DHCP Message Relaying and BOOTP Relay Agents

DHCP is the third-generation host configuration protocol for TCP/IP. We've already discussed extensively how it was based directly on BOOTP, which was, in turn, an enhancement of the earlier Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP). Even though each new protocol has made significant improvements over its predecessor, each iteration has retained certain limitations that are actually common to all host configuration protocols.

One of the most important limitations with host configuration protocols is the reliance on broadcasts for communication. Whenever we are dealing with a situation where a client needs to communicate but doesn't know its IP address and doesn't know the address of a server that will ...

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