Best Practice for Running DHCP on MS Switch

[Gatortrax]

Hi All –

I’m trying to figure out the best way to use my Meraki MS Switches for a DHCP server. I’m currently using a windows server, that I want to get decommissioned.

I have one Layer 3 switch (Cisco 9500) that has all the Vlan’s and interfaces on it. I have 8 MS355’s acting as layer 2 connected to this 9500. I don’t want to use the 9500 for DHCP.

I’m wondering if I should create interfaces on all of the 8 MS355’s or is there a better way to deploy this?

Any information the community can provide is much appreciated. 

[alemabrahao]

Why don't you want to use Windows server as DHCP?

Anyway, the Ideal is that you keep this in your Network Core, so I don't see any sense in creating SVIs in MS just to enable the resource.

• DHCP

  • Specify allowed DHCP servers to protect against rogue servers

  • In a warm spare configuration, the load balancing mechanism for DHCP, in some case, may be inefficient and cause an issue where devices may try to get an address from a member with no leases remaining. This is addressed in a stacked configuration, where this issue will not occur.

[Gatortrax]

I have been trying to get rid of all local servers. The dhcp server is my last one to go. I figured it be easier and cleaner to run DHCP on the switch.

[GreenMan]

Personally, I'd put it on the Cat 9500

[cmr]

Have reservations got better since the 3850s where it was a nightmare..?

[PhilipDAth]

I tend to put DHCP on the switch providing the routing for the VLAN (the default gateway for the VLAN).