I am having difficulty getting bootpd working as a DHCP server and would appreciate some assistance.
I have followed the instructions at:
http://www.jacquesf.com/2011/04/mac-os-x-dhcp-server/
As an initial test I have linked two 10.4.11 Macs with an Ethernet cable.
The client Mac fails to use an IP consistent with the plist on the server Mac - a different IP gets assigned and the link functions.
Hi, long time no see!
What is the Server mac Serving?
Just Files, or Internet Sharing?
A busy time for me so not looking for extra work for a while.
Perhaps my original post was a little short on detail.
The DHCP server was intended to be a quick fix for another problem:
I have recently put custom software on my Humax PVR. It can now connect to my router as a DHCP client but, as I don't want to purchase a wireless transmitter, the final solution will have to wait until I can install a long UTP cable. In the meantime I could use many of the custom software's facilities via an old Mac near the PVR but this needs the Mac to look like a DHCP server. Hence the server Mac will eventually be a browser interface to the PVR via DHCP.
The test client has a web server. This works well but I want the test client to use an IP provided by the DHCP server and not generate a random one.
Tthe server's system log does not appear to show anything different from that of the few working server's details posted on the web.
Is the one acting as a DHCP server also connected to anything else, like a Router or Modem?
What I'm toying with is the bug in 10.4 that x.x.2.x IPs were reservered for Internet Shaing, if a 10.4 Mac was hooked up to say a 192.168.2.1 Router Internet Sharing would never work & I belive that file had to be edited to something other than a 2 in the 3rd place, or the Router's IP changed to other than 2.
I have no idea if that's related to your problem or not, or what actual numbers you used, just throwing it out for mulling. 🙂
I did not know about that Tiger limitation.
The DHCP test server is not connected to anything else but it may have some history routes stored somewhere.
I may at some future point use a laptop with a wireless link to the router.
Historically I have used 192.168.0.x for my LAN with the router/gateway at 192.168.0.1, a fixed IP for a printer at 192.168.0.2 and a DHCP range of 192.168.0.3 to 192.168.0.254 with 192.168.0.254 reserved for my DNS and web servers.
It was not until I got my first Netgear home ADSL router that I realised that it potentially had more security when used in DHCP mode for wired as well as wireless connections - a trivial point perhaps but, if necessary, connections could be limited to claimed MAC address.
Most Macs are Leopard or later
192.168.0.254 is OS 9.2.2
The 2 Macs used for the DHCP tests are both G3s with Tiger: an iBook and an iMac.
Two separate DHCP tests have been done with 192.168.33.x & 192.168.1.x using settings and plists from http://www.jacquesf.com/2011/04/mac-os-x-dhcp-server/ & http://beatworm.co.uk/blog/computers/servicing-dhcp-clients-with-os-x/
The client Mac fails to use an IP consistent with the plist on the server Mac - a different IP gets assigned and the link functions.
What was the different one that worked?
The IPs apparently generated by the client Mac are not always the same. They are always local IPs but unrelated to the server settings. I assume they are only generated if a DHCP server is detected but with some sort of communication failure. They get removed if the Ethernet cable is removed and replaced shortly after the cable is replaced. A search of the server Mac for these specific IPs fails to find anything but they could be part of an IP range which I have not searched for.
What IP is the Server mac cmming up with for itself?
The DHCP server has a static IP which I set manually to 192.168.33.1 or 192.168.1.1 according to which plist I use from the links above.
And the Client, when it works & doesn't, what Router IP does it show?
Interesting point - the client does not show a router either time.
I made a mistake in me earlier post - I confused the two different plists - the latest one requires its static IP set to 192.168.1.4 and its router set to 192.168.1.1
From the author's images I can see that he is not using Tiger. Perhaps there have been changes to the plist requirements.
Some possible ineresting things from Terinal & man bootpd...
The server is normally invoked by xinetd(8) when a request arrives, but
can also be invoked manually. If it is invoked by xinetd(8), bootpd con-
tinues to service requests until it is idle for a period of 5 minutes,
after which it exits to conserve system resources. If invoked manually,
bootpd continues to run indefinitely.
If bootpd receives a SIGHUP (-1) signal, it will re-read its configura-
tion and client binding files.
When a request from a client arrives, the server logs an entry to
/var/log/system.log indicating which client made the request, and logs
another entry once a reply is sent. This feature can be turned off using
the -q option described below.
|
| When the server allocates an address dynamically, it automatically |
| excludes addresses that appear in static host entries. For example, if |
| the address range goes from 10.0.0.2 through 10.0.0.10, but there is a |
| static entry that specifies 10.0.0.3, that address is automatically |
| excluded from the pool. |
| The server tries to give the same address back to a client by remembering |
| the binding even after it has expired. The server removes an expired |
| lease entry only when it runs out of addresses, and needs to reclaim an |
| address in order to fulfill a new request. |
And info on that plist also.
Thanks - food for thought.
Unfortunately I have now lost the iBook for a week so I will either have to find an alternative or put this on hold for a while.
I'm think the most interesting part & I think what would explain it is...
By default, DHCP service is disabled.
I was aware of that and had enabled it - evidenced by activity in system log. However, in view of your helpful earlier post, I must check that it remains active. This may not be practical until I find a replacement for the iBook which my wife has taken away for a week. I may be able to use one of our G4s for this.
bootpd / DHCP difficulties
