Diskless Workstations Cannot Find BOOTP Server with DHCP

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition

SYMPTOMS

Your diskless workstations (or other devices) that use Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) to obtain IP address information and BOOTP file and server information fail to connect to the Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server.

CAUSE

Your Microsoft Windows NT DHCP server is not sending the boot file name in the DHCPACK frame to the DHCP client.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

MORE INFORMATION

For your Microsoft Windows NT DHCP server to supply boot file and boot server information to a DHCP client, the DHCP options 66 and 67 must be used. If you are using BOOTP, then configure the BOOTP tab in DHCP Administrator, not the DHCP options.

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q174765
TITLE : How to Configure Microsoft DHCP Server for BOOTP Clients

In Microsoft's DHCP Server implementation, DHCP option 66 TFTP Server Name will be used to fill the SIADDR field in the DHCP header. Please note that option 66 is not being used to fill the sname field in the DHCP header. Option 66 can be configured as an IP address or a fully-qualified domain name. If a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) is used, the DHCP Server will resolve the name to an IP address before sending it to the client in the DHCP Offer and ACK. SIADDR is the address of a TFTP server that is the next server to be used in the bootstrap process. DHCP option 67 Bootfile Name will fill the file field of the DHCP header in a DHCPOffer. File is the name of the boot file that will be downloaded from the TFTP Server. Microsoft does not provide a TFTP server.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q142373
TITLE : TFTP Server Not Included With Windows NT

Keywords : kbnetwork NT4SP4Fix kbbug4.00 ntnetserv nttcp kbfix4.00.sp4 NTSrv
Version : WinNT:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug