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BeginnerPublished 2026-07-02

DHCP Server Fundamentals: One Pool

Free preview — the first lab of DHCP & Address Services

Build a single-scope DHCP server on an IOS-XE router and verify two Alpine Linux clients lease addresses dynamically across a pure Layer-2 switch. Configure only the canonical pool (network + default-router). Verify leases from the router and from each client.

Track
Est. time
35 minutes
Difficulty
Beginner
Topics

Learning objectives

  • Configure a basic IOS DHCP server with one pool using network and default-router
  • Understand pure Layer-2 switching versus Layer-3 gateway roles
  • Verify client leases from Linux (udhcpc, ip addr) and from IOS (show ip dhcp pool, show ip dhcp binding)
  • Troubleshoot common DHCP pitfalls: disabled interface, wrong gateway address, client not requesting

Troubleshooting focus

  • Client never gets an address: verify router LAN interface is up/up with the correct /24 and the DHCP pool exists
  • Wrong gateway appears on client: ensure the pool default-router matches the actual interface IP
  • Bindings do not increment: confirm clients actually run udhcpc after the pool is configured

Topology

Lab topology diagram

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Grade your work

How this lab is graded
  • Build it your way. Where a lab lets you choose a value — a VLAN name, an interface description — grading checks that you configured it, not which name you picked. Names that another line has to reference, like an ACL applied with access-class, are stated in the guide and do have to match.
  • Addresses, modes and protocol keywords are exact. An IP address, a subnet mask, switchport mode trunk, an encapsulation — these carry the meaning of the lab, so they are graded as written in the guide.
  • Grading reads your saved configuration. Export the lab from CML after you have configured it, and make sure anything you set is in the running-config — a change that only exists in a terminal session never reaches the grader.
  • You can submit as many times as you like. Your best score stands, and each attempt tells you which checks passed so you can work the gaps.
  • Scored something you believe is correct? Use Report an issue on this page — that is exactly how the grading fixes in the changelog got found.

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