DHCP Configuration Guide

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This is a guide on configuring your computer to use DHCP. Instructions for several operating systems are available. Note that DHCP is the default for most operating systems, so it is possible that you don't actually need to change anything if your network settings have not been customized.

Windows XP

1. Cllick the Start button.
2. Click on Control Panel, then Network and Internet Connections.
3. Click Network Connections.
4. Right click on Local Area Connections and select Properties.
5. Double-click on the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
6. Select 'Obtain an IP address automatically'.
7. Select 'Obtain DNS server address automatically'.
8. Click OK.
9. Click OK.

Windows 2000

1. Click the Start button.
2. Go to Settings, then Network and Dial-up Connections, then Local Area Connection. A new window for Local Area Connection.
3. Status appears. Click on the Properties button. The Local Area Connection Properties window appears.
4. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Click on the Properties button. The Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties window appears.
5. Click on "Obtain an IP address automatically".
6. Click on "Obtain DNS server address automatically".
7. Click on the Advanced button. The Advanced TCP/IP Settings window appears.
8. Click on the DNS tab.
9. Make sure no DNS addresses are listed.
10. Click on Append primary and connection specific DNS suffixes.
11. Ensure that the "Register this connection's addresses in DNS" item is unchecked (i.e., not used).
12. Click on the WINS tab.
13. Make sure that no WINS addresses are listed.
14. Ensure that the "Use NetBIOS setting from the DHCP server" item is checked (i.e., used).
15. Click OK through the open windows to close and exit.
16. Reboot your computer.

Windows 98

1. Right click on Network Neighborhood and select Properties.
2. Under the Configuration Tab, select "TCP/IP -> [Network Adapter]". (NOT the dialup adapter)
3. Click on the Properties.
4. Under the IP Address tab, select "Obtain an IP address automatically".
5. Under the WINS Configuration tab, select "Use DHCP for WINS Resolution".
6. Under the Gateway tab, remove all installed gateways.
7. Under the DNS Configuration tab, select "Disable DNS".
8. Click OK through the open windows to close and exit.
9. Reboot your computer.

Red Hat Linux 7.3

Red Hat Linux 7.3 has been tested and found to work just fine generally out-of-the-box.

• If you are installing Red Hat 7.3 for the first time on a desktop (i.e., fixed ethernet card), the computer would be setup to use DHCP.
• On a notebook computer using a PCMCIA ethernet card, the default PCMCIA configuration in Red Hat 7.3 will setup things correctly.
• If you ever have to setup the network configuration yourself (e.g., such as when ugprading from an existing setup that has some other type of configuration), do the following:
  1. Run the neat program.
  2. Select the ethernet interface (typically eth0).
  3. Select the radio button for 'Automatically obtain IP address settings with:', and then choose 'dhcp' from the list next to it.
  4. Click OK to close the window. Click Apply to save the settings, and Close to exit the neat program.
  5. Reboot.

At this time, it is generally recommended to run Red Hat Linux 7.3 (or higher if newer versions become available). If you want to run any other distribution of Linux, you should try to be self-supporting.

Solaris 7 and 8

1. Login as root.
2. Delete the contents of the file /etc/hostname.hme0 (for Sun SPARC platforms) or /etc/hostname.elx0 (for Intel x86 platforms). The file should still exist, but just be empty.
3. Create an empty file /etc/dhcp.hme0 (for Sun SPARC platforms) or /etc/dhcp.elx0 (for Intel x86 platforms).
4. Reboot.

Related information:

Related information:

DHCP Information
DHCP and Dynamic DNS
Troubleshooting DHCP Problems