DHCP Exhaustion - where to view in the Meraki Dashboard and how to troubleshoot

[Newuna]

Hello, 

Please advise where -  DHCP Exhaustion is shown as an issue in the MX84 online Cisco Meraki dashboard?

Also kindly provide known steps to troubleshoot DHCP Exhaustion?

Thank you!

Newuna

[PhilipDAth]

If you look at the Appliance Status/DHCP tab you can see the percentage of the pool that is free.

[Nash]

Simpler steps to help remediate DHCP exhaustion:

1. Shorten your lease times.

2. Put guest devices on a separate subnet with a separate DHCP server.

    a. This is super easy with Meraki APs, if you use the Meraki DHCP setting on an SSID.

3. Review the size of your DHCP pool and see if you can expand it to a larger portion of the subnet. 

Harder steps:

1. If you only have a single vlan, create separate vlans with separate subnets and separate DHCP hosts. You'll need to add the vlan to all applicable switchports. Do it during a maintenance window.

If you don't have Meraki AP, you may have to do this in order to provide a separate subnet for your guest devices. Make sure you firewall between subnets that shouldn't talk to each other!

[NolanHerring]

Unless you already have it, I would also recommend setting up email alerting for this very thing so you don't get caught by surprise. 

I agree with everything @Nash mentioned as well

[Nash]

One more thought:

If you change your DHCP lease times, you may need this to take effect immediately. E.G. you're going from a 7 day lease to an 8 hour.

Find a maintenance window where you can toggle the DHCP server on the Meraki. This should clear all your leases.

1. Make sure your printers/scanners/servers are all static IP or have reservations set BEFORE hand.

2. Flip the DHCP server off. Click save.

3. Wait until config takes effect.

4. Turn DHCP server back on.

5. Restart devices that use DHCP or otherwise force them to grab new DHCP assignments. Helps avoid IP conflicts.

6. Profit!