Networking / Beginners

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Managing DHCP from a Command Line

Windows Server 2003 includes the Netshell (Netsh) command-line environment, which provides an interface from which you can manage many functions and features of your server. The Netsh commands for DHCP make up a fully equivalent alternative to console- based management. Using this command-line tool can be useful in the following situations:

• When managing DHCP servers in WANs, you can use commands at the Netsh command prompt to perform administrative tasks across slow-speed network links.
• When managing a large number of DHCP servers, you can use commands in Batch mode to automate recurring administrative tasks that need to be performed for all DHCP servers.

To enter the Netsh command-line environment, you simply execute the Netsh command at a command prompt. This procedure opens the Netsh> prompt. To access the DHCP administration interface, execute the DHCP command at the Netsh> prompt to enter the dhcp context. This process is illustrated here:

C:\>netsh
netsh>dhcp
netsh dhcp>

Note You do not need to step gradually into the various levels of Netsh prompts to execute a Netsh command. For example, to view a DHCP server configuration summary, you can simply open a command prompt and type the following in one line: netsh dhcp server show all. However, entering each context separately allows you-through the use of the Help, List, or ? commands-to view a list of commands available within each context.

Although the Netsh dhcp> prompt allows you to add, delete, and view DHCP servers on your network, many more DHCP management controls are accessible through the Netsh dhcp server> prompt and the Netsh dhcp server scope> prompt. To access the Netsh dhcp server> prompt, simply execute the Server command at the Netsh dhcp> prompt. To access a Netsh dhcp server scope> prompt, enter the Scope <scope IP address> command at the Netsh dhcp server> prompt. This process is illustrated here:

netsh>dhcp
netsh dhcp>server
netsh dhcp server>scope 192.168.0.0

Changed the current scope context to 192.168.0.0 scope.
netsh dhcp server scope>

At any given prompt, you should use the Help, List, or ? command to view the full list of commands available within each context. To learn about usage associated with any particular command, you can use the Help, List, or ? command after any given command. For example, to learn about the options available with the Set command, you can enter set help at a prompt within any Netsh context.

You can also use Windows Server 2003 online help to learn more about the Netsh utility.

Note To manage a DHCP server by using the Netsh command line, you must be logged on as a member of either the local Administrators group or the local DHCP Administrators group on the applicable server computer.

To use DHCP commands interactively at the command prompt, complete the following steps:

1. Open a command prompt.
2. Enter netsh.
3. At the Netsh> command prompt, enter dhcp.
4. At the Netsh dhcp> command prompt, enter either server <\\servername> or server <ip_address> for the server you want to manage. To manage the local server, simply type server.
5. Once connected, you can use any supported Netshell command for DHCP.
   Type /? or help to display the immediate DHCP subcommand menu, or enter list to list all Netshell subcommands available for use with DHCP.