International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)
Volume 63– No.4, February 2013

Investigation of DHCP Packets using Wireshark

Mohsin khan

Saleh Alshomrani

Shahzad Qamar

Faculty of Telecommunication
Engineering and Environment
Birmingham City University
England

Faculty of Computing and IT
King Abdulaziz University

Faculty of Computing and IT
King Abdulaziz University

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT
On a network, when data is transferred between the hosts, it is
passed through several stages. Data is actually passed through
a very complex process at the sender and receiver than it
apparently looks to be. During transmission data is broken
down into smaller chunks of data so that they can be carried
on the wire. These chunks are given appropriate headers,
encapsulated and then passed through several layers to reach
the destination. In this research we capture DHCP packets by
using wireshark to deeply investigate and analyse them. We
investigate how DHCP Client/Server request and reply
messages work and what values and parameters are
considered during this whole process.

Keywords:

DHCP,
DHCPDISCOVER,
DHCPREQUEST, DHCPOFFER, DHCPACK

1. INTRODUCTION
DHCP is one of the most widespread used protocols in the
world which is used in both wired and wireless LANs to
assign IP addresses to the clients automatically. It relieves
network Administrator from going to each and every
workstation in the LAN to assign IP address. Also it reduces
IP addresses conflict issue [1]. DHCP provides a client/Server
structure in which 4 DHCP packets are exchanged between
client and server to assign an IP address automatically. The
purpose of this work is to investigate and examine these 4
packets in detail and to observe what information is carried in
these packets, which are exchanged between DHCP server
and client before assigning a lease. To investigate DHCP
packets, we use wireshark, which is a widely used computer
network analyser tool [2]. We will capture all DHCP packets
with wireshark and deeply look into the contents of each
packet.

2. DHCP CLIENT SERVER MODEL
DHCP is a very useful and famous protocol which is used to
automatically assign IP addresses to the clients on the
network. DHCP provides a client-server Structure, in which
DHCP server automatically assigns IP addresses to clients.
DHCP works somewhat opposite of ARP because ARP
resolves MAC address from IP address whereas DHCP
resolves IP address from MAC address [1].
There are two databases in DHCP Server, Static database and
dynamic database. Static database statically maps IP address
with the MAC address. Dynamic database dynamically maps
IP address to the MAC address by providing available IP
address in the DHCP pool [1].When a client requests for an IP
address, DHCP server first looks into its static database and
checks whether requesting client’s MAC address is bound
statically to an IP address. If an entry exists for that MAC
address of the client, the permanent IP address of the client is
returned. If no entry is found in static database for that MAC
address, an IP address from the DHCP pool is assigned and an
entry is made in dynamic database [1] [4].
DHCP can cause lots of problems as well. Like, DHCP clients
can potentially lose network connectivity [10] if DHCP server
goes down for some reasons. The clients which have already
been assigned IP addresses by server also need to renew their
lease, so with down server, they also lose connectivity. In
large networks we usually place more than one DHCP server
to avoid single point of failure architecture, so we need extra
money and time to install separate DHCP servers for each
network segment [10].

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International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)
Volume 63– No.4, February 2013

Initializing State

DHCP Client
Broadcasts
DHCPDISCOVER

Selecting State
DHCP Server is
down. Client
sends
DHCPDISCOVE
R 4 more times
with a gap of 2
seconds and then
it waits for 5
minutes to try
again

No
DHCP Server
Responds?
Yes
DHCP Server
Broadcasts
DHCPOFFER

Requesting State

DHCP Client
Broadcasts
DHCPREQUESTS
DHCP Server
Broadcasts
DHCPACK
Client accepts DHCP IP
and sends ARP to test it
DHCP Client
sends
DHCPDECLI
NE to reject
DHCP IP

Yes

Renewing State

No
Any response
from ARP?

Lease expires
DHCPNACK

DHCPACK
Received?
Yes

No
DHCP Client accepts
IP address

DHCP Client
accepts IP
address

No
Lease cancelled
DHCPRELEASE

Bound State

50% of the
lease
expired?

Yes

Figure 1: Flowchart of DHCP Client-Server model

3. DHCP SERVICE CONFIGURATION
DHCP service can be installed on the server in the LAN
running server operating system like Microsoft Windows

2008 or 2003. We can also configure DHCP service on the
router to act as a DHCP server for the clients in the local

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International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)
Volume 63– No.4, February 2013
LAN. To configure DHCP service on router following
configuration needs to be entered on the router.

Windows Server 2003 and client using Microsoft windows
XP.

