DHCP Client Is Assigned Subnet Broadcast Address

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

One or more of your Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) clients may experience problems communicating on the network using TCP/IP. These problems may include one or more of the following:

• The inability to successfully ping other TCP/IP hosts.

  -or-

• The inability to resolve NetBIOS or Host names of other TCP/IP hosts.

CAUSE

Your DHCP server may have assigned the client a subnet broadcast address instead of a valid IP address.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use one of the following:

• When creating scopes, do not include the subnet broadcast address. For example:

        Creating a scope of 192.168.1.1-255 with Mask 255.255.255.0 may
        result in a DHCP client being offered the 192.168.1.255 address,
        which is the subnet broadcast address. Instead, you should create the
        scope 192.168.1.1-254 with Mask 255.255.255.0.
  

  -or-

• To modify an existing scope, create an exclusion for the subnet broadcast address.

   ARTICLE-ID: 164015
   TITLE     : Understanding TCP/IP Addressing and Subnetting Basics

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Keywords          : kbbug4.00 NTINTEROP ntnetserv NTSrvWkst nttcp kbinterop kbnetwork
Version           : WinNT: 4.0
Platform          : winnt
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbworkaround