Cisco IOS DHCP Server

Feature Summary
With the introduction of Cisco IOS Easy IP Phase 2, Cisco IOS software supports Cisco IOS
Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) Server functionality. DHCP is a protocol that enables you
to automatically assign reusable IP addresses to clients. Cisco IOS DHCP server is a full DHCP
server implementation that assigns and manages IP addresses from specified address pools within
the router to DHCP hosts. For a complete list of supported DHCP options, see Table 1 in the
“Functional Description” section. For more specific information about DHCP concepts, see RFC
2131. For information about DHCP options, see RFC 2132.
Also, Cisco IOS Easy IP Phase 2 supports DHCP Relay Agent functionality. A DHCP relay agent is
any host that forwards DHCP packets between clients and servers with the goal of automatically
assigning an IP address and address parameters to a client requesting an address. A DHCP relay
agent enables the client and server to reside on separate subnets. If the Cisco IOS DHCP server
cannot satisfy a DHCP request from its own database, it can forward the DHCP request to one or
more secondary DHCP servers defined by the network administrator.
Figure 1 shows the initial steps that occur in the process of a client being assigned an IP address. The
client, Host A, sends a DHCP request to the Cisco IOS DHCP server, using dhcpdiscover, which is
a broadcast message requesting an IP address. Cisco IOS DHCP server then sends the request along
to a remote central DHCP server.

Figure 1 DHCP Request for an IP Address from a Central DHCP Server

Host A
SOHO Central site

DHCP request
Easy IP
WAN link
Cisco IOS
DHCP server
15430

Host B

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 1

Feature Summary

Figure 2 shows the response of the Cisco IOS DHCP server. Using the dhcpoffer message, the Cisco
IOS DHCP Server sends a unicast message to the client, offering address parameters, typically an IP
address, a MAC address, a domain name, and a lease on the address. The client can accept or reject
the address parameters. The client responds by sending a dhcprequest message. The server sends a
dhcpack to confirm acceptance.

Figure 2 Central DHCP Server Granting an IP Address to a Remote Client

Host A
SOHO Central site

"Your IP address
is 10.0.0.1"
Easy IP
WAN link
Cisco IOS
DHCP server

15431
Host B

Benefits
Cisco IOS DHCP server offers the following benefits:
• Reduced Internet access costs
Using automatic IP address assignment at each remote site substantially reduces Internet access
costs. Static IP addresses are considerably more expensive to purchase than are automatically
allocated IP addresses.
• Simplified IP address management
DHCP enables Internet service providers (ISPs) to allocate a single registered IP address to each
remote LAN. Because only a single registered IP address is required to provide global Internet
access to all users on an entire remote LAN, customers and ISPs can use their registered IP
addresses more efficiently.
• Reduced client configuration tasks and costs
Because DHCP is easy to configure, it minimizes operational overhead and costs associated with
device configuration tasks and eases deployment by non-technical users.
• Reduced management tasks
Hosts in remote offices can obtain dynamic IP addresses directly from the remote office router
via the Cisco IOS DHCP server, eliminating the need to configure and maintain a separate and
standalone DHCP server in the remote office.

List of Terms
address binding—A mapping between the client’s IP and hardware (MAC) addresses. The client’s
IP address may be configured by the administrator (manual address allocation) or assigned from a
pool by the DHCP server (automatic address allocation). The binding also contains a lease expiration
date. The default for the lease expiration date is one day.

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 List of Terms

address conflict—A duplication of use of the same IP address by two hosts. During address
assignment, DHCP checks for conflicts using ping and gratuitous ARP. If a conflict is detected, the
address is removed from the pool. The address will not be assigned until the administrator resolves
the conflict.
address pool—The range of IP addresses assigned by the DHCP server. Address pools are indexed
by subnet number.
automatic address allocation—An address assignment method that assigns a permanent IP address
to a host, using an infinite IP address lease period.
client—Any host requesting configuration parameters.
database—A collection of address pools.
database agent—Any host storing the DHCP bindings database, for example a server.
DNS—Domain Name System. A system used in the Internet for translating names of network nodes
into addresses.
dynamic address allocation—An address assignment method where a network administrator
obtains an IP address for a client for a finite period of time or until the client explicitly relinquishes
the address. Dynamic allocation is particularly useful for assigning an address to a client that will be
connected to the network only temporarily or for sharing a limited pool of IP addresses among a
group of clients that do not need permanent IP addresses. Dynamic allocation may also be a good
choice for assigning an IP address to a new client being permanently connected to a network where
IP addresses are sufficiently scarce that it is important to reclaim them when old clients are retired.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)—A protocol that provides a mechanism for
allocating IP addresses dynamically so that addresses can be reused when hosts no longer need them.
manual address allocation—An address assignment method that allocates an administratively
assigned IP address to a host. Manual allocation allows DHCP to be used to eliminate the error-prone
process of manually configuring hosts with IP addresses.
server—Any host providing configuration parameters.

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 3

Platforms

Platforms
This feature is supported on the following routers and access servers:
This feature is supported on the following routers and access servers:
• Cisco 7000 series
• Cisco 7200 series
• Cisco 4000 series
• Cisco 3800 series
• Cisco 3600 series
• Cisco 2500 series
• Cisco 1600 series
• Cisco 1000 series
• Cisco 700 series
• Cisco 2500 series access servers
• Cisco AS5100 access server
• Cisco AS5200 universal access server

Prerequisites
Before configuring the Cisco IOS DHCP server, perform the following tasks:
• Define the DHCP database agent.
• Define an external FTP, TFTP, or RCP host storing the DHCP bindings database.
• Define and assign names to the DHCP address pool(s) from which IP addresses are allocated to
clients.
• Specify DHCP options for devices where necessary, including:
— default boot image name
— default router(s)
— default DNS server(s)
— NetBIOS name server
• Specify the NetBIOS node type (b, p, m, or h)
• Decide on a DNS domain name

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 Understanding Message Types

Supported MIBs and RFCs

This feature supports the following RFCs:
• RFC 2131 (DHCP Basic Operation)
• RFC 2132 (Options)
• RFC 951 (Bootp)
• RFC 1542 (Bootp Interoperability)
No new MIBs are supported with this feature.