Router(config)# ip dhcp excluded-address 192.168.2.1
192.168.2.9
Router(config)# ip dhcp pool dhcp-pool
Router(dhcp-config)# network 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0
Router(dhcp-config)# default-router 192.168.2.1

A DHCP pool namely dhcp-pool is created on the router
which will assign IP addresses to the clients from subnet
192.168.2.0/24. It is illustrated in the figure below.

Figure 1(b): Local Server serving as DHCP Server
To capture DHCP packets exchanged between DHCP client
and Server we need these commands to be entered in cmd
prompt of the client [3].

3.1 Ipconfig /Release
This command releases the IP address held by the host PC.
The released IP address becomes available to be assigned to
other clients in the LAN.
Figure 1(a): Router acting as DHCP Server to local LAN
To better understand DHCP client-server conversation, we use
following simple network with the server using Microsoft

3.2 Ipconfig /Renew
This command enables the host PC to gain a newer IP address
from the pool of the addresses.

Figure 2: releasing and renewing IP address with ipconfig/release and renew commands

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International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)
Volume 63– No.4, February 2013
 DHCP ACK
Security wise DHCP can pose some serious threats to the
network in form of DHCP spoofing. It is an attacker who with
malicious intents comes in the middle of communication
between two systems, the attacker either listen to the
communication or actively participate in it. DHCP Spoofing is
a man in the middle type of attack. The attacker comes in
between the communication meant for someone else, the
attacker replies to the DHCP request message and assigns IP
address if it replies before the actual valid server. To remedy
this problem we use DHCP Snooping. DHCP snooping allows
only those ports on switch to respond DHCP Requests which
are configured for it. DHCP categorizes ports into trusted and
untrusted ports [11]. Trusted ports can host all DHCP
messages, while untrusted ports can source requests only [11],
they can’t source server messages.
Router (config)# ip dhcp snooping
Router(config)#interface range fastethernet 0/1-2
Router(config-if)#ip dhcp snooping trust
Router(config-if)#exit
Router(config)#ip dhcp snooping vlan 10,20,30

When a DHCP client needs an IP addressed, it broadcasts
DHCPDISCOVER Packet. All the hosts on the subnet receive
this broadcast. All DHCP servers in the LAN also receive this
broadcast and they determine that whether they can assign IP
address to the client or not? Then servers reply with
DHCPOFFER packets to the client to offer an IP address with
the lease duration. If DHCP client receives more than one
offer from DHCP servers, it has to decide which offer to
accept and which to turn down. It may either accept the offer
from DHCP servers based on reply first basis or it may look
into the options like the lease duration, subnet mask etc. [4].
receiving the offer, Client sends a DHCPREQUEST packet to
the server after accepting the offer and finally DHCP server
reply with DHCPACK packet to the client to create binding
between client’s MAC address and IP address. DHCP server
assigns IP address to the client from the given pool of
addresses for a given period of time (lease). After the
expiration of the lease period the IP address is taken away
from the client and it becomes available to be assigned to any
other client in the LAN. But lease can be renewed before it
gets expired. DHCP client tries to renew the lease after 50
percent expiration of the whole lease period [1].

4.1 DHCPDISCOVER
4. DHCP PACKETS
The conversation between DHCP client and DHCP server to
get an IP address automatically completes by exchanging four
packets. These packets are
 DHCP DISCOVER
 DHCP OFFER
 DHCP REQUEST

DHCPDISCOVER packet is broadcasted in the LAN in hope
of getting DHCPOFFER message from any DHCP server
present in that LAN. If client doesn’t receive any offer, it will
broadcast DHCP DISCOVER 4 more times, each time with a
gap of 2 seconds. If client doesn’t receive any offer all these
four times, it sleeps for five minutes and after these five
minutes it starts afresh to broadcast DHCPDISCOVER [1].
DHCPDISCOVER packet captured through wireshark is
investigated
below.

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International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)
Volume 63– No.4, February 2013

Figure 4: DHCPOFFER packet analysis with wireshark
1)
2)

3)

4)

5)
6)

7)

Transaction ID value is again 0x1dd3535d because it
identify DHCP set of packets from each other [5].
Source IP address 192.168.2.254 destination address
255.255.255.255, which means that DHCPOFFER
packet is sourced by DHCP Server and broadcasted in
the LAN. So all the hosts in the LAN will hear this
broadcast and MAC address of the intendant client
plays a very important role in assigning IP address
here.
Since DHCPOFFER is sourced by DHCP server for in
response to client’s DHCPDISCOVER, UDP source
port is 67 and destination port is 68.
Offered IP address by DHCP server to client is
192.168.2.10. The server blocks this address
(192.168.2.10) so that it is unavailable to be offered to
other client [1].
Next server IP address is 192.168.2.254 which is the
IP address of the DHCP server.
Client’s MAC address mentioned in DHCPOFFER
packet is intelcor_6c:f8:45. This is very important to
mention because DHCPOFFER packet is broadcasted
in the LAN, so all the hosts in the LAN receives the
offer packet. But since MAC address is a universally
unique number, this offer will be meaningful only to
the host with the given MAC address (which is
intelcor_6c:f8:45 in our case).
Identifies that the captured packet is actually a
DHCPOFFER packet.

