DHCP Interview Question Answers

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1. What ports are used by DHCP and the DHCP clients ?

UDP Port 68 used for Requests.
UDP Port 67 used for server Replies.
2. What is DORA in DHCP ?
DORA Discover, Offer , Request , Acknowledgement.
DORA means DHCP server Lease process short-form.
3. What is dhcp ?
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. It is a network protocol it enables automatically assign
IP address to client machine from a defined range of scope in the network.
4. What is DHCP Scope ?
DHCP scope is used to define range of IP address in the DHCP Server. Scope is used to assign the IP address
appropriate clients.
5. Define Types of Scopes.
There are three types of scopes are available in DHCP.
(i) Normal Scope or Unicast Scope
(ii) Multicast Scope
(iii) Super-scope
Normal Scope or Unicast Scope:
The Normal scope it allows sub-net masks, exclusions and reservations, and classes A, B, and C IP
address ranges to be specified.
Multicast Scope :
Multicast scope uses class D address it allow direct communication from one point to multiple points. It is very
easy to configure. Multicast scopes does not support DHCPassignable options. if a computer wants to receive a
multicast IP address, it must first have a valid primary computer address on a class A, B, or C network.
Superscope :
Superscope is administrative scope. Collection of scopes together to manage logical IP subnets on the same
physical segment which means that they can be enabled and disabled as a single entity.
6. What is BOOTP ?

BOOTP (bootstrap protocol) is a host configuration protocol. It is developed before DHCP.

7. DHCP Database storage default location ?
Systemroot\System32\Dhcp
example:
C:\windows\system32\dhcp
8. What is DHCP Database file extension ?
DHCP database file extension is .mdb
9. DHCP Automatic Backup default Interval time ?
60 Minutes
10. Where we can Change the default DHCP database Interval Time ?
We can change the default interval time for DHCP database by modifying the
Registry value BackupInterval in the following location in registry
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCPServer\Parameters
11. What are the Switches are used with IPCONFIG ?
IPCONFIG/ all, Release/ Renew/ FLUSHDNS
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Monday, 23 September 2013

How DHCP works and DHCP Interview Questions and Answers

How DHCP Works?
Before learning the process through which DHCP achieves its goal, we first have to understand the different messages that are used in
the process.

1. DHCPDISCOVER
It is a DHCP message that marks the beginning of a DHCP interaction between client and server. This message is sent by a client (host
or device connected to a network) that is connected to a local subnet. Its a broadcast message that uses 255.255.255.255 as
destination IP address while the source IP address is 0.0.0.0

2. DHCPOFFER
It is DHCP message that is sent in response to DHCPDISCOVER by a DHCP server to DHCP client. This message contains the
network configuration settings for the client that sent the DHCPDISCOVER message.

3. DHCPREQUEST
This DHCP message is sent in response to DHCPOFFER indicating that the client has accepted the network configuration sent in
DHCPOFFER message from the server.

4. DHCPACK
This message is sent by the DHCP server in response to DHCPREQUEST recieved from the client. This message marks the end of
the process that started with DHCPDISCOVER. The DHCPACK message is nothing but an acknowledgement by the DHCP server that
authorizes the DHCP client to start using the network configuration it received from the DHCP server earlier.

5. DHCPNAK
This message is the exact opposite to DHCPACK described above. This message is sent by the DHCP server when it is not able to
satisfy the DHCPREQUEST message from the client.

6. DHCPDECLINE
This message is sent from the DHCP client to the server in case the client finds that the IP address assigned by DHCP server is already
in use.

7. DHCPINFORM
This message is sent from the DHCP client in case the IP address is statically configured on the client and only other network settings
or configurations are desired to be dynamically acquired from DHCP server.

8. DHCPRELEASE
This message is sent by the DHCP client in case it wants to terminate the lease of network address it has be provided by DHCP server.