Functional Description
The DHCP database is organized as a tree. The root of the tree is the address pool for the natural
network. Subnet address pools comprise the middle nodes. Manual bindings represent leaves.
Subnets inherit network parameters and hosts inherit subnet parameters. Try to configure common
attributes like the domain name and the DNS server at the highest (network or subnetwork) leve. A
sample configuration, using Cisco IOS DHCP is shown below, configuring the domain name, as
planet.org, the DNS server as 144.1.1.2 144.1.2.2 and the netbios name server as 144.1.1.3 144.1.2.3
on the network 144.1.0.0 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0.
router(config-dhcp)# ip dhcp database ftp://user:[email protected]/dhcp.bindings

To create a DHCP address pool, note the following sample command line:
router(config-dhcp)# ip dhcp pool 144.1.0.0/16
network 144.1.0.0 255.255.0.0
domain-name planet.org
dns-server 144.1.1.2.144.1.2.2
netbios-name-server 144.1.1.3 144.1.2.3

Understanding Message Types

DHCP is divided up into eight message types that indicate several tasks to occur. They are described
in Table 1.

Table 1 DHCP Messages

DHCP Message Description

dhcpdiscover A broadcast message sent by the client, requesting an address.
dhcpoffer A unicast message sent by the DHCP server to the client, offering address
parameters, typically an IP address, a MAC address, a Domain Name, and a lease
on the address.
dhcprequest A message by the client indicating it has accepted the address parameters offer.
dhcpdecline A message by the client indicating it has rejected the address parameters offer
because of an address conflict.
dhcpack A message by the DHCP server indicating that a binding has been created for the
IP address and MAC address sent to the client. A binding is a technique that maps
together the MAC address and the IP address of a client.
dhcpinform A message by the client indicating the IP address is already configured, but
requesting other parameters need to be assigned, for example, the Domain Name.

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 5

Functional Description

DHCP Message Description

dhcprelease A message sent by the client that indicates a premature termination of the IP
address lease.
dhcpnak A message by the Cisco IOS DHCP server indicating that the IP address used
could not restart.

The DHCP message sequence occurs as shown in Table 2.

Table 2 DHCP Message Sequence

Step Task Message Issued

1 A client sends out a broadcast, requesting dhcpdiscover indicates the client needs an address.
an address.

2 The server unicasts an offer that includes an dhcpoffer offers an address to the client.
IP address, a lease date and other
parameters (for example, a domain name)
to the client.
3 The client can either issue an acceptance or dhcprequest accepts one address offer and rejects
rejection of the address offer. all others.
dhcpdecline indicates the client detected another
node is using the offered address.
4 If the client accepts the address offer, a The server sends dhcpack, binding the client MAC
binding is created. address with the assigned IP address and the Lease
Expiration date. The default lease is one day,
although the lease date can be any amount of time.
5 The client is operating with a valid IP
address. The DHCP messaging is complete
until half the lease expires. At that point,
the client attempts to renew the lease.

When working with an RFC, you can call out functionality from the commands by referring to the
option number that links up with the command feature. For example, instead of asking for the host
command that retrieves a subnet mask, you can simply specify the number 1, indicating the value
for the subnet mask. Option numbers are shown in Table 3.

Table 3 DHCP Options

DHCP
Option
DHCP Option Name Code Description
Subnet Mask Option 1 Specifies the client’s subnet mask as designated in RFC 950.
Subnet masks are 32-bit combination used to indicate the
portion of an IP address that are being used for the subnet
address.

Router Option 3 Specifies a list of IP addresses for routers to the client.

Domain Name Server 6 Specifies a list of Domain Name Servers available to the client.
Option

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 Understanding Message Types

DHCP
Option
DHCP Option Name Code Description
Host Name Option 12 Specifies the name of the client. The name may contain any
standard ASCII character and be up to 32 characters long. The
name may or may not be qualified with the local domain name.
Domain Name Option 15 Specifies the domain name that the client should use when
resolving hostnames via the Domain Name System.
NetBIOS over TCP/IP 44 Specifies a list of RFC 1001/1002 NetBIOS name servers.
Name Server Option
NetBIOS over TCP/IP 46 Enables NetBIOS over TCP/IP clients to be configured as
Node Type Option described in RFC 1001/1002. Valid node types are
B—Broadcast node
P—Peer-to-peer node
M—Mixed node
H—Hybrid
IP Address Lease Time 51 Allows the client to request a lease time for the IP address.
Option Used as part of a client request (dhcpdiscover or dhcprequest).
In a server reply (dhcpoffer), a DHCP server uses this option to
specify the lease time it is willing to offer.
DCHP Message Type 53 Conveys the DHCP message type. Values for this option are:
Option dhcpdiscover
dhcpoffer
dhcprequest
dhcpdecline
dhcpack
dhcpnak
dhcprelease
dhcpinform
For definitions of these, see the DHCP message table.
Server Identifier Option 54 Identifies the IP address of the selected DHCP server. This
address is used in dhcpoffer and dhcprequest messages, and
may optionally be included in the dhcpack and dhcpnak
messages.
DHCP servers nclude this option in the dhcpoffer message in
order to allow the client to distinguish between lease offers.
DHCP clients use the contents of the Server Identifier field as
the destination address for any DHCP messages unicast to the
DHCP server. DHCP clients also indicate which of several
lease offers are being accepted by including this option in a
dhcprequest message.
Renewal (T1) Time 58 Specifies the time interval from address assignment until the
Option client transitions to the renewing state. At the time the T1 client
sends (via unicast) a dhcprequest message to the server to
extends its lease.

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 7

Configuration Tasks

DHCP
Option
DHCP Option Name Code Description
Rebinding (T2) Time 59 Specifies the time interval from address assignment until the
Option client transitions to the rebinding state and sends (via
broadcast) a dhcprequest message any DHCP server to extends
its lease.

Intelligent DHCP Relay and Secondary Address Pools

With the introduction of Cisco IOS Easy IP Phase 2, Cisco IOS software also supports intelligent
DHCP Relay functionality. A DHCP relay agent is any host that forwards DHCP packets between
clients and servers. If the DHCP relay agent sees several DHCP retransmissions, it assumes that the
DHCP server is not responding because of an exhausted address pool. The intelligent DHCP Relay
feature forces the downstream DHCP server to attempt to allocate an IP address from a different
pool. This makes it possible for the client to boot with an IP address from a secondary address pool
if the primary pool is depleted.

Unique Address Allocation

To prevent assigning addresses to clients that may already be in use, the Cisco IOS DHCP server
issues ICMP echo requests to pool addresses before assigning them to clients. The Cisco IOS DHCP
server pings for potential IP address conflicts. If the pings are unanswered within a configured
timeout period, the Cisco IOS Server determines that the address is not in use. The server then
assigns the address to the requesting client. If an address conflict is detected, the Cisco IOS DHCP
server removes the offending address from the pool. The address will not be assigned until the
administrator resolves the conflict.

