How to Import DHCP Reservations

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) reservations are permanent IP address assignments that are used to give a computer or networking device a static IP address. The DHCP service assigns addresses to network devices automatically, so a DHCP reservation overrides the random IP address assignment and assigns a specific IP. If you have many DHCP reservations to transfer from one server to another, you can export a DHCP reservations text file and import it into the new server. You can use the "NETSH" networking tool from the command prompt on the new server to import the DHCP reservations text file.

Instructions

1. Click and drag the DHCP reservations text file to the root directory of your hard drive. Right-click the text file and click "Rename." Type "dhcp.txt" and press "Enter."

2. Click the "Start" menu.

3. Type "cmd" in the Search field, then right-click the "cmd" search result. Click "Run as administrator," then type the administrator password and click "OK."

4. Type "cd\" and press "Enter" to change to the root directory.

5. Type "netsh dhcp server import c:\dhcp.txt all" and press "Enter" to import the DHCP reservations from the "dhcp.txt" text file.

Tips & Warnings

• If the "netsh dhcp server import c:\dhcp.txt all" command fails or does not import the text file, type "netsh exec dhcp.txt" and press "Enter."

References

• TechFAQ: DHCP Reservation
• MicrosoftTechNet: Importing DHCP Settings
• MicrosoftTechNet: Netsh