Now as we know about the various DHCP messages, its time to go through the the complete DHCP process to give a better Idea of
how DHCP works. Note that the steps mentioned below assume that DHCP functionality is enabled by default on the client side.
Here are the steps :

Step 1: When the client computer (or device) boots up or is connected to a network, a DHCPDISCOVER message is sent from
the client to the server. As there is no network configuration information on the client so the message is sent with 0.0.0.0 as source
address and 255.255.255.255 as destination address. If the DHCP server is on local subnet then it directly receives the message

or in case it is on different subnet then a relay agent connected on clients subnet is used to pass on the request to DHCP server.
The transport protocol used for this message is UDP and the port number used is 67. The client enters the initializing stage during

this step.
Step 2: When the DHCP server receives the DHCPDISCOVER request message then it replies with a DHCPOFFER
message. As already explained, this message contains all the network configuration settings required by the client. For example,
the yaddr field of the message will contain the IP address to be assigned to client. Similarly the the subnet mask and gateway
information is filled in the options field. Also, the server fills in the client MAC address in the chaddr field. This message is sent as a
broadcast (255.255.255.255) message for the client to receive it directly or if DHCP server is in different subnet then this message
is sent to the relay agent that takes care of whether the message is to be passed as unicast or broadcast. In this case also, UDP

protocol is used at the transport layer with destination port as 68. The client enters selecting stage during this step
Step 3: The client forms a DHCPREQUEST message in reply to DHCPOFFER message and sends it to the server indicating it
wants to accept the network configuration sent in the DHCPOFFER message. If there were multiple DHCP servers that received
DHCPDISCOVER then client could receive multiple DHCPOFFER messages. But, the client replies to only one of the messages
by populating the server identification field with the IP address of a particular DHCP server. All the messages from other DHCP
servers are implicitly declined. The DHCPREQUEST message will still contain the source address as 0.0.0.0 as the client is still not

allowed to use the IP address passed to it through DHCPOFFER message. The client enters requesting stage during this step.
Step 4: Once the server receives DHCPREQUEST from the client, it sends the DHCPACK message indicating that now the
client is allowed to use the IP address assigned to it. The client enters the bound state during this step.

The Concept of Lease

With all the necessary information on how DHCP works, one should also know that the IP address assigned by DHCP server to DHCP
client is on a lease. After the lease expires the DHCP server is free to assign the same IP address to any other host or device
requesting for the same. For example, keeping lease time 8-10 hours is helpful in case of PCs that are shut down at the end of the day.
So, lease has to be renewed from time to time. The DHCP client tries to renew the lease after half of the lease time has expired. This is
done by the exchange of DHCPREQUEST and DHCPACK messages. While doing all this, the client enters the renewing stage.
DHCP Interview Questions and Answers

What is dhcp?
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network protocol that enables a server to
automatically assign an IP address to a computer from a defined range of numbers (i.e., a
scope) configured for a given network.

What is the dhcp process for client machine?

1. A user turns on a computer with a DHCP client.
2. The client computer sends a broadcast request (called a DISCOVER or DHCPDISCOVER),
looking for a DHCP server to answer.
3. The router directs the DISCOVER packet to the correct DHCP server.
4. The server receives the DISCOVER packet. Based on availability and usage policies set on
the server, the server determines an appropriate address (if any) to give to the client. The
server then temporarily reserves that address for the client and sends back to the client an
OFFER (or DHCPOFFER) packet, with that address information. The server also configures
the client's DNS servers, WINS servers, NTP servers, and sometimes other services as well.
5. The client sends a REQUEST (or DHCPREQUEST) packet, letting the server know that it
intends to use the address.
6. The server sends an ACK (or DHCPACK) packet, confirming that the client has been given
a lease on the address for a server-specified period of time.

What is dhcp scope?

