Once you have configured the file, save, and close it. In our scenario, the interface is ens33, so the entry would change to: INTERFACESv4='ens33' In the INTERFACESv4 entry, specify the interface you want the DHCP server to listen to such as ens33, eth0, eth1, etc. Issue the following command in Terminal to edit this file: $ sudo nano /etc/default/isc-dhcp-server In the /etc/default/isc-dhcp-server file, you will need to specify the interface on which DHCP server will listen to. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the clients to find which DHCP server to connect to. Now issue the following command in Terminal to install DHCP server: $ sudo apt-get install isc-dhcp-server -y DHCP Server Configurationīefore configuring a Linux system as a DHCP server, make sure it has a static IP address configured so that clients can easily connect to it. Issue the below command in Terminal to do so: $ sudo apt update Ubuntu 20.04 LTS with static IP “192.168.9.1” and hostname “ubuntu”įor DHCP client, we have used two machines:įirst, update the system repository index in your system.You can think of them as all are connected through each other via switch. Minimum two Linux machines (For DHCP server and client)įor the demonstration purpose, we have used three Linux machines which were on the same LAN.The DHCP server then sends DHCPACK to acknowledge the request and grants the client with an IP address.The client then sends a DHCPREQUEST to DHCP server to request for this IP address.When this message reached the DHCP server, it sends back a DHCPOFFER message with an IP address to client.When a client machine is turned on, it sends a broadcast message DHCPDISCOVER to every device on the network.Let’s explain a little about how DHCP works:Ĭonsider a scenario where the client and DHCP server are connected to the same wired network. In this tutorial, we will demonstrate how to configure DHCP in Linux to automatically assign IP addresses to clients. In Linux, you can easily set up a DHCP server and assigns IP addresses to clients. However, in a large setup, we need to configure a dedicated server to serve as a DHCP server. Usually, in the home or small company setup, routers serve the role of a DHCP server. It saves the system administrator from the hassle of manually assigning IP addresses and related information to each of the client systems. Some of the information that is assigned by DHCP includes hostname, domain name, IP address of the default gateway and DNS server, etc. DHCP (stands for dynamic host configuration protocol) dynamically assigns unique IP addresses and other information to client systems.

Ubuntu configure dhcp client