DHCP Client Shuts Down After Two Declines

Your Windows NT 4.0 client may fail to get an IP address from a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Server. Sending a Ipconfig.exe /Renew command from a command prompt will also be unsuccessful. The client will not try to lease a new address from the DHCP server until the client has been restarted.

A Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 DHCP client issues a gratuitous ARP after receiving a lease from a DHCP server. If another computer responds, that IP address is already in use on the network by the other computer. The client will not bind the IP address but will instead send a DHCP DECLINE to the DHCP server from which it obtained the lease and the DHCP server will mark the address as bad. The client will then proceed again with the DHCP DISCOVER process.

After a second address conflict, however, the client sends a second DHCP DECLINE, leaves the init state, and no loner attempts to obtain a address from DHCP.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.