Configuration Tasks
This section describes Cisco IOS DHCP server configuration tasks:
• Specify a DHCP Server Boot File
• Specify the Client’s Identifier
• Specify the Client’s Name
• Specify the Default Router
• Specify Domain Name IP Servers Available to the Client
• Enable DHCP Server Debugging
• Specify a Domain Name for the Client
• Specify the Client’s Hardware Address
• Specify the Client’s IP Address
• Specify the Database Agent Parameters
• Specify IP Addresses not Assigned by the DHCP Server
• Specify How Long to Wait for a Ping Reply
• Specify the Duration of a Ping Timeout

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 Specify a DHCP Server Boot File

• Create an Address Pool Name

• Determine Whether Relay Agent Information Option is Correct
• Define the Relay Information Reforwarding Policy
• Specify the Address Lease Time
• Specify the NetBIOS Name Servers Available to the Client
• Select the Client’s NetBIOS Node Type
• Specify the DHCP Address Pool Subnet Number and Mask
• Enable DHCP Services on the DHCP Server

Specify a DHCP Server Boot File

The boot file is used to store the boot image for the client. The boot image is generally the operating
system the client uses to load. To specify a bootfile for the DHCP server, use the following command
in DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
bootfile filename Specify the name of the boot file that contains the image of
the operating system the client loads.

Specify the Client’s Identifier

The client’s identifier is a field that identifies the client on the subnet for binding lookups. It generally
consists of a MAC address and a media type code. To specify a client identifier string, use the
following command in DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
client-identifier unique-identifier Create a string used to identify the client during binding look-
ups instead of using a MAC address.

Specify the Client’s Name

The client can have a name that can be referenced in binding lookups instead of an IP address. To
specify a name for the client, use the following command in DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
client-name name Create a string that identifies the client by name instead of IP
address.

Specify the Default Router

The default router is the router the DHCP client sends packets to once it has booted. It is the router
that is nearest to the client on the network. To specify a default router for the client, use the following
command in DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
default-router address [address2 ... Identify the address of the router that the DHCP client will
address8] send packets to once it has been booted.

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 9

Configuration Tasks

Specify Domain Name IP Servers Available to the Client

When the client needs to identify a name of a DHCP server, it converts the IP address to a server
name. To specify the domain name IP servers available to the client, use the following command in
DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
dns-server address [address2 ... Specify the IP addresses of DHCP servers available to the cli-
address8] ent.

Enable DHCP Server Debugging

You can enable DHCP server debugging that allows you to view activity on the DHCP server. The
activity can take the form of packets, which are messages the server receives; events, which are
timeouts when leases expire; and linkages, which are debugging occurrences that attribute
inheritance. To enable DHCP server debugging, use the following command in EXEC mode:

Command Purpose
debug ip dhcp server {events | packets | Enable debugging on the DHCP server.
linkage}

Specify a Domain Name for the Client

You can create a domain name string for the client. To create a domain name string for the client, use
the following command in DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
domain-name domain Specify the client’s domain name.

Specify the Client’s Hardware Address

You can specify the client’s hardware address when you perform a binding lookup. The hardware
address is generally the MAC address, although it can be any hexadcimal string. To specify the
client’s hardware address, use the following command in DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
hardware-address hardware-address Create a hardware address for the client.
type

Specify the Client’s IP Address

You can set the client’s IP address, subnet mask, and prefix length. To specify the client’s IP address,
use the following command in DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
host address [mask network-mask | Set the client’s IP address, subnet mask, and prefix length.
prefix-length bits]

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 Specify the Database Agent Parameters

Specify the Database Agent Parameters

The DHCP database agent is any host storing the DHCP bindings database, for example a server.
You can set the interval between database updates before the agent transmits database changes. You
can also set the interval between database transfers. To specify the database agent parameters, use
the following command in DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
ip dhcp database url{write-delay Set the interval between database updates and database trans-
seconds | timeout seconds} fers.

Specify IP Addresses not Assigned by the DHCP Server

To specify IP addresses not assigned by the DHCP server, use the following command in DHCP pool
configuration mode:

Command Purpose
ip dhcp ping packets count Specify IP addresses to the client which have not been
assigned by the DHCP server by tracking which
addresses do not reply to the ping.

Specify How Long to Wait for a Ping Reply

You can ping a client’s address before you assign an address to another client to determine a potential
address conflict. To specify how many packets the DHCP server should send to the client during the
ping, use the following command in global configuration mode:

Command Purpose
ip dhcp ping packets count Specify how many packets the DHCP server sends to the client
when a ping is executed.

Specify the Duration of a Ping Timeout

You can specify the amount of time that elapses after the DHCP server issues a ping to the client
before the ping stops attempting to make contact and times out. To specify the amount of time that
passes before a ping request times out, use the following command in global configuration mode:

Command Purpose
ip dhcp ping timeout milliseconds Specify the amount of time that elapses after the DHCP server
issues a ping to the client before the server stops attempting to
make contact with the client.

Create an Address Pool Name

Address pools contain available IP addresses that the DHCP server can use to assign to a client
requesting an address. Typically, address pools are referenced by IP addresses and subnet masks.
You can assign a name to an address pool. To assign a name to an address pool, use the following
command in global configuration mode:

Command Purpose
ip dhcp pool name Create a name for the a DHCP server address pool.

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 11

Configuration Tasks

Determine Whether Relay Agent Information Option is Correct

You can determine whether relay information option information is correct. To determine whether
relay agent information option is correct, use the following command in global configuration mode:

Command Purpose
ip dhcp relay information check Determine whether the relay agent information option is cor-
rect.

Define the Relay Information Reforwarding Policy

If a relay

Command Purpose
ip dhcp relay information policy {drop Determine the relay information reforwarding policy in a cable
| keep | replace} modem termination system.

Specify the Address Lease Time

Each address assigned by the DHCP server comes with a lease value or the amount of time for which
the address is valid. You can define the duration of this time, using the lease command. To define the
duration of the lease period associated with an address, use the following command in DHCP pool
configuration mode:

Command Purpose
lease {days [hours][minutes]| infinite} Define the duration of the lease time.

Specify the NetBIOS Name Servers Available to the Client

You can perform name resolution for NetBIOS name servers. To specify the name of the NetBIOS
name servers available to the client, use the following command in DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
netbios-name-server address [address2 Create a name for the NetBIOS server(s) available to the client.
... address8]

Select the Client’s NetBIOS Node Type

The NetBIOS node type for the client can be one of four settings: broadcast, peer-to-peer, mixed, or
hybrid. To specify the type of NetBIOS node you want, use the following command in DHCP pool
configuration mode:

Command Purpose
netbios-node-type type Select the NetBIOS node type for the client.

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 Specify the DHCP Address Pool Subnet Number and Mask

Specify the DHCP Address Pool Subnet Number and Mask

To specify the DHCP address pool subnet number and mask, use the following command in DHCP
pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
network [network number] [mask] Specifies the DHCP pool subnet number and mask.