DHCP scopes are used to define ranges of addresses from which a DHCP server can assign
IP addresses to clients.
Types of scopes in windows dhcp ?
Normal Scope - Allows A, B and C Class IP address ranges to be specified including subnet
masks, exclusions and reservations. Each normal scope defined must exist within its own
subnet.
Multicast Scope - Used to assign IP address ranges for Class D networks. Multicast scopes
do not have subnet masks, reservation or other TCP/IP options.
Multicast scope address ranges require that a Time To Live (TTL) value be specified
(essentially the number of routers a packet can pass through on the way to its destination).
Superscope - Essentially a collection of scopes grouped together such that they can be
enabled and disabled as a single entity.
What is Authorizing DHCP Servers in Active Directory?
If a DHCP server is to operate within an Active Directory domain (and is not running on a
domain controller) it must first be authorized.
This can be achieved either as part of the DHCP Server role installation, or subsequently
using either DHCP console or at the command prompt using the netsh tool.
If the DHCP server was not authorized during installation, invoke the DHCP console (Start All Programs - Administrative Tools - DHCP),
right click on the DHCP to be authorized and select Authorize. To achieve the same result
from the command prompt, enter the following command:
netsh dhcp server serverID initiate auth
In the above command syntax, serverID is replaced by the IP address or full UNC name of
system on which the DHCP server is installed.
What ports are used by DHCP and the DHCP clients ?
Requests are on UDP port 68, Server replies on UDP 67 .
Benefits of using DHCP
DHCP provides the following benefits for administering your TCP/IP-based network:
Safe and reliable configuration. DHCP avoids configuration errors caused by the need to
manually type in values at each computer. Also, DHCP helps prevent address conflicts
caused by a previously assigned IP address being reused to configure a new computer on
the network.
Reduces configuration management.
Using DHCP servers can greatly decrease time spent to configuring and reconfiguring
computers on your network. Servers can be configured to supply a full range of additional
configuration values when assigning address leases. These values are assigned using DHCP
options. Also, the DHCP lease renewal process helps assure that where client configurations
need to be updated often (such as users with mobile or portable computers who change

locations frequently), these changes can be made efficiently and automatically by clients
communicating directly with DHCP servers.
The following section covers issues that affect the use of the DHCP Server service with other
services or network configurations. Using DNS servers with DHCP Using Routing and Remote
Access servers with DHCP Multihomed DHCP servers.
Describe the process of installing a DHCP server in an AD infrastructure?
Open Windows Components Wizard. Under Components , scroll to and click Networking
Services. Click Details . Under Subcomponents of Networking Services , click Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and then click OK .
Click Next . If prompted, type the full path to the Windows Server 2003 distribution files,
and then click Next. Required files are copied to your hard disk.
How to authorize a DHCP server in Active Directory Open DHCP?
In the console tree, click DHCP
. On the Action menu, click Manage authorized servers.
. The Manage Authorized Servers dialog box appears. Click Authorize.
. When prompted, type the name or IP address of the DHCP server to be authorized, and
then click OK.
What is DHCPINFORM?
DHCPInform is a DHCP message used by DHCP clients to obtain DHCP options. While PPP
remote access clients do not use DHCP to obtain IP addresses for the remote access
connection, Windows 2000 and Windows 98 remote access clients use the DHCPInform
message to obtain DNS server IP addresses, WINS server IP addresses, and a DNS domain
name.
The DHCPInform message is sent after the IPCP negotiation is concluded. The DHCPInform
message received by the remote access server is then forwarded to a DHCP server. The
remote access server forwards DHCPInform messages only if it has been configured with the
DHCP Relay Agent.
Describe the integration between DHCP and DNS?
Traditionally, DNS and DHCP servers have been configured and managed one at a time.
Similarly, changing authorization rights for a particular user on a group of devices has meant
visiting each one and making configuration changes.
DHCP integration with DNS allows the aggregation of these tasks across devices, enabling a
company's network services to scale in step with the growth of network users, devices, and
policies, while reducing administrative operations and costs. This integration provides
practical operational efficiencies that lower total cost of ownership.

