Monitoring DHCP with PRTG
- Ensure the DHCP Server service is running
- Check that DHCP is allocating addresses
- Check the response time of your DHCP Servers
- Be notified when address pools are running low
What is DHCP?
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, or DHCP, is a vital component in most network infrastructures. Its purpose is to automatically assign IP addresses to client devices connecting to the network. Without DHCP, administrators would have to manually assign IPs to every device on the network – a time-consuming and error-prone exercise.
Why DHCP Monitoring is important
Since the DHCP server is responsible for assigning IP addresses on your network, a failure in this sphere could cause serious problems. When there is a DHCP issue newly connected devices are assigned a default Class B IP address. In this fallback configuration, they cannot communicate with other devices or be reached on the network. A point to note is that similar problems can occur when the address space assigned to the DHCP server is exhausted.
With DHCP monitoring you can always see whether your DHCP server is running as it should. And in case of problems, you will be promptly notified by PRTG so that you can intervene in a timely manner. In most cases, this will enable you to fix the problem before it even becomes noticeable on the network.
3 important aspects of DHCP
iWhat is a sensor?
In PRTG, “Sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, e.g. the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, the free space of a disk drive. On average you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.
There are three important aspects of DHCP that administrators should be monitoring, and PRTG can help with them all.
Firstly, admins need to make sure that the DHCP service is actually running. In most AD environments, the Domain Controllers usually run the DHCP service. So, by applying a simple WMI Service Sensor and configuring it to watch the “DHCP Server Service”, the admin will always know the state of the service. Should the service stop, PRTG can be configured to automatically try to restart the service, and inform the admin if the attempt was successful:
The second important test is to see if the server is actually allocating addresses. This is where the dedicated PRTG DHCP Sensor comes into play. It will send a broadcast message out to the network, requesting an IP address, and then waits for a DHCP to respond. The sensor then reports on how long it takes for the server to respond, the IP of the responding server, the allocated IP address and its lease duration.
The final important metric for DHCP Servers is how many addresses are available for allocation to clients. DHCP servers are configured with “pools” of IP addresses, from which the server semi-randomly chooses and allocates to a client when it connects to the network. These addresses have a configurable “lease time” or lifespan, and administrators must take care to balance the length of these leases with the size of the available pool, and the number of anticipated clients.
This is where PRTG can help. By using an SNMP Custom Sensor, and the freely available DHCP-MIB file, admins can easily keep track of how many addresses are in their pools, and how many have been allocated. They can also apply thresholds to these values and be notified when the pools are running low.
A sneak peek at monitoring with PRTG
Live Traffic Sensor
"Sunburst"-Dashboard in PRTG
PRTG Network Monitor: Device overview
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- Unlimited version of PRTG for 30 days
- After 30 days, PRTG reverts to a free version
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Most administrators want to test a tool for free before deciding to make an investment.
The many advantages of PRTG:
1. Free trial version: Take the time to explore PRTG so you can determine if it satisfies your needs and meets your expectations. Once the trial is over, it’s easy to upgrade your already configured version of PRTG, which means you’re much less likely to make an incorrect purchase.
2. One tool, one overview: Administrators often use a variety of monitoring solutions for their network or for the individual components of their infrastructure. But using several different tools every time you want to create an overview costs time and energy. PRTG is an “all-in-one” solution. Our dashboard and app provide a comprehensive overview, whenever you want it.
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PRTG |
Network Monitoring Software - Version 19.4.54.1506 (November 25th, 2019) |
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Hosting |
Download for Windows and hosted version available |
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English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese |
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Up to 100 sensors for free (Price List) |
Unified Monitoring |
Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more |
Supported Vendors & Applications |