Enable DHCP Services on the DHCP Server

DHCP has a series of services associated with it. Well known services are Telnet and rlogin. The
services are disabled by default. To enable DHCP services on the DHCP server, use the following
command in DHCP pool configuration mode:

Command Purpose
service dhcp Enable DHCP services on the DHCP server.

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 13

Configuration Tasks

Monitor and Maintain the Cisco IOS DHCP Server

You can perform the tasks in the following sections to monitor and maintain the server:
• Display Address Bindings on the DHCP Server
• Display Address Conflicts on the DHCP Server
• Display DHCP Database Information
• Display DHCP Server Statistics
• Clear Information

Display Address Bindings on the DHCP Server

The DHCP server contains a list of all the bindings it has created for clients. To display a list of all
bindings created on a specific DHCP server, use the following command in EXEC configuration
mode:

Command Purpose
show ip dhcp binding address Display a list of all bindings created on a specific DHCP
server.

Display Address Conflicts on the DHCP Server

The DHCP server contains a list of all address conflicts that have occurred when the server has tried
to assign IP addresses to clients. To display a list of all address conflicts recorded by the DHCP
server, use the following command in EXEC configuration mode:

Command Purpose
show ip dhcp conflict address Display a list of all address conflicts recorded by a specific
DHCP server.

Display DHCP Database Information

The DHCP database contains various types of information about the activity recorded on the DHCP
server. You can display information from the server database about:
• The time of the last read of bindings
• The time of the last write of bindings
• The current delay value
• What the current timeout value
• The number of failures recorded
• The number of successes recorded
To display information from the DHCP database, use the following command in EXEC
configuration mode:

Command Purpose
show ip dhcp database url Display recent activity on the DHCP database.

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 Display DHCP Server Statistics

Display DHCP Server Statistics

The DHCP server contains count information about certain kinds of statistics on the server. The
statistic types are:
• Memory usage
• Number of address pools
• Number of database agents
• Number of automatic bindings
• Number of manual bindings
• Number of expired bindings
• Number of malformed messages
The DHCP server also contains count information about various message types that have been
received and sent. To display count information about server statistics and messages sent and
received, use the following command in EXEC configuration mode:

Command Purpose
show ip dhcp server statistics Display count informaton about server statistics and messges
sent and received.

Clear Information
You can clear several variables being set by using various clear commands. To clear variables, use
the following commands in EXEC configuration mode:

Command Purpose
clear ip dhcp binding address Delete an automatic address binding from the DHCP data-
base.
clear ip dhcp conflict address Clear an address conflict.
clear ip dhcp server statistics Reset all DHCP server counters to 0.

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 15

Configuration Examples

Configuration Examples
This section provides the following Cisco IOS DHCP server examples:
• Client Bootfile Name Example
• Client MAC Address Example
• Deleting an Address Conflict from the DHCP Server Database Example
• Client MAC Address Example
• Client Name Example
• Default Router Example
• Client Domain Name Server IP Address Example
• Client Domain Name Server Name Example
• Client Hardware Address Example
• Client IP Address and Subnet Mask Example
• DHCP Database Values Example
• Ping Packet Number Example
• DHCP Server Ping Timeout Example
• Address Pool Name Example
• Address Lease Time Limit Example
• NetBIOS Name Servers Example
• Specify Address and Mask of DHCP Address Pool Example
• Client NetBIOS Node Type Example

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 Client Bootfile Name Example

Client Bootfile Name Example

The following example specifies the name of the client bootfile as routfile:
router(config-dhcp)# bootfile routfile

Client MAC Address Example

The following example specifies the client’s MAC address (01b7.0813.8811.66) in
dotted-hexadecimal notation:
router(config-dhcp)# client-identifier 01b7.0813.8811.66

Client Name Example

The following example specifies the string client1 as the name of the client:
router(config-dhcp)# client-name client1

Default Router Example

The following example specifies the IP address of the default router as 10.12.1.99:
router(config-dhcp)# default-router 10.12.1.99

Client Domain Name Server IP Address Example

The following example specifies the IP address of the Domain Name Server of the client as
10.12.1.99:
router(config-dhcp)# dns-server 10.12.1.99

Client Domain Name Server Name Example

The following example specifies the domain name of the client as cisco.com:
router(config-dhcp)# domain-name cisco.com

Client Hardware Address Example

The following example specifies the MAC address of the client as b708.1388.f166:
router(config-dhcp)# hardware-address b708.1388.f166

Client IP Address and Subnet Mask Example

The following example specifies the client’s IP address as 10.12.1.99 and subnet mask as
255.255.248.0:
router(config-dhcp)# host 10.12.1.99 255.255.248.0

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 17

Configuration Examples

DHCP Database Values Example

The following example specifies the DHCP database router1 update delay value as 80 seconds:
router(config-dhcp)#ip dhcp database http://router1 write-delay 80

The following example specifies the DHCP database router1 transfer timeout value as 100 seconds:
router(config-dhcp)#ip dhcp database http://router1 timeout 100

Ping Packet Number Example

The following example specifies the number of ping attempts that are made by the DHCP server to
all hosts on the network before ceasing any further ping attempts as 20 times:
router# ip dhcp ping packets 20

DHCP Server Ping Timeout Example

The following example specifies the number of milliseconds 800 that the DHCP server will wait for
a ping reply before considering the ping a failure:
router# ip dhcp ping timeout 800

Address Pool Name Example

The following example specifies the string used for the address pool created as pool1:
router# ip dhcp pool pool1

Address Lease Time Limit Example

The following example shows a one-day lease:
router(config-dhcp)# lease 1

The following example shows a one-hour lease:

router(config-dhcp)# lease 0 1 1 hour

The following example shows a one-minute lease:

router(config-dhcp)# lease 0 0 1 1 minute

The following example shows an infinite lease:

router(config-dhcp)# lease infinite

NetBIOS Name Servers Example

The following example specifies the IP address of a NetBIOS name server available to the client as
10.12.1.90:
router(config-dhcp)# netbios-name-server 10.12.1.90

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 Specify Address and Mask of DHCP Address Pool Example

Specify Address and Mask of DHCP Address Pool Example

The following example specifies the IP address and mask of a DHCP address pool. The address is
specified as 144.1.0.0 and the mask is specified as 255.255.0.0:
router(config-dhcp)# network 144.1.0.0 255.255.0.0

Client NetBIOS Node Type Example

The following example specifies the client’s NetBIOS type as h-node:
router(config-dhcp)# netbios node-type h-node

