Summary

DHCP is an essential protocol that's used on nearly all LANs. When it's configured properly, DHCP is a seamless way to assign IP addresses, with little or no intervention. In this chapter, we covered the purpose of DHCP and learned about its impressive role in supplying a host with an IP address, along with configuration details. We discovered the role of a relay agent, outlined the various ways IPv6 obtains an IP address, and briefly discussed security issues when working with DHCP.

Then, we looked at the DORA process – discover, offer, request, and acknowledgment – and examined the mechanics of the DHCP lease time. You should now have a better understanding of the DHCP header field values, along with the types of messages. In addition, you should be able to recognize the various DHCP options. We summarized this by bringing everything together and stepping through a DHCP example. We moved from the initial broadcast on the network, to the offer and...