[geeks] DHCP silliness

[Joshua D Boyd]

On Sun, Nov 25, 2001 at 12:22:55AM -0500, James Sharp wrote:
> >
> > > What happens if I try to have 2 DHCP servers on the same network segment?
> >
> > I've done it before, by accident. (Both Airport and Xrouter had DHCP
> > turned on).  I didn't see any problems, as they both had ranges that
> > differed. I believe (if memory serves) that whoever responded first won.
> 
> Yup.  First one to respond gets it.
> 
> Nothing like being at the end of a bridged DSL circuit and having someone
> else's DHCP server answer faster than yours. Makes for confused Jameses.

My problem is that since Feb. I've been using a Win98 box running Internet
Connection Sharing for my DSL router (they were supposed to install in early
Jan, when I had nearly 4 weeks of no school or work, and was planning to get
a linux router set up at that time).  So now I'm finally getting around to 
doing something about the atrocity, but I want to do it in stages (DHCP server
on one NetBSD machine, NAT/router on another), so I can't turn this stupid 
windoes box off all at once.  But when I turn off the DHCPenabled flag in the
registry (the flag that says whether ICS will act as DHCP or not), it stops
doing the NAT work, even though the new DHCP server definately is setting all 
the settings correctly (IE, DNS and gateway set to win98 box.

Anyway, I guess I just have to hope that the NetBSD machine is the faster 
responder, or things might get ugly.  One of the problems with ICS is that it
appears that it won't let you designate IPs not to use (say because the machine
doesn't know how to act as a DHCP client).

-- 
Joshua D. Boyd