Monitor and Maintain Cisco IOS DHCP Server Examples

This section provides the following monitoring and maintaining Cisco IOS DHCP server examples:
• DHCP Binding Address Parameters Example
• DHCP Conflicts Example
• Database Agent Information Example
• DHCP Server Statistics Example
• Deleting Client Address Binding Example
• Deleting an Address Conflict from the DHCP Server Database Example

DHCP Binding Address Parameters Example

The following example displays the dhcp binding address parameters, including an IP address
(144.1.1.11), an associated MAC address (00a0.9802.32de), a lease expiration date (Feb 01 1998),
and the type of address assignment (automatic) that has occurred:
router> show ip dhcp binding 144.1.1.11
IP addressHardware address Lease expiration Type
144.1.1.1100a0.9802.32de Feb 01 1998 12:00 AM Automatic

router> show ip dhcp binding 144.1.3.254

IP addressHardware address Lease expiration Type
144.1.2.25402c7.f800.0422 Infinite Manual

DHCP Conflicts Example

The following example displays the detection method, for example, ping or gratuitous ARP, and
Detection Time (Feb 16 1998 for 144.1.1.32) for all IP addresses the DHCP server has offered that
have conflicts with other devices:
router> show ip dhcp binding conflict 10.12.1.99
IP address Detection Method Detection time
144.1.1.32Ping Feb 16 199812:28 PM
144.1.1.64Gratuitous ARP Feb 23 199808:12 AM

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 19

Configuration Examples

Database Agent Information Example

The following example shows values of variables in the dhcp database:
router> show ip dhcp database
URL : ftp://user:[email protected]/router-dhcp
Read : Dec 01 1997 12:01 AM
Written : Never
Status : Last read succeeded. Bindings have been loaded in RAM.
Delay : 300 seconds
Timeout : 300 seconds
Failures : 0
Successes : 1

DHCP Server Statistics Example

The following example shows values of DHCP server statistics.
router# show ip dhcp server statistics
Memory usage 40392
Address pools 3
Database agents 1
Automatic bindings 190
Manual bindings 1
Expired bindings 3
Malformed messages 0

Message Received
BOOTREQUEST 12
DHCPDISCOVER 200
DHCPREQUEST 178
DHCPDECLINE 0
DHCPRELEASE 0
DHCPINFORM 0

Message Sent
BOOTREPLY 12
DHCPOFFER 190
DHCPACK 172
DHCPNAK 6

Deleting Client Address Binding Example

The following example shows an address binding being deleted from a client:
router> clear ip dhcp binding 10.12.1.99

Deleting an Address Conflict from the DHCP Server Database Example

The following example shows an address conflict being deleted from the DHCP server database:
router> clear ip dhcp conflict 10.12.1.99

20 Release 12.0(1)T
 Deleting an Address Conflict from the DHCP Server Database Example

Command Reference
This section documents the following new or modified commands. All other commands used with
this feature are documented in the Cisco IOS Release 12.0 command references.
• bootfile
• clear ip dhcp binding
• clear ip dhcp conflict
• clear ip dhcp server statistics
• client-identifier
• client-name
• debug ip dhcp server
• domain-name
• dns-server
• domain-name
• hardware-address
• host
• ip dhcp database
• ip dhcp ping packets
• ip dhcp ping timeout
• ip dhcp pool
• ip dhcp relay information check
• ip dhcp relay information option
• ip dhcp relay information policy
• lease
• netbios-name-server
• netbios-node-type
• network
• service dhcp
• show ip dhcp binding
• show ip dhcp conflict
• show ip dhcp database
• show ip dhcp server statistics

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 21

Command Reference

bootfile
To specify the name of the default boot imageon the server, use the bootfile DHCP pool command.
Use the no form of this command to delete the boot image name.
bootfile filename
no bootfile filename

Syntax Description
filename Specifies the name of the default firmware file used as a boot image.

Default
The default filename is 12.0(1)T

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies routfile as the name of the client bootfile.
router(config-dhcp)# bootfile routfile

22 Release 12.0(1)T
 clear ip dhcp binding

clear ip dhcp binding

To delete an automatic address binding from the DHCP database, use the clear ip dhcp binding
EXEC command. Typically, the address denotes the client’s IP address. If the * character is used as
the address parameter, DHCP clears all automatic bindings.
clear ip dhcp binding address

Syntax Description
address The address of the binding you want to clear.

Command Mode
Privileged EXEC

Usage Guidelines
The client’s IP address may be configured by the administrator (manual address allocation) or
assigned from a pool by the DHCP server (automatic address allocation). The binding also contains
a lease expiration date. The default for the lease expiration date is one day.

Example
The following example shows the address binding with an IP address of 10.12.1.99 being deleted
from a client:
router# clear ip dhcp binding 10.12.1.99

Related Commands
show ip dhcp binding
ip dhcp pool
lease

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 23

Command Reference

clear ip dhcp conflict

To clear an address conflict, use the clear ip dhcp conflict EXEC command. The server detects
conflicts using a ping session. The client detects conflicts using gratuitous ARP. If the * character is
used as the address parameter, DHCP clears all conflicts.
clear ip dhcp conflict address

Syntax Description

address The address of the host that contains the conflicting address you want
to clear.

Command Mode
Privileged EXEC

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example shows an address conflict of 10.12.1.99 being deleted from the DHCP server
database:
router# clear ip dhcp conflict 10.12.1.99

Related Commands
show ip dhcp conflict

24 Release 12.0(1)T
 clear ip dhcp server statistics

clear ip dhcp server statistics

To reset all DHCP counters, use the clear ip dhcp server statistics EXEC command. The command
show ip dhcp server statistics displays DHCP counters.
clear ip dhcp server statistics

Syntax Description
This command has no arguments or keywords.

Default
All counters are cumulative. In other words, they increment from the value recorded in the most
recent session initiated by the show ip dhcp server statistics command. The counters will be
initialized, or set to zero, with this command.

Command Mode
Privileged EXEC

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Related Commands
show ip dhcp server statistics

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 25

Command Reference

client-identifier
To specify the client’s MAC address or unique identifier (in dotted-hexadecimal notation), use the
client-identifier DHCP pool command. It is valid for host pools only. Use the no form of this
command to delete the client identifier.
client-identifier unique-identifier
no client-identifier unique-identifier

Syntax Description
unique-identifier The distinct identification of the client in dotted-hexadecimal notation,
for example, 01b7.0813.8811.66.

Default
None

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.
Note that Microsoft clients require client identifiers instead of hardware addresses. The client
identifier is formed by concatenating the media type and the MAC address. For example, the
Microsoft client identifier of the client’s Ethernet address of b708.1388.f166 is 01b7.0813.88f1.66
where 01 represents Microsoft’s code for the Ethernet media type. For a list media type codes, see
your manufacturer’s documentation.

