Installing DHCP Server on Windows Server 2008 R2

Pre-requisite setup:

As a well known case, that all the network service servers should be using the Static IP-Address. DHCP server checks the status of static IP-address and warns you if it’s not the case.

You need “Enterprise Administrator” access level for authorizing the newly installed DHCP Server as valid DHCP server on the network. This can be done at a later part from the DHCP Server Management Console

DHCP Server Installation:

DHCP Server is a server role in Windows Server 2008 R2.  You can add/Remove this role via Server Manager > Roles Section.  Below are the sequence of steps that you do in DHCP server install from Server Manager

1. Launch Server Manager
2. Click Roles
3. Click on “Add Roles” from right click or from the roles pane
4. You’ll be in “Add Roles Wizard” window
5. In “Server Roles” section, Select “DHCP Server” from the list of available roles and click Next
6. In “DHCP Server” section, Click Next to “Introduction to DHCP Server”
7. In “Network Connection Bindings” section, Select the NICs that you would like to be bound for serving DHCP requests from list in “Network Connections” available on that system and click next
8. In “IPv4 DNS Settings” section
   1. Verify the default populated DNS suffix/domain name in  “Parent Domain” textbox and update if needed
   2. Specify the value for “Preferred DNS Server IPv4 Address”  and click on “Validate” button to ensure that it’s indeed a IPV4 DNS server on that address
   3. Also, specify the value for optional parameter “Alternate DNS Server IPv4 Address” and click on “Validate” button to ensure that it’s indeed a IPV4 DNS server on that address
   4. Click Next

   

9. In “IPv4 WINS Settings” section, depending upon your network requirements to support NetBIOS clients choose either to enable or disable the WINS support
   1. WINS is not required for applications on this network
   2. WINS is required for applications on this network, then specify the WINS server details
   3. Click Next

   

10. In “DHCP scopes” section, you can add DHCP scopes.  You can also do this from DHCP Server Console at a later point
11. In “DHCPv6 Stateless Mode”  select either,
    1. Enable DHCPv6 stateless mode for this server
       1. IPv6 clients will be automatically configured without using the DHCP server.
    2. Disable DHCPv6 stateless mode for this server
       1. After installing DHCP Server you can configure the DHCPv6 mode using the DHCP Management Console 

    

12. In “IPv6 DNS Settings” section
    1. Verify the default populated DNS suffix/domain name in “Parent Domain” textbox and update if needed
    2. Specify the value for “Preferred DNS Server IPv6 Address” and click on “Validate” button to ensure that it’s indeed a IPV6 DNS server on that address
    3. Also, specify the value for optional parameter “Alternate DNS Server IPv6 Address” and click on “Validate” button to ensure that it’s indeed a IPV6 DNS server on that address
    4. In case, if you are NOT using IPv6 then you need to specify the ::1 (i.e., localhost in IPv6 terms) for “Preferred DNS Server IPv6 Address” in order have the next button enabled
    5. Click Next
13. In “Authorize DHCP Server” section, you need to authorize the DHCP Server install on this server for this you need to be an Enterprise Administrator, you’ll have below option for choose Authorization
    1. Use Current Credentials
    2. Use Alternate Credentials
    3. Skip Authorization of this DHCP server in AD DS
       1. Note: if you choose Skip authorization that DHCP server doesn’t take part in servicing clients. The DHCP server must be authorized in AD DS before it can serve clients.

    

14. On Confirmation screen, review the settings, manage if needed using Previous buttons
15. Click Install
16. Click Close on Results screen if the install is successful

Images Source and References:

1. How to Install and Configure Windows Server 2008 DHCP Server
2. Running Windows Server 2008 R2 – Installing and Creating the Lab Domain Controller (Part 2)