Creating a DHCP network automatically creates an associated DNS zone, for example,
reducing the number of tasks required of network administrators. And integration of DNS

and DHCP in the same database instance provides unmatched consistency between service
and management views of IP address-centric network services data.
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Q: What is DHCP?
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.
Q: How can I prevent unauthorized laptops from using a network that uses DHCP for dynamic
addressing?
This would have to be done using a mechanism other than DHCP. DHCP does not prevent other clients from
using the addresses it is set to hand out nor can it distinguish between a computers permanent MAC address
and one set by the computers user. DHCP can impose no restrictions on what IP address can use a particular
port nor control the IP address used by any client.
Q: Can a BOOTP client boot from a DHCP server?
Only if the DHCP server is specifically written to also handle BOOTP queries.
Q: What is DHCPs purpose?
DHCPs purpose is to enable individual computers on an IP network to extract their configurations from a
server (the DHCP server) or servers, in particular, servers that have no exact information about the individual
computers until they request the information. The overall purpose of this is to reduce the work necessary to
administer a large IP network. The most significant piece of information distributed in this manner is the IP
address.
Q: Can DHCP support remote access?
PPP has its own non-DHCP way in which communications servers can hand clients an IP address called IPCP
(IP Control Protocol) but doesnt have the same flexibility as DHCP or BOOTP in handing out other
parameters. Such a communications server may support the use of DHCP to acquire the IP addresses it gives
out. This is sometimes called doing DHCP by proxy for the client. I know that Windows NTs remote access
support does this. A feature of DHCP under development (DHCPinform) is a method by which a DHCP server
can supply parameters to a client that already has an IP number. With this, a PPP client could get its IP number
using IPCP, then get the rest of its parameters using this feature of DHCP. SLIP has no standard way in which a
server can hand a client an IP address, but many communications servers support non-standard ways of doing
this that can be utilized by scripts, etc. Thus, like communications servers supporting PPP, such communications
servers could also support the use of DHCP to acquire the IP addressees to give out. The DHCP protocol is
capable of allocating an IP address to a device without an IEEE-style MAC address, such as a computer
attached through SLIP or PPP, but to do so, it makes use of a feature which may or may not be supported by the
DHCP server: the ability of the server to use something other than the MAC address to identify the client.
Communications servers that acquire IP numbers for their clients via DHCP run into the same roadblock in that
they have just one MAC address, but need to acquire more than one IP address. One way such a

communications server can get around this problem is through the use of a set of unique pseudo-MAC
addresses for the purposes of its communications with the DHCP server. Another way (used by Shiva) is to use
a different client ID type for your hardware address. Client ID type 1 means youre using MAC addresses.
However, client ID type 0 means an ASCII string.
Q: How can I prevent unauthorized laptops from using a network that uses DHCP for dynamic
addressing?
This would have to be done using a mechanism other than DHCP. DHCP does not prevent other clients from
using the addresses it is set to hand out nor can it distinguish between a computers permanent MAC address
and one set by the computers user. DHCP can impose no restrictions on what IP address can use a particular
port nor control the IP address used by any client.
Q: Can a BOOTP client boot from a DHCP server?
Only if the DHCP server is specifically written to also handle BOOTP queries.
Q: Can DHCP work with Apple Talk or IPX?
No, it is too tied to IP. Furthermore, they dont need it since they have always had automated mechanisms for
assigning their own network addresses.
Q: What is a DHCP lease?
A DHCP lease is the amount of time that the DHCP server grants to the DHCP client permission to use a
particular IP address. A typical server allows its administrator to set the lease time.
Q: What is DHCP Spoofing?
Ascend Pipeline ISDN routers (which attach Ethernets to ISDN lines) incorporate a feature that Ascend calls
DHCP spoofing which is essentially a tiny server implementation that hands an IP address to a connecting
Windows 95 computer, with the intention of giving it an IP number during its connection process.
Q: How long should a lease be?
A very relevant factor is that the client starts trying to renew the lease when it is halfway through: thus, for
example, with a 4 day lease, the client which has lost access to its DHCP server has 2 days from when it first
tries to renew the lease until the lease expires and the client must stop using the network. During a 2- day
outage, new users cannot get new leases, but no lease will expire for any computer turned on at the time that the
outage commences. Another factor is that the longer the lease the longer time it takes for client configuration
changes controlled by DHCP to propogate.
Q: Is a DHCP client supposed to be able to use a BOOTP server?
The RFC on such interoperability (1534) is clear: A DHCP client MAY use a reply from a BOOTP server if the
configuration returned from the BOOTP server is acceptable to the DHCP client. (section 3). The word MAY
indicates such support, however useful, is left as an option.

