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- Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
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Check the DHCP service status
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Update the DHCP service
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Restart the DHCP service
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Check the network adapter drivers
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Restart the network adapter
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Test the DHCP server
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Here’s what else to consider
If you are a network administrator, you might encounter a situation where your DHCP server is not responding to client requests for IP addresses. DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, and it is a service that automatically assigns IP addresses and other network settings to devices on a network. When the DHCP server is not working properly, you might see errors like "DHCP server not reachable" or "No IP address assigned" on the client devices. This can cause network connectivity issues and frustration for the users.
To troubleshoot this problem, you need to check and update the DHCP service and the network adapter drivers on the DHCP server. These are two common causes of DHCP server failure, and they can be fixed by following some simple steps. In this article, we will show you how to update and restart the DHCP service and the network adapter drivers on the DHCP server using Windows Server 2019 as an example. However, the steps are similar for other Windows Server versions as well.
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- Jake McGhee IT Engineer with MSP and Internal Experience with both IT and OT technologies
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1 Check the DHCP service status
The first thing you need to do is to check if the DHCP service is running on the server. To do this, you can use the Services console or the PowerShell command. To open the Services console, press Windows + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter. Then, look for the DHCP Server service and see if its status is Running. If not, right-click on it and select Start.
Alternatively, you can use the PowerShell command Get-Service DhcpServer to check the status of the DHCP service. If the status is not Running, you can use the command Start-Service DhcpServer to start it.
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- Jake McGhee IT Engineer with MSP and Internal Experience with both IT and OT technologies
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If you are unfamiliar with the network you may first need to identify which server or appliance is handing out addresses for that subnet. Having multiple DHCP servers handing out addresses on the same subnet will be a problem. You can use Wireshark to help trace the IP address of the Servers sending out DHCPOFFER packets. If the DHCP server is on your firewall appliance or network router, ensure that there are improper firewall rules or ACLs blocking your DHCP traffic. If you are in a Linux environment you can connect to the server using Putty via SSH and run "service dhcpd status" to see if the service is running.
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2 Update the DHCP service
Sometimes, the DHCP service might not work properly due to outdated or corrupted files. To fix this, you need to update the DHCP service to the latest version. To do this, you can use the Windows Update feature or the PowerShell command. To use the Windows Update feature, open the Settings app, click on Update & Security, and then click on Check for updates. Then, install any available updates for the DHCP service.
Alternatively, you can use the PowerShell command Install-WindowsFeature -Name Dhcp -IncludeAllSubFeature -IncludeManagementTools to update the DHCP service and its related features and tools.
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3 Restart the DHCP service
After updating the DHCP service, you need to restart it to apply the changes and clear any errors. To do this, you can use the Services console or the PowerShell command. To use the Services console, right-click on the DHCP Server service and select Restart.
Alternatively, you can use the PowerShell command Restart-Service DhcpServer to restart the DHCP service.
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4 Check the network adapter drivers
Another possible cause of DHCP server failure is outdated or incompatible network adapter drivers. The network adapter is the device that connects the server to the network, and its drivers are the software that enables it to communicate with the operating system. If the drivers are not up to date or compatible with the server's hardware and software, they might cause network problems and interfere with the DHCP service.
To check and update the network adapter drivers, you can use the Device Manager or the PowerShell command. To use the Device Manager, press Windows + X and select Device Manager. Then, expand the Network adapters category and right-click on the network adapter that is connected to the server's network. Select Properties and then click on the Driver tab. There, you can see the driver version and date. If they are old or mismatched, click on Update Driver and follow the instructions.
Alternatively, you can use the PowerShell command Get-NetAdapter | Update-NetAdapter to check and update all the network adapters on the server.
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5 Restart the network adapter
After updating the network adapter drivers, you need to restart the network adapter to apply the changes and refresh the network connection. To do this, you can use the Device Manager or the PowerShell command. To use the Device Manager, right-click on the network adapter that is connected to the server's network and select Disable device. Then, right-click on it again and select Enable device.
Alternatively, you can use the PowerShell command Restart-NetAdapter -Name <adapter name> to restart the network adapter by specifying its name.
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6 Test the DHCP server
The final step is to test if the DHCP server is working properly and responding to client requests. To do this, you can use the ipconfig command or the DHCP console. To use the ipconfig command, open a Command Prompt on a client device and type ipconfig /release to release its current IP address. Then, type ipconfig /renew to request a new IP address from the DHCP server. If the command succeeds, you should see a valid IP address and other network settings assigned by the DHCP server.
Alternatively, you can use the DHCP console to monitor the DHCP server's activity and status. To open the DHCP console, press Windows + R, type dhcpmgmt.msc, and hit Enter. Then, expand the server name and click on Address Leases. There, you should see the list of IP addresses that the DHCP server has leased to the client devices.
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7 Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
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- Jake McGhee IT Engineer with MSP and Internal Experience with both IT and OT technologies
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DHCP is a very simple protocol and has been around for ages. Unless the server hosting DHCP is extremely old and prone to issues, DHCP issues are usually an indicator of a networking issue or hardware issue. I recommend checking those first as an issue with the DHCP server is going to be widespread not just affecting a single device in most cases.Usually if there is an issue with DHCP is has to do with 1 Full address scope 2 Typo on a Mac address for a reservation3 A DHCP option was changed (voip issues)
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Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
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