Custom options on DHCP

topi · Apr 27, 2012, 11:55 AM

Hello,

I'm trying to configure 2 DHCP custom options: 49, X Window System Display Manager Option, and 66, TFTP server name, for using Sun Ray with pfSense as DHCP.

This post give information on adding these entries on a Sun or Windows DHCP service:
https://blogs.oracle.com/ThinkThin/entry/configuring_dhcp_options_49_and

Also read the pfSense Book but it doesn't give any detail on adding DHCP custom options, so I added under "Additional BOOTP/DHCP Options" with Number 49 and 66, and Type "IP adress or host", but sniffing the DHCP response, these options are not included.

Where could be the problem?

wallabybob · Apr 27, 2012, 11:15 PM

You clicked on Save and Apply after adding the options?

You checked the options were written to the DHCP configuration file (/var/dhcpd/etc/dhcpd.conf)?

You restarted the DHCP server (reboot would do that) to make sure it saw the updated options?

You checked the DHCP server log (Status -> System Logs, click on DHCP tab) to see if it reported any problems?

etc

I suspect DHCP options are not commonly used in pfSense and consequently the code to deal with them may not be well exercised.

What version of pfSense are you using?

topi · May 2, 2012, 3:44 PM

Hello,

Options we're saved and applied
File "/var/dhcpd/etc/dhcpd.conf" contains these options
DHCP restarted (DHCP is restarted after applying, which can be seen on DHCP logs)
DHCP logs only show DHCP restarts

pfSense 2.0.1

Thanks and regards

wallabybob · May 2, 2012, 11:14 PM

@topi:

DHCP logs only show DHCP restarts

Then you need to prod the clients to get them to send DHCP requests (or the firewall is blocking DHCP requests). A reboot is generally a sufficient prod but there are generally gentler methods.

topi · May 3, 2012, 4:18 PM

@wallabybob:

@topi:

DHCP logs only show DHCP restarts

Then you need to prod the clients to get them to send DHCP requests (or the firewall is blocking DHCP requests). A reboot is generally a sufficient prod but there are generally gentler methods.

Yes, but clients are getting response from DHCP but without these options (i.e. wireshark don't show them in the DHCP response packet)

topi · May 4, 2012, 9:37 AM

After some additional testing, it worked, with no changes on pfSense DHCP options.

Maybe the DHCP client was the problem…

Thanks for your help!