I'm having a real headache with DHCP on my Windows Server 2022. I switched from my Sonicwall for DHCP since it started acting up a few weeks ago. Now I've got a ton of "BAD_ADDRESS" errors showing up, claiming that the IP addresses are already in use. I can see that the errors are being logged, but I'm confused about where these issues are coming from. Does anyone have ideas on how to troubleshoot this or fix the conflict I'm facing?
3 Answers
Based on what you're saying, it seems like DHCP clients are sending out DHCPDECLINE because there's a device responding to ARP requests for those IPs. You're probably dealing with a rogue server or some misconfigured device on your network. I'd recommend using Wireshark to see what's really happening on the wire.
It sounds like you might have another device still dishing out DHCP addresses in your network. Try setting up your Windows Server to ping an address twice before handing it out. This might help you avoid the BAD_ADDRESS conflicts.
I did some packet captures with Wireshark and only saw my Windows 2022 server offering addresses, which makes this a real puzzle.
You mentioned issues with the Sonicwall DHCP. If that had long lease times, like a month, old devices might still have those IPs assigned, which could lead to your current BAD_ADDRESS situation. You might find static IP assignments conflicting too, especially if someone set them without reservations. Look for clients that are holding onto those IPs or ask them about their static setups.
Thanks for the tip!