Configure basic DHCP server

In this post we will learn how to configure basic DHCP server in Server 2012. Configuring a DHCP server is very easy, the only thing you need to take care of is WINS server.
WINS server was an alternate option for the traditional DNS server but it failed. But still there are some old computers which are running WINS. So if you have such a PC in your network, you need to enter its IP. For the rest of us we can simply configure a basic and simple DHCP server within 10-20 minutes.
So lets start configuring DHCP server of Windows Server 2012. First we need to complete the DHCP configuration process and then configure it. So lets finish the post installation step first.

1. In the warnings flag, click on ‘Complete DHCP configuration’.
   
   

   Complete post installation steps.

    

    

2. You’ll see a new windows named ‘DHCP Post-Install configuration wizard. Click on Next.
   
   

   Click next

    

3. In the next step Configure Authorization. Use the administrator’s credentials only for this server.
   
   

   Select authorization method.

    

    

4. Summary of the processes.
   
   

   Summary of process

    

Now your DHCP server is fully installed. Time to configure it.

1. Go to ‘Tools’ and select DHCP.
   

   Select tools –> DHCP

   You can also navigate to the warnings flag and click on ‘Complete DHCP configuration’

   

   Configure DHCP from Flag

    

2. This is where you can configure DHCP server.
   Here you can configure both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. In this post we will only configure IPv4.
   

   Configuration wizard

    

3. Right click on IPv4 and select ‘New Scope’.
   
   

   Right Click on IPv4, add new scope.

    

    

4. A new wizard will appear. Click on ‘Next’.
   
   

   Click Next

    

5. This is the main part of your DHCP server configuration.
   Add the range of IPs you want DHCP server to give away to clients. Note: It will give the starting and ending IP too.
   So if you start from 10.10.10.100 to 10.10.10.250, the first client will get 100 and last client will get 250.
   Enter the subnet length and mask.
   

   Enter the IP range

    

6. Exclude IP you have already assigned to other machines.
   Say you have your FTP server running on 10.10.10.110 and Backup server on 10.10.10.120, you can exclude these IPs from the DHCP IP pool. IP addresses entered here won’t be given to the clients.
   However if you don’t want some to give some IP addresses, start from the next IP, as 10.10.10.121 here in this case.
   

   Enter IPs that need to be excluded

    

7. Lease time is the amount of time a particular client will keep that IP.
   If lease time is 12 hours, the client will ask for the same IP or a new one after every 12 hours.
   

   Enter lease time.

    

8. Select ‘Yes, I want to configure these options now.’
   
   

   Configure these options now.

    

    

9. Enter your gateway or router’s address. The client will use this IP as gateway to access internet.
   
   

   Enter gateway address

    

    

10. Enter your parent domain and IP address of DNS servers.
    If you want to add, just enter the IP and click on ‘Add’.
    
    

    Enter DNS address

     

     

11. This is the step we discussed in the start. We don’t have a WINS server so leave it blank and proceed.
    
    

    Enter WINS server address or leave it blank

     

     

12. Activate this scope now.
    
    

    Activate scope

     

     

13. Click on Finish.
    
    

    Finish

     

     

14. You can now see the new scope under IPv4
    
    

    New scope updated.

     

If you want to Stop, Start or Restart the DHCP server you can right-click on your server and navigate to all tasks.

To start, stop or restart service.