Q: What is a Client ID?

What is termed the Client ID for the purposes of the DHCP protocol is whatever is used by the protocol to
identify the client computer. By default, DHCP implementations typically employ the clients MAC address for
this purpose, but the DHCP protocol allows other options. Some DHCP implementations have a setup option to
specify the client ID you want. One alternative to the MAC address is simply a character string of your choice.
In any case, in order for DHCP to function, you must be certain that no other client is using the client ID you
choose, and you must be sure the DHCP server will accept it.
Q: How can I relay DHCP if my router does not support it?
A server on a net(subnet) can relay DHCP or BOOTP for that net. Microsoft has software to make Windows NT
do this.
Q: Is a DHCP server supposed to be able to support a BOOTP client?
The RFC on such interoperability (1534) is clear: In summary, a DHCP server:
MAY support BOOTP clients, (section 2). The word MAY indicates such support, however useful, is left
as an option.
A source of confusion on this point is the following statement in section 1.5 of RFC 1541: DHCP must provide
service to existing BOOTP clients. However, this statement is one in a list of general design goals for DHCP,
i.e. what the
designers of the DHCP protocol set as their own goals. It is not in a list of requirements for DHCP servers.
Q: Can DHCP support statically defined addresses?
Yes. At least there is nothing in the protocol to preclude this and one expects it to be a feature of any DHCP
server. This is really a server matter and the client should work either way. The RFC refers to this as manual
allocation.
Q: What is a MAC address?
A MAC address (also called an Ethernet address or an IEEE MAC address) is a number (typically written as
twelve hexadecimal digits, 0 through 9 and A through F, or as six hexadecimal numbers separated by periods or
colons, i.e. 0080002012ef, 0:80:0:2:20:ef) which uniquely identifes a computer that has an Ethernet interface.
Unlike the IP number, it includes no indication of where your computer is located. In DHCPs typical use, the
server uses a requesting computers MAC address to uniquely identify it.
Q: Can a DHCP server back up another DHCP server?
You can have two or more servers handing out leases for different addresses. If each has a dynamic pool
accessible to the same clients, then even if one server is down, one of those clients can lease an address from the
other server. However, without communication between the two servers to share their information on current
leases, when one server is down, any client with a lease from it will not be able to renew their lease with the
other server. Such communication is the purpose of the server to server protocol (see next question). It is

possible that some server vendors have addressed this issue with their own proprietary server-to-server
communication.
Q: What protocol and port does DHCP use?
DHCP, like BOOTP runs over UDP, utilizing ports 67 and 68.

Windows Server DHCP Interview Questions

25. Sep

Active Directory

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Below is the list of Basic Windows Server DHCP Interview Questions asked in Interviews for the post
of Windows System Administrator/ L1/L2/L3 Windows Support Engineer.

What is dhcp ?
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network protocol that enables a server to automatically
assign an IP address to a computer from a defined range of numbers (i.e., a scope) configured for a given
network.

What is the dhcp process for client machine?

1. A user turns on a computer with a DHCP client.
2. The client computer sends a broadcast request (called a DISCOVER or DHCPDISCOVER), looking for
a DHCP server to answer.
3. The router directs the DISCOVER packet to the correct DHCP server.
4. The server receives the DISCOVER packet. Based on availability and usage policies set on the server,

the server determines an appropriate address (if any) to give to the client. The server then temporarily
reserves that address for the client and sends back to the client an OFFER (or DHCPOFFER) packet, with
that address information. The server also configures the clients DNS servers, WINS servers, NTP
servers, and sometimes other services as well.
5. The client sends a REQUEST (or DHCPREQUEST) packet, letting the server know that it intends to
use the address.
6. The server sends an ACK (or DHCPACK) packet, confirming that the client has a been given a lease on
the address for a server-specified period of time.

What is dhcp scope ?

DHCP scopes are used to define ranges of addresses from which a DHCP server can assign IP
addresses to clients.

Types of scopes in windows dhcp ?

