| Message | Use |
| DHCPDISCOVER | Client broadcast to locate available servers.
|
| DHCPOFFER | Server to client in response to DHCPDISCOVER with
offer of configuration parameters.
|
| DHCPREQUEST | Client message to servers either (a) requesting
offered parameters from one server and implicitly
declining offers from all others, (b) confirming
correctness of previously allocated address after,
e.g., system reboot, or (c) extending the lease on a
particular network address.
|
| DHCPACK | Server to client with configuration parameters,
including committed network address.
|
| DHCPNAK | Server to client indicating client's notion of network
address is incorrect (e.g., client has moved to new
subnet) or client's lease as expired
|
| DHCPDECLINE | Client to server indicating network address is already
in use.
|
| DHCPRELEASE | Client to server relinquishing network address and
cancelling remaining lease.
|
| DHCPINFORM | Client to server, asking only for local configuration
parameters; client already has externally configured
network address.
|
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