Example
The following example specifies 01b7.0813.8811.66 as the client’s MAC address
(01b7.0813.8811.66) in dotted-hexadecimal notation:
router(config-dhcp)# client-identifier 01b7.0813.8811.66

Related Commands
network

26 Release 12.0(1)T
 client-name

client-name
To specify the client’s name, use the client-name DHCP pool command. The client name should not
include the domain name. Use the no form of this command to remove the client name.
client-name name
no client-name name

Syntax Description

name Specifies the client’s name, using any standard ASCII character. The
string can be up to 32 characters long. The client name should not
include the domain name. For example, the name mars should not be
specified as mars.planet.org.

Default
None

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies a string client1 that will be the name of the client:
router(config-dhcp)# client-name client1

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 27

Command Reference

debug ip dhcp server

To enable DHCP server debugging, use the debug ip dhcp server EXEC command.
debug ip dhcp server {events | packets | linkage}
no debug ip dhcp server {events | packets | linkage}

Syntax Description
events Reports server events, like address assignments and database updates.

packets Decodes DHCP receptions and transmissions.

linkage Displays database linkage information (such as parent-child

relationships in a radix tree).

Default
Disabled by default.

Command Mode
Privileged EXEC

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Related Commands
clear ip dhcp server statistics
show ip dhcp server statistics

28 Release 12.0(1)T
 default-router

default-router
To specify the default router list for the client, use the default-router DHCP pool command. You
can specify up to seven routers in the list. Routers are listed in order of preference (address1 is the
most preferred router, address2 is the next most preferred router, and so on.) Use the no form of this
command to remove the default router list. The IP address should be on the same subnet as the client
subnet.
default-router address [address2 ... address8]
no default-router address [address2 ... address8]

Syntax Description
address Specifies the IP address of a router. One IP address is required,
although you can specify up to eight addresses in one command line.

Default
The default router has no default address.

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies 10.12.1.99 as the IP address of the default router:
router(config-dhcp)# default-router 10.12.1.99

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 29

Command Reference

dns-server
To specify the domain name IP servers available to the client, use the dns-server DHCP pool
command. Servers are listed in order of preference (address1 is the most preferred router, address2
is the next most preferred router, and so on.) Use the no form of this command to remove the DNS
server list.
dns-server address [address2 ... address8]
no dns-server address [address2 ... address8]

Syntax Description
address Specifies the IP address of a domain name server. One IP address is
required, although you can specify up to eight addresses in one
command line.

Default
None

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies 10.12.1.99 as the IP address of the Domain Name Server of the
client:
router(config-dhcp)# dns-server 10.12.1.99

Related Commands
domain-name
network

30 Release 12.0(1)T
 domain-name

domain-name
To specify the client’s domain name or name of a network node, use the domain-name DHCP pool
command. Use the no form of this command to remove the domain name.
domain-name domain
no domain-name domain

Syntax Description
domain Specifies the client’s domain name string. The string can be composed
of any standard ASCII character and can be up to 32 characters long.

Default
None

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies cisco.com as the domain name of the client:
router(config-dhcp)# domain-name cisco.com

Related Commands
dns-server
network

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 31

Command Reference

hardware-address
To specify the client’s hardware address, use the hardware-address DHCP pool command. It is
valid for host pools only. Use the no form of this command to remove the hardware address.
hardware-address hardware-address type
no hardware-address hardware-address type

Syntax Description
• hardware-address • Specifies the IP address of the client’s hardware platform.

• type Indicates the protocol of the hardware platform. Strings and values are
acceptable. The string options are:
• ethernet
• ieee802
The value options are:
• 1 10Mb Ethernet
• 6 IEEE 802
If no type is specified, the default protocol is Ethernet.

Default
Ethernet is the default type if none is specified.

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies b708.1388.f166 as the MAC address of the client:
router(config-dhcp)# hardware-address b708.1388.f166

32 Release 12.0(1)T
 host

host
To specify the client’s IP address and network mask, use the host DHCP pool command. If the mask
and prefix length are unspecified, DHCP examines its address pools. If no mask is found in the pool
database, the class A, B, or C natural mask is used. This command is valid for host pools only. Use
the no form of this command to remove the client’s IP address.
host address network-mask | prefix-length bits
no host address network-mask | prefix-length bits

Syntax Description
address Specifies the IP address of the client.

network-mask (Optional) Specifies the network mask of the client.

bits (Optional) Specifies the number of bits that comprise the address
prefix.

Default
None

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies 10.12.1.99 as the client’s IP address and 255.255.248.0 as the
subnet mask:
router(config-dhcp)# host 10.12.1.99 255.255.248.0

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 33

Command Reference

ip dhcp database
To specify database agent parameters, use the ip dhcp database global configuration command. The
administrator may configure multiple database agents. The URL is an FTP, TFTP, or RCP uniform
resource locator. Use the no form of this command to remove the database agent.
ip dhcp database url{write-delay seconds | timeout seconds}
no ip dhcp database url {write-delay seconds | timeout seconds}

Syntax Description
url The name or the web address of the DHCP server.

write-delay Specifies how soon DHCP sends database updates. By default, DHCP
waits 300 seconds (five minutes) before transmitting database changes.
The minimum delay is 60 seconds.

timeout Specifies how long to wait for a database transfer. Transfers that
exceed the timeout period are aborted. By default, DHCP waits 300
seconds before aborting a database transfer. Infinity is defined as zero
seconds.

This command has no arguments or keywords.

Default
DHCP waits 300 seconds for both a write-delay and a timeout.

Command Mode
Global configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies the DHCP database update delay value and the DHCP database
transfer timeout value at 80 seconds:
router# ip dhcp database http://router1 timeout 80

The following example specifies the DHCP database transfer timeout value at 100 seconds:
router# IP dhcp database http://router1 write-delay100

Related Commands
ip dhcp ping packets
ip dhcp ping timeout
ip dhcp pool

34 Release 12.0(1)T
 ip dhcp ping packets

ip dhcp ping packets

To specify the number of packets to send to a pool address as part of a ping operation, use the ip
dhcp ping packets global configuration command. The DHCP server pings a pool address before
assigning it to a client. If the ping is unanswered, DHCP assumes (with a high probability) that the
address is not in use. The server then assigns the address to the requesting client. Use the no form of
this command to prevent the server from pinging pool addresses.
ip dhcp ping packets count
no ip dhcp ping packets count

Syntax Description
count Indicates how many pings are sent before giving up. The default value
is two transmissions.

