DHCP Configuration

DHCP Lab — Completion

You’ve completed the hands-on portion of the DHCP module. At this point, you’ve configured a Windows Server DHCP service the same way it would be done in a real corporate environment.

What this lab focused on

This lab intentionally focused on server-side DHCP administration: installing the role, creating scopes, configuring options, setting exclusions, managing lease duration, and using reservations.

Due to Azure networking behavior, this lab does not include real client lease testing — and that’s expected.

Azure Reality (Important Context)

In Azure, virtual machines receive IP addresses directly from Azure’s platform-managed DHCP. A Windows Server VM cannot act as the authoritative DHCP server for an Azure subnet.

That means even a perfectly configured DHCP server will never hand out leases to Azure VM NICs. This is a platform limitation — not a configuration mistake.

Why This Lab Still Matters

Even without client testing, everything you configured here maps directly to real-world, on-prem and hybrid environments.

  • You created multiple scopes representing different networks
  • You used exclusions correctly to protect infrastructure IPs
  • You configured essential DHCP options per scope
  • You adjusted lease duration based on device type
  • You created reservations instead of relying on manual static IPs
  • You validated configuration using server-side tools

Completion Checkpoint

You should consider this lab complete if the following are true:

  • All DHCP scopes exist and show Active
  • Exclusions are configured inside the scope ranges
  • Each scope has appropriate router and DNS options
  • Lease durations make sense for each network type
  • At least one reservation exists and is correctly scoped
  • The DHCP service is running with no errors

What You Actually Learned

The real value of this module came from the earlier theory sections and applying that knowledge in a realistic admin workflow.

Steps 1–9 gave you the conceptual foundation. This lab turned that theory into practical understanding of how DHCP is designed, configured, and managed in real environments.

Optional Reflection (Highly Recommended)

Ask yourself:

  • Which scope would a VOIP phone use, and why?
  • Why is a short lease appropriate for Guest Wi-Fi?
  • When would you choose a reservation instead of a static IP?
  • How would DHCP requests reach this server in an on-prem network?

You’re Done

You’ve completed the DHCP lab.

You now understand DHCP well enough to configure it, explain it, and troubleshoot it — which is exactly what’s expected in real IT roles.