Normal Scope Allows A, B and C Class IP address ranges to be specified including subnet masks,
exclusions and reservations. Each normal scope defined must exist within its own subnet.
Multicast Scope Used to assign IP address ranges for Class D networks. Multicast scopes do not have
subnet masks, reservation or other TCP/IP options.
Multicast scope address ranges require that a Time To Live (TTL) value be specified (essentially the
number of routers a packet can pass through on the way to its destination).
Superscope Essentially a collection of scopes grouped together such that they can be enabled and
disabled as a single entity.

What is Authorizing DHCP Servers in Active Directory ?

If a DHCP server is to operate within an Active Directory domain (and is not running on a domain
controller) it must first be authorized.
This can be achieved either as part of the DHCP Server role installation, or subsequently using either
DHCP console or at the command prompt using the netsh tool.
If the DHCP server was not authorized during installation, invoke the DHCP console (Start -> All Programs
-> Administrative Tools -> DHCP),
right click on the DHCP to be authorized and select Authorize. To achieve the same result from the
command prompt, enter the following command:
netsh dhcp server serverID initiate auth
In the above command syntax, serverID is replaced by the IP address or full UNC name of system on
which the DHCP server is installed.

What ports are used by DHCP and the DHCP clients ?

Requests are on UDP port 68, Server replies on UDP 67 .

List some Benefits of using DHCP

DHCP provides the following benefits for administering your TCP/IP-based network:
Safe and reliable configuration.DHCP avoids configuration errors caused by the need to manually type in
values at each computer. Also, DHCP helps prevent address conflicts caused by a previously assigned IP
address being reused to configure a new computer on the network.
Reduces configuration management.

Using DHCP servers can greatly decrease time spent to configuring and reconfiguring computers on your
network. Servers can be configured to supply a full range of additional configuration values when
assigning address leases. These values are assigned using DHCP options. Also, the DHCP lease renewal
process helps assure that where client configurations need to be updated often (such as users with mobile
or portable computers who change locations frequently), these changes can be made efficiently and
automatically by clients communicating directly with DHCP servers.

The following section covers issues that affect the use of the DHCP Server service with
other services or network configurations. Using DNS servers with DHCP Using Routing and Remote
Access servers with DHCP Multihomed DHCP servers.

Describe the process of installing a DHCP server in an AD infrastructure ?

Open Windows Components Wizard. Under Components , scroll to and click Networking Services. Click
Details . Under Subcomponents of Networking Services , click Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and then click OK .

Click Next . If prompted, type the full path to the Windows Server 2003 distribution files, and then click
Next. Required files are copied to your hard disk.

How to authorize a DHCP server in Active Directory Open DHCP ?.

In the console tree, click DHCP
. On the Action menu, click Manage authorized servers.
. The Manage Authorized Servers dialog box appears. Click Authorize.
. When prompted, type the name or IP address of the DHCP server to be authorized, and then click OK.

What is DHCPINFORM?
DHCPInform is a DHCP message used by DHCP clients to obtain DHCP options. While PPP remote
access clients do not use DHCP to obtain IP addresses for the remote access connection, Windows 2000
and Windows 98 remote access clients use the DHCPInform message to obtain DNS server IP
addresses, WINS server IP addresses, and a DNS domain name.

The DHCPInform message is sent after the IPCP negotiation is concluded. The DHCPInform message
received by the remote access server is then forwarded to a DHCP server. The remote access server
forwards DHCPInform messages only if it has been configured with the DHCP Relay Agent.

Describe the integration between DHCP and DNS?

Traditionally, DNS and DHCP servers have been configured and managed one at a time. Similarly,
changing authorization rights for a particular user on a group of devices has meant visiting each one and
making configuration changes.

DHCP integration with DNS allows the aggregation of these tasks across devices, enabling a companys
network services to scale in step with the growth of network users, devices, and policies, while reducing
administrative operations and costs. This integration provides practical operational efficiencies that lower
total cost of ownership.

Creating a DHCP network automatically creates an associated DNS zone, for example, reducing the
number of tasks required of network administrators. And integration of DNS and DHCP in the same
database instance provides unmatched consistency between service and management views of IP
address-centric networkservices data.