How to Install and Configure DHCP Server on Windows Server 2025

Start by installing the DHCP Server role through the graphical interface. Open Server Manager from the taskbar or Start menu.

Navigate to Manage > Add Roles and Features. The Add Roles and Features Wizard will launch.

Select Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next. Choose your target server from the server pool and click Next.

In the Server Roles section, scroll down and check DHCP Server. A popup will appear asking to add required features. Click Add Features to include the DHCP management tools.

Click Next through the Features page, then Next on the DHCP Server information page. Review your selections and click Install.

After installation, you must complete the DHCP configuration and authorize the server. Look for a yellow warning flag in Server Manager's notification area (top-right corner).

Click the notification flag and select Complete DHCP configuration. The DHCP Post-Install Configuration Wizard will open.

Click Next on the Description page. On the Authorization page, select Use the following user's credentials if you're in a domain environment. Enter domain administrator credentials if prompted.

Check Authorize this DHCP server in Active Directory and click Next. Review the summary and click Commit to apply the configuration.

After successful completion, click Close. Now restart the DHCP service to ensure proper initialization.

Open Tools > Services from Server Manager. Locate DHCP Server in the services list, right-click it, and select Restart.

Create a DHCP scope to define the range of IP addresses your server will distribute. Open the DHCP management console from Tools > DHCP in Server Manager.

In the DHCP console, expand your server name in the left pane. Right-click on IPv4 and select New Scope. The New Scope Wizard will launch.

Click Next on the welcome page. Enter a scope name like "Main Office Scope" and an optional description. Click Next.

Configure the IP address range. For example:

• Start IP address: 192.168.1.100
• End IP address: 192.168.1.200
• Length: 24 (subnet mask 255.255.255.0)

Click Next. On the Add Exclusions page, you can exclude specific IP addresses from the range. For example, exclude 192.168.1.150 to 192.168.1.160 for static servers. Click Next.

Set the lease duration. The default 8 days works for most environments. Click Next.

Select Yes, I want to configure these options now to set up DHCP options immediately. Click Next.

Configure the essential DHCP options that clients need for network connectivity. You should be in the Configure DHCP Options section of the New Scope Wizard.

On the Router (Default Gateway) page, enter your network's default gateway IP address. For example, enter 192.168.1.1 and click Add. Click Next.

On the Domain Name and DNS Servers page, enter your domain name if applicable. Add DNS server IP addresses - for example, 192.168.1.10 for your domain controller or 8.8.8.8 for Google DNS. Click Add after each entry, then Next.

On the WINS Servers page, add WINS server addresses if your network uses them (most modern networks don't). Click Next.

On the Activate Scope page, select Yes, I want to activate this scope now to make it immediately available to clients. Click Next.

Review the summary and click Finish to complete the scope creation.

Your scope is now active and ready to serve IP addresses to clients. You'll see a green checkmark icon next to the scope name in the DHCP console.

Test your DHCP server by configuring a client device to obtain an IP address automatically. Use a Windows 11 client or any network device for testing.

On the client device, open Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet (or Wi-Fi). Click on your network connection.

Click Edit next to IP assignment. Select Automatic (DHCP) if it's not already selected. Ensure DNS server assignment is also set to Automatic (DHCP).

Open Command Prompt as administrator and release the current IP configuration:

ipconfig /release

Request a new IP address from your DHCP server:

ipconfig /renew

Check the new IP configuration:

ipconfig /all

Look for the following in the output:

• IP address within your configured scope range (192.168.1.100-200)
• DHCP Server showing your server's IP address
• Default Gateway and DNS servers matching your configured options

Monitor your DHCP server's performance and manage active leases through the DHCP console. This helps you track IP address usage and troubleshoot connectivity issues.

In the DHCP console, expand your scope and click on Address Leases. Here you'll see all currently active IP address assignments, including:

• Client IP addresses
• Client names and MAC addresses
• Lease expiration times
• Lease type (DHCP or reservation)

To view scope statistics, right-click on your scope and select Display Statistics. This shows:

• Total addresses in scope
• Addresses in use and available
• Percentage of scope utilization

Check the server-level statistics by right-clicking your server name and selecting Display Statistics. This provides overall server performance metrics.

To create an IP address reservation for a specific device, right-click Reservations under your scope and select New Reservation. Enter:

• Reservation name
• IP address (within scope range)
• MAC address of the target device
• Description (optional)

Configure advanced DHCP options to customize network behavior for different types of devices. Access advanced options through the DHCP console.

Right-click on Server Options under your server name and select Configure Options. Common advanced options include:

• Option 15 (DNS Domain Name): Set your domain name
• Option 42 (NTP Servers): Configure time servers
• Option 119 (Domain Search): Set DNS search suffixes

To create vendor-specific options, right-click Server Options and select Configure Options. Click Advanced and select a vendor class.

Configure DHCP policies for different device types. Right-click your scope and select New Policy. Create policies based on:

• MAC address patterns (for specific device types)
• User classes
• Vendor classes
• Client identifiers

For example, create a policy for wireless devices:

• Policy name: "Wireless Devices"
• Conditions: MAC address starts with specific vendor prefixes
• IP range: Subset of your main scope
• Different lease duration or DNS servers

Configure DHCP failover for high availability. Right-click your scope and select Configure Failover. Enter:

• Partner server IP address
• Relationship name
• Shared secret for authentication
• Load balance percentage

Secure your DHCP server and implement best practices to prevent unauthorized access and ensure reliable service.

Enable DHCP audit logging to track all DHCP activities. In the DHCP console, right-click your server name and select Properties. On the General tab, check Enable DHCP audit logging.

Configure conflict detection to prevent IP address conflicts. In server properties, set Conflict detection attempts to 1 or 2. This makes the server ping addresses before assigning them.

Set up proper DNS integration. In server properties, go to the DNS tab and configure:

• Enable DNS dynamic updates
• Dynamically update DNS records for DHCP clients that do not request updates
• Always dynamically update DNS records

Configure DHCP server security through Group Policy or local security settings:

Add-DhcpServerSecurityGroup -ComputerName "YourServerName"

Implement network access protection (NAP) if available in your environment. Configure health policies and remediation servers.

Regular maintenance tasks include:

• Monitor scope utilization (keep below 80%)
• Review and clean up expired reservations
• Backup DHCP configuration regularly
• Update exclusion ranges as needed

Backup your DHCP configuration using PowerShell:

Backup-DhcpServer -ComputerName "YourServerName" -Path "C:\DHCPBackup"