Installing the DHCP Server Service

To set up a DHCP server, you must first install the DHCP Server role. This role is not installed by the Windows Server Setup Wizard by default and can be added either through the Windows Components Wizard or through the Manage Your Server window.

To install a DHCP server through the Manage Your Server window, from the Start menu select Manage Your Server, click Add Or Remove A Role, and then select the DHCP Server role. Click Next to begin the installation process.

To launch the Windows Components Wizard, open Control Panel and double-click Add Or Remove Programs. Then, in the Add Or Remove Programs window, click Add/ Remove Windows Components. The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) component, like the DNS component, is a subcomponent of the Networking Services component in the Windows Components Wizard.

Note You must be logged on as an administrator-for example, a member of the domain local security group DHCP Administrators or of the global group Domain Admins-to install and manage a Windows component such as DHCP.

Tip Assign a static IP address to the computer on which you install the DHCP server.

After the installation wizard has completed, you can verify that the DHCP Server service has been installed on your computer by opening the DHCP console administrative tool. To access the DHCP console, click Start, select Administrative Tools, and then select DHCP.

The DHCP console is the interface from which you can configure and manage virtually all features related to your DHCP server, including scopes, exclusions, reservations, and options.