Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure (AZ-800) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The role of the DHCP relay agent is to forward DHCP messages between clients and servers. In networks where the DHCP server is on a different subnet from the clients, the relay agent is crucial for enabling communication. When a DHCP client sends a broadcast message to request an IP address, the relay agent receives this message and then unicast it to the configured DHCP server's IP address. Upon receiving a response from the server, the relay agent forwards this information back to the client, ensuring that it can successfully obtain an IP configuration.

This function is essential in larger networks where it is impractical to have a DHCP server on every subnet. The relay agent seamlessly bridges the communication gap across subnets, facilitating a smooth DHCP process even in complex network topologies. The effectiveness of a DHCP relay agent plays a significant role in maintaining the efficiency of IP address management and client connectivity within the network.