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DHCP not giving out leases to clients

Hi

I have a Windows 2003 Standard server and have installed and configured DHCP and created a scope. The server is authorised, and is all ready to serve my clients.

However, no clients on my network can obtain an IP address via DHCP, but there are no errors in Event log.

If the clients are assigned a static IP on the same subnet as the server, they can connect to and ping the server without problem.

I have two NIC's in this server, but disabled the second NIC (which is the management NIC used for Network Load Balancing) in Properties > Advanced > Bindings.

Any tips much appreciated.

Gareth

SOLUTION

Nirmal Sharma

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mfteal

I would start by stopping and restarting the dhcp service on the server. Also, check the event logs for anything helpful.

Assuming you have stopped and successfully restarted the dhcp server service and see no errors in any system logs, I would say to remove the service, reboot, and reinstall the service.

localgareth

ASKER

SystmProg: I had already set binding on just one card.

mfteal: Tried stopping, starting, rebooting, unauthorising, removing the service and reinstalling - but still no leases are issued.

The annoying thing is, there are no errors in event log. When I restart the service, I get a message in event log saying everything is fine and clients are ready to be served addresses.

Is there any advanced logging I can use? Could this be related to Network Load Balancing?

Thanks

Gareth

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mfteal

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localgareth

ASKER

mfteal - excellent links :-) but I think my setup is already identical to how the document describes.

I have two servers, and am (sucessfuly) using NLB for Terminal Services.

My server NICs in the Server where I plan to run DHCP are..

NIC1 (LAN Connetion)
IP: 10.255.255.1
SUBNET: 255.255.255.0
GATEWAY: 10.255.255.254
VIRTUAL IP for NLB 10.255.255.3
Network Load Balancing is bound to this adapter

NIC2 (Management Interface)
IP: 172.16.0.1
SUBNET: 255.255.255.0

NIC2 in Server 1 is connected to NIC2 in Server 2 bycrossover cable, so it is physically seperate from NIC1.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Gareth

mfteal

Do you see any active leases? I'm just wondering if the DHCP server has issued (or thinks it has issued) any addresses at all?

One other thing to check is the below article. You may not have used Dhcpexim.exe, but wouldn't hurt to check the relevant registry key:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287031

mfteal

Oh, any chance it is a router issue? If there is a router between your clients and the server, would it be possible to try connecting a client PC to the same switch that the server is on temporarily to make sure the router isn't blocking dhcp packets?

localgareth

ASKER

There are no active leases - the DHCP server is just sitting and waiting, and doesn't seem to respond to any client requests for leases.

There is no router between the server and clients, just a unmanaged switch.

Just looking at KB 287031 but not sure it will help, it also doesn't seem to be for Server 2003, but I may try this anyway.

Thanks

Gareth

mfteal

Any chance you've accidentally installed a DHCP relay agent on the server as well as having it as a dhcp server?

Just check Routing and Remote Access, under the server name, IP Routing, you shouldn't see it enabled. If you either have it configured on the DHCP server to route to itself or have it on another server to route somewhere else this would prevent your DHCP server from being asked for addresses.

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Netman66

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ckratsch

On a site I worked on yesterday:

They have a little SonicWall with 10 internet CALs. The SonicWall would scavenge the network for IP devices and assign CALs to anything it finds - including four printers and a wireless access point. Considering that they have 9 computers on the network, that would run over the top of the CAL limit.

Now, the SBS2003 machine was running DHCP, not the SonicWall - but when the SonicWall ran over CALs, it would prevent computers from receiving DHCP anyway, some computers were not able to connect to the server, weird stuff like that - all on the LAN, not on the WAN.

The solution there was to enter Deny Access rules in the SonicWall for the printers and WAP, then restart the SonicWall to clear the license count and have it reassign CALs to clients on the LAN.

Probably not related to this, but I just had to mention it.

localgareth

ASKER

mfteal, thanks for the idea - but I'm not using any DHCP relays.

netman66, I dio have half my overall DHCP scope on each server, so there is no overlap. Anyway, NLB is only used for TCP port 3389 for terminal services.

I have a feeling this is something to do with Network Load Balancing, 'cos if I resetup NLB on the servers using just one NIC and disabling the other, it seems to work fine. For now, this will be my workaround until I have time to do more testing.

Thanks to all for helping :-) I'll split the points 'cos some good suggestions were made.

Thanks

Gareth

Nirmal Sharma

Thanks!