Windows NT TCP/IP Network Administration

Maintaining and Troubleshooting DHCP Server

Once it has been installed and configured correctly, the DHCP Server requires little routine maintenance and is unlikely to have many problems. However, Murphy’s Law still applies, so let’s look at some of the problems that can occur with DHCP Server and how to go about resolving them. One of the following problems will likely be your first sign that all is not right with the DHCP Server:

• One or more clients receives the warning message “The DHCP Client could not renew the IP address lease”. Or, a user will find that he can’t access the Web or that a program won’t function. Note that if the user turns off the DHCP error notification once, he will never be notified again of what’s causing the problem.

• When you attempt to use DHCP Manager, you receive a warning message.

• When you attempt to start the DHCP Server service or the DHCP Client service, you receive a warning message that the service cannot start.

If either of the first two problems occurs, first verify that the DHCP Server service is started. You can do so by running the Services applet from Control Panel. The Status column should report “Started” for both the DHCP Client service and the Microsoft DHCP Server service. If either or both of these services is not running, first attempt to start the service by highlighting its name and clicking Start. If the service starts successfully, verify that the problems you were experiencing have been resolved.

Note

Don’t forget to use Event Viewer ...