DHCP Client Renew Fails after Deleting Active Lease

 Last reviewed: September 4, 1996
Article ID: Q130220
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5
  • Microsoft TCP/IP-32 for Windows for Workgroups version 3.11a

SYMPTOMS

If a Windows for Workgroups dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) client has an active lease that is manually deleted on the DHCP server, and the client attempts to renew its lease using IPCONFIG /RENEW or the standard renewal process based on lease expiration, the following error message appears: 

   DHCP.386: This DHCP client was unable to obtain an IP network address
   from a DHCP server.

WORKAROUND

To resolve this problem, upgrade to Windows NT Workstation and Server version 4.0.

If you encounter this problem when you run IPCONFIG /RENEW on the client machine, you can work around this problem by running IPCONFIG /RELEASE before running IPCONFIG /RENEW.

If this problem occurs during the normal lease renewal process, you must stop and restart the Microsoft DHCP Server service on the DHCP server to allow the client to receive a new IP address.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.5. This problem was corrected in Windows NT Workstation or Server version 4.0.

KBCategory: kbnetwork kbbug3.50
KBSubcategory: nttcp NTSrvWkst
Additional reference words: 3.50 3.11 prodnt prodtcp32

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Last reviewed: September 4, 1996
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