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    Configure DHCP On Cisco IOS Devices

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    Saqib Afzal
    The document discusses how to configure DHCP on Cisco IOS devices. Cisco devices can be configured as DHCP servers to assign IP addresses from a pool, as DHCP clients to receive IP addresses, or as DHCP relay agents to forward requests to DHCP servers. The DHCP process involves clients sending discovery messages and servers responding with offers, which clients then request formally. Key configuration commands enable DHCP server functionality on Cisco routers to assign addresses, options, and leases.

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    Configure DHCP On Cisco IOS Devices

    Uploaded by

    Saqib Afzal
    40 views8 pages
    The document discusses how to configure DHCP on Cisco IOS devices. Cisco devices can be configured as DHCP servers to assign IP addresses from a pool, as DHCP clients to receive IP addresses, or as DHCP relay agents to forward requests to DHCP servers. The DHCP process involves clients sending discovery messages and servers responding with offers, which clients then request formally. Key configuration commands enable DHCP server functionality on Cisco routers to assign addresses, options, and leases.

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    Configure DHCP on Cisco IOS Devices

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    The document discusses how to configure DHCP on Cisco IOS devices. Cisco devices can be configured as DHCP servers to assign IP addresses from a pool, as DHCP clients to receive IP addresses, or as DHCP relay agents to forward requests to DHCP servers. The DHCP process involves clients sending discovery messages and servers responding with offers, which clients then request formally. Key configuration commands enable DHCP server functionality on Cisco routers to assign addresses, options, and leases.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    40 views8 pages

    Configure DHCP On Cisco IOS Devices

    Uploaded by

    Saqib Afzal
    The document discusses how to configure DHCP on Cisco IOS devices. Cisco devices can be configured as DHCP servers to assign IP addresses from a pool, as DHCP clients to receive IP addresses, or as DHCP relay agents to forward requests to DHCP servers. The DHCP process involves clients sending discovery messages and servers responding with offers, which clients then request formally. Key configuration commands enable DHCP server functionality on Cisco routers to assign addresses, options, and leases.

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    How to Configure DHCP on Cisco IOS

    Devices
    The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is considered to be an evolution of
    the Bootstrap Protocol (BootP).
    DHCP is literally build upon BootP, and BootP remains an internal part of DHCP. Both
    protocols have been created to provide IP addresses to clients when needed.

    The difference between them is that while BootP provides an IP address to a client according to
    the client's hardware address on the BootP server table, DHCP by default provides an IP address
    automatically to the client from a pool of IP addresses.

    Besides an IP address, the DHCP server can provide the client a lot of information, such as DNS
    server IP address, Default gateway IP address, Domain name and much more.

    A Cisco IOS device can be configured to act as:

     a DHCP server - by providing IP addresses when requested to do so

     a DHCP client - when it requests an IP address

     a DHCP relay agent - when it captures IP requests from clients, adds extra
    information to the request for user identification purposes, and forwards the
    request to the DHCP server

    Cisco IOS devices can be configured to act as all of the above and even in combinations of two
    or three of roles. In this article I will investigate the operation of Cisco routers under all of the
    above roles.
    Cisco IOS Router Acting as a DHCP
    Server
    Let's start by investigating the process of IP address assignment when a DHCP client requests an
    IP address from a DHCP server. The messages exchanged between client and server can be seen
    in the diagram below:

    The above diagram presents the DHCP message sequence. Here's how it all goes down:

    1. The client sends a DHCP Discover message to locate a DHCP server - this is a
    broadcast message

    2. The DHCP server responds with a DHCP Offer unicast message - this
    message includes the IP address offered to the client, default gateway address
    and lease time for the IP address offered; it may also include DNS servers,
    TFTP server, and other information
    3. The client responds with a DHCP Request message which is a formal request
    for the IP address offered by the server - this is again a broadcast message

    4. Finally the server responds with a DHCP Ack unicast message confirming that
    the IP address has been leased to the client

    Below is a list of the most important commands to enable a Cisco router to emulate a DHCP
    server:

    Now let's use the above commands in a real scenario. A Cisco router is configured to provide
    DHCP functionality as follows:

     Router(config)# ip dhcp excluded-address 172.16.1.1 172.16.1.3

     Router(config)# ip dhcp pool DATA

     Router(config-dhcp)#network 172.16.1.0 255.255.255.0

     Router(config-dhcp)#dns-server 172.16.1.1 172.16.1.21

     Router(config-dhcp)#default-router 172.16.1.1
     Router(config-dhcp)#lease 7

    Based on the above configuration let's see the messages exchanged as captured from Ethereal
    application. A screen shot of the messages can be seen below:

    Details on the DHCP Offer message sent by the Cisco router can be seen below. Make a note of
    the client's offered IP address (172.16.1.5), option 3 - default router's address, option 51- IP
    address lease time, option 6 – IP addresses of DNS servers.
    Cisco IOS Router Acting as a DHCP
    Client
    A Cisco router can be configured to act as DHCP client and obtain dynamically an interface
    address by using the command ip address dhcp in interface configuration mode. Issuing this
    command causes the router to transmit DHCP Discover messages on the specific interface.

    Cisco IOS Router Acting as a DHCP


    Relay Agent
    By default routers do not forward broadcasts. In internetworks, most of the times, a DHCP server
    is located on a different network than the majority of its clients.

    For DHCP messages to be able to reach the server, configuration of IP helper addresses is
    required. IP helper address [DHCP server IP address] interface command instructs a router to
    intercept DHCP broadcast messages and forward them as unicasts to the DHCP server hence
    providing “relay” functionality.

    DHCP relay agents provide extra security to the network by hiding the server's IP address from
    the clients. The client knows only the IP address of the relay agent.

    The image below shows a common scenario where IP helper address is required.

    The next image shows an IP DHCP Offer message as received on the client.

    Note the IP address of the relay agent specified in the message. The client with the help of IP
    helper address on the relay agent is able to receive its IP address and all other information
    options provided.
    Telecom companies use the services provided by DHCP relay agents extensively. Specifically
    the ip dhcp relay information option global configuration command which enables the DHCP
    relay agent to include information about itself to the DHCP requests sent from clients to DHCP
    server.

    This is very useful for telecom operators when ATM routed bridge encapsulation (RBE) is used
    so that ATM interface and PVC over which the DHCP request came in is transmitted to the
    server from the relay agent. This information can be used to authenticate the client and help the
    DHCP server to apply the appropriate policy decisions.

    The image below shows schematically the DHCP relay information option concept.
    Summary
     DHCP functionality can be reliably configured on Cisco IOS devices. Cisco
    devices can be configured to act as DHCP servers, DHCP clients, or DHCP
    relay agents or even a combination of these.

     DHCP options like DNS servers, Domain name, lease time, etc. can be
    configured on Cisco devices.

     IP helper address activates the DHCP relay agent functionality on Cisco


    devices.

     DHCP relay agent options can be activated on Cisco devices so that


    supplementary services such as RBE functionality could be effective.

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