DHCP: The server should be configured to register DNS records on behalf of DHCPv4 clients

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

This topic is intended to address a specific issue identified by a Best Practices Analyzer scan. You should apply the information in this topic only to computers that have had the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Best Practices Analyzer run against them and are experiencing the issue addressed by this topic. For more information about best practices and scans, see Best Practices Analyzer (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=122786).

Operating System

Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

Product/Feature

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Severity

Warning

Category

Configuration

Issue

DNS registrations of IPv4 client computers from the DHCP server have been disabled.

Impact

The DHCP server will not register DHCPv4 client names in DNS resulting in the inability to connect to these client computers using hostnames unless the client computers are themselves registering DNS records..

Resolution

Configure client computers to register with DNS or use the DHCP MMC configure dynamic DNS update on the DHCP server for DHCPv4.

Domain Name System (DNS) client computers can use dynamic update to register and dynamically update their resource records with a DNS server whenever changes occur. This reduces the need for manual administration of zone records, especially for clients that frequently move or change locations and use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to obtain an IP address.

Membership in Administrators, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure

To configure DHCP clients to register with DNS

  1. At the DHCP client computer, Click Start, click Run, in Search programs and files type ncpa.cpl, and then press ENTER.

  2. Right-click the applicable network connection, click Properties, click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click Properties.

  3. Click Advanced, click DNS, check Register this connection’s addresses in DNS and then click OK.

Membership in the Administrators or DHCP Administrators group is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To enable dynamic DNS updates

  1. At the DHCP Server, click Start, point to Administrative Tools and then click DHCP.

  2. In the console tree, expand the applicable DHCP server, expand IPv4, right-click the applicable scope and then click Properties.

  3. Click DNS, check Enable DNS dynamic updates according to the settings below: and then click OK.

Additional references

For updated detailed IT pro information about DHCP, see the Windows Server 2008 R2 documentation on the Microsoft TechNet Web site.