New Install -- DHCP Won't work

[ericrhyder]

Using trial software: V8.0.10

Running on a Server 2012 R2 machine. Software appears to behave fine, but cannot get the DHCP server to issue an IP address to a wireless device. No errors indicated in the logs either.

Suggestions?

[alan]

First, please check whether the "Patronsoft DHCP Service" is started correctly in Windows Service Console.

If it is already started, most likely there is a router device sit between your client or FirstSpot. Either you remove it, or set up DHCP relay in that router. Refer to http://patronsoft.com/firstspot/topologies.html and chapter 4 of firstspot_guide.pdf for typical topologies for FirstSpot setup.
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~ Patronsoft Limited ~

[ericrhyder]

DHCP service is running.

There is no router on the network. Its running on its own VLAN, with no other services touching it.

Here's a brief diagram:

Wireless Devices --> Cisco Wireless Controller --> Cisco 3750 Switch --> Server running software.

I can connect to the controller, I can ping the server from the controller, but I can not get DHCP to issue an ip address.

I have an ip helper-address on the vlan on the 3750 pointing to the server as well.

any ideas?

[alan]

Unless you want to setup full-blown Scenario 3 Multiple Network Segments (which requires IP-helper/DHCP relay), I suggest you remove the VLAN setup at this moment.

In general, DHCP protocol relies on broadcast mechanism within a particular network segment to work. So the client and FirstSpot Visitor Network Interface need to belong to the same "physical" network segment.

Also, the other thing to double-check is to make sure there is no other DHCP server in this network segment. The best way to perform this test is use sniffing tool like Wireshark.
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~ Patronsoft Limited ~

[alan]

Any success in configuring your FirstSpot?
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~ Patronsoft Limited ~

[ericrhyder]

After spending some time on it, no luck. For some reason Firstspot does not want to broadcast a DHCP address thru my Cisco wireless controller.

At first I thought it was a misconfig on the WLC, but I installed another DHCP server on the VLAN, and I can connect to it thru the WLC just fine.

I think at this point, since my FirstSpot server is already running on Server 2012 R2, what I need to do is disable DHCP from firstspot and just the built in DHCP server on 2012 R2.

Unless someone has some more advice.....

[alan]

FirstSpot actually supports using third party DHCP server (e.g. Microsoft DHCP server). All you need to use is to turn off FirstSpot DHCP server under Configuration Manager -> DHCP, and then restart FirstSpot.

If you can get FirstSpot working in this configuration, I suggest you keep it at this moment.
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~ Patronsoft Limited ~