Address 0.0.0.0 in DHCP DNS Servers Causes Client DNS to Fail

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51
• Microsoft TCP/IP-32 for Windows for Workgroups, versions 3.11, 3.11a, and 3.11b

SYMPTOMS

Your Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client does not use the Domain Name System (DNS) server supplied by the DHCP server. Host names are not resolved properly if a DHCP server supplies the DNS address, but if the client is configured manually for the DNS server host name resolution works fine.

CAUSE

The DHCP Manager DNS Servers option is set to the default value of 0.0.0.0.

RESOLUTION

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

In DHCP Manager, choose the DHCP Options menu. Each of the drop down menu choices ( Global, Scope, and Defaults) will display the current value for the "006 DNS Servers" option. If the address 0.0.0.0 is included in the array, remove it. If this option is configured for each scope rather than globally, check each scope for a 0.0.0.0 entry in the DNS Servers definition and remove it.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.5 and 3.51. This problem was corrected in Windows NT Workstation or Server version 4.0.