Default
Two transmissions

Command Mode
Global configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies 20 ping attempts by the DHCP server before ceasing any further
ping attempts:
router# ip dhcp ping packets 20

Related Commands
ip dhcp database
ip dhcp ping timeout
ip dhcp pool

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 35

Command Reference

ip dhcp ping timeout

To specify how long the DHCP server has to wait for a ping reply from an address pool, use the ip
dhcp ping timeout global configuration command. This command specifies how long to wait for a
ping reply in milliseconds. Use the no form of this command to restore the default number of
milliseconds (500) of the timeout.
ip dhcp ping timeout milliseconds
no ip dhcp ping timeout milliseconds

Syntax Description
milliseconds The amount of time in milliseconds it takes for a ping reply to stop
attempting to reach a pool address for client assignment. The
maximum timeout is 10000 milliseconds (10 seconds). The default
timeout is 500 milliseconds.

Default
The default timeout is 500 milliseconds.

Command Mode
Global configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies the number of milliseconds 800, that the DHCP server will wait for
a ping reply before considering the ping a failure:
router# ip dhcp ping timeout 800

Related Commands
ip dhcp database
ip dhcp ping packets
ip dhcp pool

36 Release 12.0(1)T
 ip dhcp pool

ip dhcp pool
To create an address pool from which the dhcp ping packets command can ping a pool address
before assigning it to a client, use the ip dhcp pool global configuration command. During
execution, the configuration mode changes to DHCP pool configuration mode, identified by
(config-dhcp)#. In this mode, the administrator can configure pool parameters, like the IP subnet
number and default router list. Use the no form of this command to remove the address pool.
ip dhcp pool name
no ip dhcp pool name

Syntax Description
name Can either be a symbolic string (such as “engineering”) or an integer
(such as 0).

Default
None

Command Mode
Global configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies pool1 as the string used for the address pool created:
router(config-dhcp)# ip dhcp pool pool1

Related Commands
dns-server
domain-name
ip dhcp database
ip dhcp ping packets
ip dhcp ping timeout
network

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 37

Command Reference

ip dhcp relay information check

To specify whether the relay agent information option is validated in bootreply messages, use the
ip dhcp relay information check global configuration command. This command is used by cable
modem termination systems. By default, DHCP checks relay information. Invalid messages are
dropped. Use the no form of this command to disable an information check.
ip dhcp relay information check
no ip dhcp relay information check

Syntax Description
This command has no arguments or keywords.

Default
DHCP checks relay information. Invalid messages are dropped.

Command Mode
Global configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Related Commands
ip dhcp relay information option
ip dhcp relay information policy

38 Release 12.0(1)T
 ip dhcp relay information option

ip dhcp relay information option

To specify whether the relay agent information option is added to forwarded bootrequest messages,
use the ip dhcp relay information option global configuration command. This command is used by
cable modem termination systems. By default, DHCP does not insert relay information. Use the no
form of this command to disable inserting relay information to forwarded bootrequest messages.
ip dhcp relay information option
no ip dhcp relay information option

Syntax Description
This command has no arguments or keywords.

Default
DHCP does not insert relay information.

Command Mode
Global configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Related Commands
ip dhcp relay information check
ip dhcp relay information policy

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 39

Command Reference

ip dhcp relay information policy

To define the relay information reforwarding policy, use the ip dhcp rellay information policy
global configuration command. This command is used by cable modem termination systems.
Typically, the address denotes the client’s IP address. If the * character is used as the address
parameter, DHCP clears all automatic bindings. Use the no form of this command to restore the
default relay information policy.
ip dhcp relay information policy {drop | keep | replace}
no ip dhcp relay information policy {drop | keep | replace}

Syntax Description
drop Directs DHCP relay agent to discard messages with existing relay
informationif the relay information option is already present.

keep Indicates that existing information is left unchanged on the DHCP

relay agent.

replace Indicates that existing information is overwritten on othe DHCP relay

agent.

Default
Existing relay information is replaced.

Command Mode
Global configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Related Commands
ip dhcp relay information check
ip dhcp relay information option

40 Release 12.0(1)T
 lease

lease
To specify the address lease time or the time allowed for the address to exist on the client, use the
lease DHCP pool command. Use the no form of this command to reset the lease time to its default
value.
lease {days [hours][minutes]| infinite}
no lease {days [hours][minutes]| infinite}

Syntax Description
infinite Specifies the duration of the lease is unlimited.

days Specifies the duration of the lease in numbers of days.

hours Specifies the number of hours in the lease if a day value is supplied.

minutes Specifies the number of minutes in the lease if a day value is supplied.

Default
Two days

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example shows a one-day lease:
router(config-dhcp)# lease 1 days

The following example shows a one-hour lease:

router(config-dhcp)# lease 0 1 1 hour

The following example shows a one-minute lease:

router(config-dhcp)# lease 0 0 1 1 minute

The following example shows an infinite lease:

router(config-dhcp)# lease infinite

Related Commands
ip dhcp database
ip dhcp pool

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 41

Command Reference

netbios-name-server
To specify the NetBIOS name servers available to the client, use the netbios-name-server DHCP
pool command. Use the no form of this command to remove the NetBIOS name server list.
netbios-name-server address [address2 ... address8]
no netbios-name-server address [address2 ... address8]

Syntax Description
address Specifies the IP address of the NetBIOS name server.

Default
None

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies the IP address of a NetBIOS name server available to the client:
router(config-dhcp)# netbios-name-server 10.12.1.90

Related Commands
dns-name server
dns-server
domain-name
netbios-node-type
network

42 Release 12.0(1)T
 netbios-node-type

netbios-node-type
To specify the client’s NetBIOS node type, use the netbios-node-type DHCP pool command. The
recommended type is h-node (Hybrid). Use the no form of this command to remove the NetBIOS
node type.
netbios-node-type type
no netbios-node-type type

Syntax Description
type Specifies the NetBIOS node type. Valid types are:
1 b-node. Broadcast
2 p-node. Peer-to-peer
4 m-node. Mixed
8 h-node. Hybrid
The recommended type is h-node.

Default
None

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example specifies the client’s netbios type as hybrid:
router(config-dhcp)# netbios node-type h-node

Related Commands
netbios-name-server

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 43

Command Reference

network
To set and clear a DHCP address pool’s subnet number and mask, use the DHCP pool network
command.
network <network number> [mask]
no network

Syntax Description
network number The IP address of the DHCP address pool.

mask The bit combination that renders which portion of the address of the
DHCP address pool refers to the network or subnet and which part
refers to the host.

Default
None

Command Mode
DHCP pool configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
router(config-dhcp)# ip dhcp pool 144.1.0.0/16
network 144.1.0.0 255.255.0.0
domain-name planet.org
dns-server 144.1.1.2.144.1.2.2
netbios-name-server 144.1.1.3 144.1.2.3

Related Commands
dns-server
domain-name
ip dhcp pool
netbios-name server

44 Release 12.0(1)T
 service dhcp

service dhcp
To enable DHCP services on the client when they have been disabled, use the service dhcp global
configuration command. Use the no form of this command to disable DHCP services.
service dhcp
no service dhcp

Syntax Description
This command has no keywords or arguments.

