)# default-router ip-address
R1(dhcp-config)# lease {days hours minutes |
infinite} R1# show ip dhcp binding
R1(config-if)# ip helper-address ip- DHCP relay agent
address
R1(config-if)# ip address DHCP
dhcp client
 Things we covered
●
The purpose of DHCP

●
Basic functions of DHCP

●
Configuring DHCP in Cisco IOS
 Supplementary Materials

Packet Tracer lab