Are you looking for steps to install the DHCP server on Windows server 2019? Take a peek at this blog.

Here at Bobcares, we have seen several such DHCP related queries as part of our Server Management Services for web hosts and online service providers.

Today we’ll see how to install DHCP on Windows server 2019.

How we install the DHCP server on Windows server 2019

Here are the steps our Support Engineers follow to install the DHCP server on Windows server 2019.

1. Open Server Manager & Add Roles and Features

First, open the “Server Manager” in order to start the installation process. For that, click on the “Windows” button and type in “Server Manager” and choose the app that brings itself up.

The next step is to click the “Add Roles and Features“ under the “Server Manager” window. After clicking this option, a pop-up window appears where you need to click on the “Next” button.

2. Role-Based or Feature-based installation

After clicking Next, a new page appears where you need to choose the “Role-Based or Feature-based installation” radio option and hit “Next“.

3. Choose Host & Select Server Roles

On the next page, you would need to choose the server you would wish to install the DHCP Server on. Here we are choosing the local server. After that, click “Next”.

Now a page appears with the title “Select Server Roles” which has got a list of roles to install. Here, choose the “DHCP Server“.

4. Add Features & Confirm Selections

After choosing “DHCP Server”, another pop-up window appears with the title “Add features that are required for DHCP Server?“. Here, you would need to click on “Add Features“. After that, click on “Next”.

Next, a page appears with the title “DHCP Server”. Here simply click on “Next“.

After that, a new page appears with the title “Confirm installation selections”. Here, check the list provided and confirm that DHCP Server and others are listed. Then click on “Install“. Once the installation is successful, click on “Close”.

5. Post-deployment Configuration

Part 1

Open Server Manager and you must now be able to find “DHCP” as an option on the left pane of the window. Now you must see a yellow-marked warning that says “Configuration required for DHCP Server at …”. Here, click on the “More” link at the end of the warning sentence.

Part 2

After Part 1, a new window appears with the title “All Server Task Details and Notifications”. Below that, you must see see “Post-deployment Configuration” line. Now click on “Complete DHCP Configuration” at the end of that line. After that, an installation wizard will come up then click “Next“.

Part 3

On this page of the Wizard, three options will be present. You can proceed with the Administrator’s credentials, an alternate user’s credentials, and also AD Authorization. In case, if the server is standalone and is not in any Active Directory Domain, then choose “Skip AD authorization” radio. However, if it is, then you can use the credentials as recorded in your AD. After making the decision that befits your environment, click “Commit“. Let it finish and once successful, click on “Close“.

6. Configuring DHCP Server

Now go back to Server Manager, click on “Tools” and choose “DHCP“. As a result, it will open the DHCP Configuration Window.

7. New Scope and name it

Now on the left pane of the window, click on the drop-down and right-click “IPv4”, then choose “New Scope“. A new scope wizard window will pop-up and then click “Next“. Now enter a name and description of this new scope and hit “Next“.

8. Input desired IP Address range

Enter the start and end IPs, Length, and Subnet Mask than hit “Next“.

9. Set any IPs You would wish to exclude here

In case, if you wish to reserve any IPs in the range for maybe stuff like a printer and other equipment, you can input them at this stage.

10. Lease Duration & DHCP Options

Lease duration is the time period DHCP Server will provide a specific computer or client an IP before changing it or giving it another one when it logs-in again. So set your value and hit “Next“. On the next page, just click “Next”, if you are happy with the DHCP Options.

11. Input the Default Gateway of the Subnet

Now on this page, please key in the Default Gateway that the clients will be assigned during lease time. Key in and click “Add” that is beside it then hit “Next”.

12. Key in DNS and Domain Name in your environment

The DNS is very important because it resolves the FQDN to IP Addresses. So key them in and then hit “Next”.

13. WINS Server (Optional)

If you wish to use the WINS Server in your environment, then input the details in this step and proceed by clicking on “Next“.

14. Activate Scope & Finish Scope Configuration

Now on this step, just click on the “Next” to activate the scope we have configured. If you would wish to activate it later, choose the second radio option that is available.

Now, we’ve completed the DHCP Server Configuration. In case, if you have segmented your LAN/Network into VLANS, simply create other scopes for those VLANS then configure your router to get IPs from the DHCP Server accordingly.

15. Confirm your scope is existing as configured

Now open your DHCP Configuration and check whether the scope is configured.

16. Configure DHCP Client on Windows

Since, we’ve now configured DHCP Server on Windows, its time to configure DHCP Client for Windows machine to obtain an IP Address from DHCP Server.

Follow the below steps to configure DHCP client on Windows:

1. Same Network

Ensure that the client and the server are on the same network, where they can “see” each other. Now, you can proceed with configuring the windows client to obtain IP Automatically.

2. Network Settings

Now go to your taskbar and click on the Network icon and choose “Network & Internet Settings”. Then a pop-up window opens up, on the “Settings” window, choose “Ethernet” on the left pane. After that, on the right pane below “Related Settings“, choose “Change Adaptor Options”. Now a window with your Adaptors will pop up. Right-click the right Adaptor and choose “Properties”. A new window will pop up.

Now on the new window, click on “Internet Protocol Version 4“, and then click on “properties“. Again on the new pop-up window, leave everything as it is, and click “OK“.

3. Command Prompt

Now, you can open your command prompt and invoke the command to “ask” for a new IP from the DHCP Server.

4. Confirm Leases from DHCP Server

Finally, just to ensure that everything went well and we are receiving our IPs from the DHCP Server is configured, open your DHCP Server Manager in the Server, and check on the leases.

[Need any further assistance with DHCP queries? – We are here to help you.]

Conclusion

In today’s writeup, we saw how our Support Engineers install a DHCP server on Windows server 2019.