8)

It is the IP address of the DHCP server which offers
the lease.
9) The Offered IP address is offered on lease for 5 hours.
After expiration of 5 hours IP address will be taken
away from the client is the lease is not renewed.
Default duration of the lease is 1 hour. DHCP server
will block the IP address (192.168.2.10) so it will not
be available for other clients to be assigned.
10) Renewal time value of the lease is 2 hours and 30
minutes. It is half of the whole lease time period. It
means that after 2 hours and 30 minutes DHCP client
will try to renew the lease so the lease doesn’t expire
[1].
11) Rebinding time value is 4 hours, 22 minutes and 30
seconds.
12) Subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. So 254 valid IP address
are available in the DHCP pool to assign dynamically
to the clients.

4.2 DHCPREQUEST
Upon the receipt of DHCPOFFER, DHCP Client accepts
192.168.2.10 as its IP address and replies to server with
DHCPREQUEST message. This packet tells the DHCP server
that his offer of the IP address has been accepted. Following
screenshot explains the contents of DHCPREQUEST packet.

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International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)
Volume 63– No.4, February 2013

Figure 4: DHCPOFFER packet analysis with wireshark
13) Transaction ID value is again 0x1dd3535d because it
identify DHCP set of packets from each other [5].
14) Source IP address 192.168.2.254 destination address
255.255.255.255, which means that DHCPOFFER
packet is sourced by DHCP Server and broadcasted in
the LAN. So all the hosts in the LAN will hear this
broadcast and MAC address of the intendant client
plays a very important role in assigning IP address
here.
15) Since DHCPOFFER is sourced by DHCP server for in
response to client’s DHCPDISCOVER, UDP source
port is 67 and destination port is 68.
16) Offered IP address by DHCP server to client is
192.168.2.10. The server blocks this address
(192.168.2.10) so that it is unavailable to be offered to
other client [1].
17) Next server IP address is 192.168.2.254 which is the
IP address of the DHCP server.
18) Client’s MAC address mentioned in DHCPOFFER
packet is intelcor_6c:f8:45. This is very important to
mention because DHCPOFFER packet is broadcasted
in the LAN, so all the hosts in the LAN receives the
offer packet. But since MAC address is a universally
unique number, this offer will be meaningful only to
the host with the given MAC address (which is
intelcor_6c:f8:45 in our case).
19) Identifies that the captured packet is actually a
DHCPOFFER packet.

20) It is the IP address of the DHCP server which offers
the lease.
21) The Offered IP address is offered on lease for 5 hours.
After expiration of 5 hours IP address will be taken
away from the client is the lease is not renewed.
Default duration of the lease is 1 hour. DHCP server
will block the IP address (192.168.2.10) so it will not
be available for other clients to be assigned.
22) Renewal time value of the lease is 2 hours and 30
minutes. It is half of the whole lease time period. It
means that after 2 hours and 30 minutes DHCP client
will try to renew the lease so the lease doesn’t expire
[1].
23) Rebinding time value is 4 hours, 22 minutes and 30
seconds.
24) Subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. So 254 valid IP address
are available in the DHCP pool to assign dynamically
to the clients.

4.3 DHCPREQUEST
Upon the receipt of DHCPOFFER, DHCP Client accepts
192.168.2.10 as its IP address and replies to server with
DHCPREQUEST message. This packet tells the DHCP server
that his offer of the IP address has been accepted. Following
screenshot explains the contents of DHCPREQUEST packet.

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International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)
Volume 63– No.4, February 2013

Figure 5: DHCPREQUEST packet analysis with wireshark
1)

2)
3)
4)

Source address is 0.0.0.0. It states that still IP is
not assigned to client. Destination IP address is
255.255.255.255
which
indicates
that
DHCPREQUEST is also broadcasted. So other
DHCP servers in the LAN will also receive this
DHCPREQUEST message and looking at the
transaction ID field of the request message they
withdraw to offer any lease to the client. Because
transaction ID field for them is different from this
value [5].
Source Port number of DHCP Request packet is
68 and destination Port number is 67.
Requested IP address is 192.168.2.10 which was
offered in DHCP Offer packet by server.
DHCP server IP address is 192.168.2.254. Since
DHCP Request packet is broadcasted, all other
servers in the LAN (if any) comes to know that
server with IP address 192.168.2.254 is selected as

DHCP server [3]. The servers not chosen in this
request message will consider themselves rejected
in the process and they will keep the offered IP
addresses available for any other request message
[3].