Default
DHCP service are enabled.

Command Mode
Global configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 45

Command Reference

show ip dhcp binding

To display address bindings on the DHCP server, use the show ip dhcp binding EXEC command.
If the address is not specified all address bindings are shown. Otherwise, only the binding for the
specified client is displayed.
show ip dhcp binding [address]

Syntax Description
This command has no keywords or arguments.

Default
None

Command Mode
EXEC configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example displays the dhcp binding address parameters, including an IP address, an
associated MAC address, a lease expiration date, and the type of address assignment that has
occurred. Table 4 describes the fields in the example.
router> show ip dhcp binding 144.1.1.11
IP addressHardware address Lease expiration Type
144.1.1.1100a0.9802.32de Feb 01 1998 12:00 AM Automatic

router> show ip dhcp binding 144.1.3.254

IP addressHardware address Lease expiration Type
144.1.2.25402c7.f800.0422 Infinite Manual

Summary of Show IP DHCP Fields

Field Definition
IP address The IP address of the host as recorded on the DHCP server.
Hardware address The MAC address of the host as recorded on the DHCP
server.
Lease expiration The lease expiration date of the IP address of the host.
Type The manner in which the IP address was assigned to the host.

Related Commands
clear ip dhcp binding
lease

46 Release 12.0(1)T
 show ip dhcp conflict

show ip dhcp conflict

To display address conflicts found when addresses are offered to the client, use the show ip dhcp
conflict EXEC command. The server detects conflicts using ping. The client detects conflicts using
gratuitous ARP.
show ip dhcp conflict address

Syntax Description

address Specifies the IP address of the conflict found.

Default
None

Command Mode
EXEC configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example displays the Detection Method and Detection Time for all IP addresses the
DHCP server has offered that have conflicts with other devices. Table 5 describes the fields in the
example.
router> show ip dhcp binding conflict 10.12.1.99
IP address Detection Method Detection time
144.1.1.32Ping Feb 16 199812:28 PM
144.1.1.64Gratuitous ARP Feb 23 199808:12 AM

Summary of Show IP DHCP Binding Conflict Fields

Field Definition
IP Address The IP address of the host as recorded on the DHCP server.
Detection Method The manner in which the IP address of the hosts were found
on the DHCP server. Can be a Ping or a Gratuitous ARP.
Detection Time The time when the host was found.

Related Commands
clear ip dhcp conflict
ip dhcp ping packets
ip dhcp ping timeout

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 47

Command Reference

show ip dhcp database

To display database agent information, use the show ip dhcp database EXEC command. If a URL
is not specified, all database agent records are shown. Otherwise, only information about the
specified agent is displayed.
show ip dhcp database url

Syntax Description

URL Specifies the address or name in URL form of the DHCP server that
contains the database you want to display.

Default
None

Command Mode
EXEC configuration

Usage Guidelines
Address pools are stored in non-volatile RAM (NVRAM). DHCP limits the number of automatic
pools as follows:
NVRAM Pools
32K 16
64K 32
128K 64
256K 128
Manual bindings are stored in NVRAM. Manual bindings are just special address pools. There is no
limit on the number of manual bindings.
Automatic bindings are stored on a remote host called the database agent. The bindings are saved as
text records for easy maintenance. The file format is:
IP Address Type Hardware Address Lease Expiration

48 Release 12.0(1)T
 show ip dhcp database

Example
The following example shows values of variables in the ip dhcp database. Table 6 shows descriptions
of fields in the example.
router> show ip dhcp database
URL : ftp://user:[email protected]/router-dhcp
Read : Dec 01 1997 12:01 AM
Written : Never
Status : Last read succeeded. Bindings have been loaded in RAM.
Delay : 300 seconds
Timeout : 300 seconds
Failures : 0
Successes : 1

Summary of Show IP DHCP Database Fields

Field Definition
URL The location of the DHCP Server that contains the database
you want to read.
Read The last time the contents of the DHCP database was read.
Written The last time bindings were loaded into the RAM of the
DHCP database were stored.
Status Indication of whether the last read and write of host bindings
were successful.
Delay The amount of time between each write of the host bindings.
Timeout The amount of time before the DHCP server stops attempting
to load the bindings in RAM.
Failures The number of failed attempts to load the bindings in RAM.
Successes The number of successful attempts to load bindings in RAM.

Related Commands
ip dhcp database

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 49

Command Reference

show ip dhcp server statistics

To display statistics on the DHCP server, use the show ip dhcp server statistics EXEC command.
show ip dhcp server statistics

Syntax Description
This command has no arguments or keywords.

Default
None

Command Mode
EXEC configuration

Usage Guidelines
This command first appeared in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1)T.

Example
The following example displays statistics for dhcp server variables. Table 7 shows descriptions of
the fields in the example.
router> show ip dhcp server statistics
Memory usage 40392
Address pools 3
Database agents 1
Automatic bindings 190
Manual bindings 1
Expired bindings 3
Malformed messages 0

Message Received
BOOTREQUEST 12
DHCPDISCOVER 200
DHCPREQUEST 178
DHCPDECLINE 0
DHCPRELEASE 0
DHCPINFORM 0

Message Sent
BOOTREPLY 12
DHCPOFFER 190
DHCPACK 172
DHCPNAK 6

50 Release 12.0(1)T
 show ip dhcp server statistics

Summary of Show IP DHCP Server Statistics

Field Definition
Memory usage The number of kilobytes of RAM used by DHCP messages
that were received in the database.
Address pools The number of address pools that were polled for available
addresses.
Database agents The number of database agents configured in the DHCP
database.
Automatic bindings The number of IP addresses that have been automatically
mapped to the MAC addresses of hosts that are found in the
DHCP database.
Manual bindings The number of IP addresses that have been manually mapped
to the MAC addresses of hosts that are found in the DHCP
database.
Expired bindings The number of IP addresses that have been assigned to hosts
whose leases have expired.
Malformed messages The number of truncated or corrupted messages that were
received by the database.
Message The DHCP message type that was received by the DHCP
server.
Received The number of DHCP messages that were received by the
DHCP server.
Sent The number of DHCP messages that were sent by the DHCP
server.

Related Commands
clear ip dhcp server statistics

Cisco IOS DHCP Server 51

What to Do Next

What to Do Next
For more information, see sections on IP Configuration in the Network Protocols Configuration
Guide, Part I and Router Configuration Fundamentals Guide.

52 Release 12.0(1)T