Question

Difficulty: MediumIP Addressing Services

A network administrator is configuring IP addressing services for a newly created client subnet (VLAN 30) across a routed enterprise network. The centralized DHCP server is located on a different subnet (VLAN 10). Users on VLAN 30 report that their workstations fail to acquire dynamic IP addresses and instead receive APIPA addresses in the range 169.254.0.0/16169.254.0.0/16. Which configuration change must be implemented on the default gateway router interface for VLAN 30 to resolve this issue?

  1. Configure an IP helper address (DHCP relay agent) on the VLAN 30 gateway interface pointing to the DHCP server IP addressAnswer
  2. B
    Configure a DHCP relay agent on the central DHCP server interface on VLAN 10 pointing back to the client subnet
  3. C
    Create an AAAA resource record on the DNS server for the VLAN 30 default gateway interface
  4. D
    Reconfigure the central DHCP server to listen for client lease requests over TCP port 67 instead of UDP port 67

Answer

Configure an IP helper address (DHCP relay agent) on the VLAN 30 gateway interface pointing to the DHCP server IP address
DHCP clients discover servers using local broadcasts. Because Layer 3 routers drop broadcast traffic by default, a DHCP relay agent (configured via an IP helper address on the router interface local to the client subnet) is required to translate client broadcast requests into unicast packets sent directly to the central DHCP server.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze client failure symptoms
Workstations receive APIPA addresses (169.254.x.x169.254.x.x), indicating they cannot reach a DHCP server to obtain an IP lease.
Routers do not forward Layer 2 broadcast packets (such as DHCPDISCOVER messages) across subnet boundaries by default.
2
Identify the required network service component
A DHCP relay agent (IP helper address) is needed on the client-facing gateway interface.
The relay agent intercepts client broadcast messages on VLAN 30 and encapsulates them into unicast packets directed to the DHCP server on VLAN 10.

Key Concept

DHCP Relay Agent and IP Helper Functionality across Layer 3 Subnet Boundaries
Rate this question