How to Install and Configure Windows Server 2008 DHCP ServerHow
to install and configure DHCP Server in Windows Server 2008 to
provide IP addressing and DNS server information to your end
users.IntroductionDynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a
core infrastructure service on any network that provides IP
addressing and DNS server information to PC clients and any other
device. DHCP is used so that you do not have to statically assign
IP addresses to every device on your network and manage the issues
that static IP addressing can create. More and more, DHCP is being
expanded to fit into new network services like the Windows Health
Service and Network Access Protection (NAP). However, before you
can use it for more advanced services, you need to first install it
and configure the basics. Lets learn how to do that.Installing
Windows Server 2008 DHCP ServerInstalling Windows Server 2008 DCHP
Server is easy. DHCP Server is now a role of Windows Server 2008
not a windows component as it was in the past.To do this, you will
need a Windows Server 2008 system already installed and configured
with a static IP address. You will need to know your networks IP
address range, the range of IP addresses you will want to hand out
to your PC clients, your DNS server IP addresses, and your default
gateway. Additionally, you will want to have a plan for all subnets
involved, what scopes you will want to define, and what exclusions
you will want to create.To start the DHCP installation process, you
can clickAdd Rolesfrom theInitial Configuration Taskswindow or
fromServer Manager Roles Add Roles.
Figure 1:Adding a new Role in Windows Server 2008When theAdd
Roles Wizardcomes up, you can clickNexton that screen.Next, select
that you want to add theDHCP Server Role, and clickNext.
Figure 2:Selecting the DHCP Server RoleIf you do not have a
static IP address assigned on your server, you will get a warning
that you should not install DHCP with a dynamic IP address.At this
point, you will begin being prompted for IP network information,
scope information, and DNS information. If you only want to install
DHCP server with no configured scopes or settings, you can just
clickNextthrough these questions and proceed with the
installation.On the other hand, you can optionally configure your
DHCP Server during this part of the installation.In my case, I
chose to take this opportunity to configure some basic IP settings
and configure my first DHCP Scope.I was shown my network connection
binding and asked to verify it, like this:
Figure 3:Network connection bindingWhat the wizard is asking is,
what interface do you want to provide DHCP services on? I took the
default and clickedNext.Next, I entered myParent Domain,Primary DNS
Server, and Alternate DNS Server(as you see below) and
clickedNext.
Figure 4:Entering domain and DNS informationI opted NOT to use
WINS on my network and I clickedNext.Then, I was promoted to
configure a DHCP scope for the new DHCP Server. I have opted to
configure an IP address range of 192.168.1.50-100 to cover the 25+
PC Clients on my local network. To do this, I clickedAddto add a
new scope. As you see below, I named the ScopeWBC-Local,configured
thestartingandending IP addressesof
192.168.1.50-192.168.1.100,subnet maskof 255.255.255.0,default
gatewayof 192.168.1.1,type of subnet(wired), andactivatedthe
scope.
Figure 5:Adding a new DHCP ScopeBack in the Add Scope screen, I
clickedNextto add the new scope (once the DHCP Server is
installed).I chose toDisable DHCPv6 stateless modefor this server
and clickedNext.Then, I confirmed my DHCP Installation Selections
(on the screen below) and clickedInstall.
Figure 6:Confirm Installation SelectionsAfter only a few
seconds, the DHCP Server was installed and I saw the window,
below:
Figure 7:Windows Server 2008 DHCP Server Installation succeededI
clickedCloseto close the installer window, then moved on to how to
manage my new DHCP Server.How to Manage your new Windows Server
2008 DHCP ServerLike the installation, managing Windows Server 2008
DHCP Server is also easy. Back in my Windows Server 2008Server
Manager, underRoles, I clicked on the newDHCP Serverentry.
Figure 8:DHCP Server management in Server ManagerWhile I cannot
manage the DHCP Server scopes and clients from here, what I can do
is to manage what events, services, and resources are related to
the DHCP Server installation. Thus, this is a good place to go to
check the status of the DHCP Server and what events have happened
around it.However, to really configure the DHCP Server and see what
clients have obtained IP addresses, I need to go to the DHCP Server
MMC. To do this, I went toStart Administrative Tools DHCP Server,
like this:
Figure 9:Starting the DHCP Server MMCWhen expanded out, the MMC
offers a lot of features. Here is what it looks like:
Figure 10:The Windows Server 2008 DHCP Server MMCThe DHCP Server
MMC offers IPv4 & IPv6 DHCP Server info including all scopes,
pools, leases, reservations, scope options, and server options.If I
go into the address pool and the scope options, I can see that the
configuration we made when we installed the DHCP Server did,
indeed, work. The scope IP address range is there, and so are the
DNS Server & default gateway.
Figure 11:DHCP Server Address Pool
Figure 12:DHCP Server Scope OptionsSo how do we know that this
really works if we do not test it? The answer is that we do not.
Now, lets test to make sure it works.How do we test our Windows
Server 2008 DHCP Server?To test this, I have a Windows Vista PC
Client on the same network segment as the Windows Server 2008 DHCP
server. To be safe, I have no other devices on this network
segment.I did anIPCONFIG /RELEASEthen anIPCONFIG /RENEWand verified
that I received an IP address from the new DHCP server, as you can
see below:
Figure 13:Vista client received IP address from new DHCP
ServerAlso, I went to my Windows 2008 Server and verified that the
new Vista client was listed as a client on the DHCP server. This
did indeed check out, as you can see below:
Figure 14:Win 2008 DHCP Server has the Vista client listed under
Address LeasesWith that, I knew that I had a working configuration
and we are done!In SummaryIn this article, you learned how to
install and configure DHCP Server in Windows Server 2008. During
that process, you learned what DHCP Server is, how it can help you,
how to install it, how to manage the server, and how to configure
DHCP server specific settings like DHCP Server scopes. In the end,
we tested our configuration and it all worked! Good luck
configuring your Windows Server 2008 DHCP Server!