Operating notes

  • This implementation of DHCP relay with Option 82 complies with the following RFCs:
    • RFC 2131

    • RFC 3046

  • Moving a client to a different port allows the client to continue operating as long as the port is a member of the same VLAN as the port through which the client received its IP address. However, rebooting the client after it moves to a different port can alter the IP addressing policy the client receives if the DHCP server is configured to provide different policies to clients accessing the network through different ports.

  • The IP address of the primary DHCP relay agent receiving a client request packet is automatically added to the packet, and is identified as the giaddr (gateway interface address.) (That is, the giaddr is the IP address of the VLAN on which the request packet was received from the client.) For more information, see RFC 2131 and RFC 3046.

  • DHCP request packets from multiple DHCP clients on the same relay agent port will be routed to the same DHCP servers. When using 802.1X on a switch, a port's VLAN membership may be changed by a RADIUS server responding to a client authentication request. In this case the DHCP servers accessible from the port may change if the VLAN assigned by the RADIUS server has different DHCP helper addresses than the VLAN used by unauthenticated clients.

  • Where multiple DHCP servers are assigned to a VLAN, a DHCP client request cannot be directed to a specific server. Thus, where a given VLAN is configured for multiple DHCP servers, all these servers should be configured with the same IP addressing policy.

  • Where routing switch "A" is configured to insert its MAC address as the remote ID in the Option 82 fields appended to DHCP client requests, and upstream DHCP servers use that MAC address as a policy boundary for assigning an IP addressing policy, then replacing switch "A" makes it necessary to reconfigure the upstream DHCP servers to recognize the MAC address of the replacement switch. This does not apply in the case where an upstream relay agent "A" is configured with option 82 replace, which removes the Option 82 field originally inserted by switch "A."

  • Relay agents without Option 82 can exist in the path between Option 82 relay agents and an Option 82 server. The agents without Option 82 forward client requests and server responses without any effect on Option 82 fields in the packets.

  • If the routing switch cannot add an Option 82 field to a client's DHCP request because the message size exceeds the MTU size, the request is forwarded to the DHCP server without Option 82 data and an error message is logged in the switch's Event Log.

  • Because routing is not allowed between the Management VLAN and other VLANs, a DHCP server must be available in the management VLAN if clients in the management VLAN require a DHCP server.

  • If the Management VLAN IP address configuration changes after mgmt-vlan has been configured as the remote ID suboption, the routing switch dynamically adjusts to the new IP addressing for all future DHCP requests.

  • The Management VLAN and all other VLANs on the routing switch use the same MAC address.