Setting Up a DHCP Client

Most client computers (Window, Linux, or Mac) are configured by default to boot up using DCHP to connect to the network. However, when that is not the case, you may need to indicate manually that DHCP be used.

Configuring a network client to get addresses from your DHCP server is fairly easy. Different types of operating systems, however, have different ways of using DHCP. Here are examples for setting up Windows and Linux DHCP clients .

Windows:

1. From most older Windows operating systems (Windows 95, 98, and 2000), you open the Network window from the Control Panel (Start Settings Control Panel). For Windows XP systems, select Start Control Panel Network and Internet Connections Network Connections, and then select your Local Area Connection and choose Properties.

2. From the Configuration tab (or General tab in Windows XP), click the TCP/IP interface associated with your Ethernet card (something like TCP/IP 3Com EtherLink III).

3. Click Properties. The Properties window appears.

4. Click the IP Address tab (or General tab in Windows XP) and then select the Obtain an IP Address Automatically check box.

5. Click OK and reboot the computer so the client can use the new IP address.

Linux:

1. While you are initially installing Linux, click Configure using DHCP on the Network Configuration screen. Your network client should automatically pick up its IP address from your DHCP server when it starts up.

2. To set up DHCP after installation, open the Network Configuration window (select System Administration Network or run the neat command).

3. From the Network Configuration window:

   1. Click the Devices tab (on by default).

   2. Click your Ethernet device (probably eth0).

   3. Click Edit.

   4. Click the General tab.

   5. Click "Automatically obtain IP address settings with" and select dhcp.

   6. Click OK.

   7. Click Activate.

4. Then, from a Terminal window, type:

    #  service network restart  

By default, a Fedora or RHEL client will not accept all information passed to it from the DHCP server. The way that the Fedora or RHEL client handles DHCP server input is based on settings in the /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifup script. If the client has DHCP turned on, when the system starts up networking, the ifup script runs the dhclient command. You can adjust the behavior of dhclient by creating the /etc/dhclient.conf file. (Type man dhclient.conf to find out how you can set your dhclient.conf file.)