Vista Won't Get IP Address via DHCP from W2K Server

[David Dickinson]

Hello,

I have a peer-to-peer network with a problem between two machines:

- Win2K Server with ISA Server 2004, DNS, and DHCP
- Vista Business

If I tell Vista to get its address via DHCP, it fails, assigning instead an
automatic private IP. But If I give it a static IPv4 (there's no IPv6 for
Win2K except MS's antique experimental version), it finds the network and
everything works great. It even registers it's name in DNS.

The only error messages appear on the Vista machine when it can't get an
address via DHCP (the usual "an automatic IP address was assigned).

Other machines with other OS's get their addresses from the server via DHCP
just fine, including machines that come in from outside VPN connections.

What am I missing?

David Dickinson
eveningstar at die-spammer-die dash mvps dot org

 

[Chuck]

Hello,

I have a peer-to-peer network with a problem between two machines:

- Win2K Server with ISA Server 2004, DNS, and DHCP
- Vista Business

If I tell Vista to get its address via DHCP, it fails, assigning instead an
automatic private IP. But If I give it a static IPv4 (there's no IPv6 for
Win2K except MS's antique experimental version), it finds the network and
everything works great. It even registers it's name in DNS.

The only error messages appear on the Vista machine when it can't get an
address via DHCP (the usual "an automatic IP address was assigned).

Other machines with other OS's get their addresses from the server via DHCP
just fine, including machines that come in from outside VPN connections.

What am I missing?

David Dickinson
eveningstar at die-spammer-die dash mvps dot org

David,

Windows Vista, by default, uses DHCP Broadcast. Will your DHCP server handle
Broadcast?
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/12/windows-xp-and-vista-on-lan-together.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/12/windows-xp-and-vista-on-lan-together.html

 

[Robert Moir]

Windows Vista, by default, uses DHCP Broadcast. Will your DHCP server
handle
Broadcast?
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/12/windows-xp-and-vista-on-lan-together.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/12/windows-xp-and-vista-on-lan-together.html

If he's using Windows 2000 as above, then all should be well surely. Writing
clients that won't have anything to do with Windows Servers is stupid, even
for Microsoft.

 

[Chuck]

If he's using Windows 2000 as above, then all should be well surely. Writing
clients that won't have anything to do with Windows Servers is stupid, even
for Microsoft.

Robert,

Interesting point. From what I've read about DHCP Broadcast, it's a recent
innovation, letting Enterprise LANs consolidate DHCP servers on one subnet, yet
service multiple subnets. And it takes some muscle to setup.

Do you know of a definitive article on DHCP Broadcast? What I found by Googling
was snippets of hints about how it has to be setup.

 

[David Dickinson]

Thanks, Chuck,

....but I used both registry hacks in KB928233 so that Broadcast shouldn't be
an issue and still no luck. I just can't get the Vista machine to get an
address via DHCP from Win2K Server/ISA Server 2004, even though other
Windows OS's work fine with that server. Any other ideas?

This seems to be related to KB933340 if I twist my brain a little over the
symptom "You configured a remote access server to forward DHCP information
from the DHCP server", but this problem is not simply with DHCP options or
over a VPN connection, so I haven't applied that patch.

 

[David Dickinson]

On the Windows 2000 Server serving DHCP to the local area network, I deleted
the scope (there was only one) and then recreated it. The Vista Biz machine
(with default settings according to KB928233) immediately was assigned an IP
address with all scope options.

Now I'll wait to see if it loses the default gateway setting when it wakes
up (i.e., see KB933872).

 

[Guest]

It would be more helpful if you can tell us about how your network is
configured. Perhaps DHCP helper issue? Are all the machines in single subnet?
Is your DHCP server working properly? Unbind IPV6 on your NIC if you are not
using it. I am running Vista with Win2k DHCP server with no issue. Also try
taking one of the "working" machine, release it's IP, clear the entry fron
DHCP server, connect to same connection and see if it's getting the IP.

 

[David Dickinson]

Sorry that I didn't give many details. One subnet -- a simple peer-to-peer
LAN. I'd already unbound IPv6, and the server worked fine for all other
machines and OS's (from '95 to XP Pro). There's nothing wrong with the
wiring (machines get moved here all the time).

I got it to work by removing the scope on the server and then recreating it.
For some reason, Win2K Server seemed to be ignoring the Vista machine.

If it happens again, I'll publish the network monitor capture here.