4.4 DHCPACK AND DHCPNACK
When server receives DHCPREQUEST message requesting
for the offered IP address, it looks into the DHCP pool to
confirm that the offered IP address is still available. If the IP
address is assigned to some other client, DHCP server replies
with a DHCPNACK (negative acknowledgment) packet to the
requesting client. If IP address is still available in the pool,
server replies with DHCPACK packet to the client to confirm
the lease length and other parameters [3]. In our lab IP address
is successfully assigned and the following screenshot shows
the
captured
DHCPACK
packet.

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International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)
Volume 63– No.4, February 2013

Figure 7: DHCPACK packet capture and analysis with wireshark
1)
2)
3)

4)

5)
6)

Assigned IP address to the client 192.168.2.10
MAC address of the client is intelcor_6c:f8:45
Renewal time value is 2 hours and 22 minutes and
30 seconds, after expiration of this period of time
lease will be renewed.
IP address lease time is 5 hours. IP address is
assigned for 5 hours only, after expiring 5 hours, if
lease is not renewed, IP address (192.168.2.10) will
be taken away from the client and it will become
available in the DHCP pool to be assigned to other
clients.
IP address of the DHCP server is 192.168.2.254
Subnet mask of the IP address is 255.255.255.0. so
there can be 254 available IP address in the DHCP
pool

When the client receives the acknowledgment for the
requested IP address, it sends a gratuitous ARP to confirm
that no other client in the LAN is using that IP address. If an
ARP reply is received than the client realizes that some other
client is already using that IP address, if no ARP reply is
receive the client start using it as his IP address. Not all clients
use ARP to confirm that the IP address is free to be used some
just directly start using it without verification [4].

5. CONCLUSION
In this research work, we have deeply studied and investigated
that what does exactly happens in the back screen when an IP
address is assigned to client by using DHCP. Firstly, we

introduced client-server model of DHCP and then by using
computer network analyzer tool i.e. wirshark, we have
captured DHCP packets that are exchanged in the process
between DHCP client and server and deeply observed and
analyzed their contents to make the whole communication
process easy to understand for the readers.

6. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First of all we are grateful to all mighty ALLAH, who enabled
us to finish this assignment successfully. We would also like
to deliver our whole hearted thanks to department of
Telecommunication and Engineering of Birmingham City
University for its cooperation and support.

7. REFERENCES
[1] B.A Forouzan, 2003. Data Communication
Networking. 3rd ed, pp. 492-494. McGraw-Hill

and

[2] Wireshark. 2012. About Wireshark [online]. Available:
http://www.wireshark.org/about.html [accessed: 22 July
2012]
[3] J.F Kurose K.W Ross, 2007. Computer Networking: A
Topdown
Approach
4th
edition,
[online]
http://www.eng.tau.ac.il/~netlab/resources/booklet/Wires
hark_DHCP.pdf [Accessed: 25 Aug 2012]
[4] E Kollman, Aka Xnhi, 2007. Chatter on the Wire: A
look at DHCP Traffic. [online]. Available:

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Volume 63– No.4, February 2013
http://myweb.cableone.net/xnih/download/chatterdhcp.pdf [Accessed: 27 July 2012]
[5] Beccary,
DHCP.[online].
Available:
http://blog.it.kmitl.ac.th/it51066440/?page_id=38
[Accessed: 10th august 2012]

[8] Microsoft Technet, 2012. DHCP Packets [online].
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749902.aspx
[Date accessed: 21 August 2012]
[9]

L J Knapp, T M Hadley, 2011. Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol

[6] Microsoft, Bootp and DHCP [online]. Available:
http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/cc781243(v=ws.10).aspx
[Accessed:
12
August 2012]

[10] Shea Laverty,2012,The Disadvantages of DHCP
[online]
http://www.ehow.com/info_8760244_disadvantagesdhcp.html [Date Accessed: 10 Dec 2012]

[7] Charles M. Kozierok, 2005. TCP/IP guide, DHCP Lease
Allocation
Process
[online].
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http://www.tcpipguide.com/free/t_DHCPLeaseAllocatio
nProcess-2.htm [Accessed: 14 August 2012]

[11] Cisco,2007,
DHCP
Snooping
[Online]
,
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps50
23/products_configuration_example09186a00807c4101.s
html#dhcpsnoop [Date Accessed: 26 Dec. 12]

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