Applies to: Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, and Windows Server 2025.
DHCP policies can assign different options or address ranges according to vendor class, user class, MAC prefix, or relay information.
Prerequisites
- Administrative access to the affected Windows Server hosts.
- A tested backup or documented rollback point.
- An approved maintenance window for production systems.
Step-by-step configuration
- Capture and document the identifying condition.
- Create a narrow policy on a test scope.
- Configure only the required option values or IP range.
- Renew a representative test client lease.
- Review policy statistics before expanding scope.
PowerShell and command-line procedure
Add-DhcpServerv4Policy -ComputerName "DHCP01" -ScopeId 192.0.2.0 -Name "VoIP-Devices" -Condition OR -VendorClass EQ "Approved VoIP Class"
Get-DhcpServerv4Policy -ComputerName "DHCP01" -ScopeId 192.0.2.0
Get-DhcpServerv4ScopeStatistics -ComputerName "DHCP01" -ScopeId 192.0.2.0
Verification
Matching clients receive only the intended policy values and ordinary clients retain standard scope options.
Rollback
Disable and remove the new policy, then renew test-client leases and verify standard options.
Security and operational guidance
- Apply least privilege and document every production change.
- Test the procedure in an isolated environment before broad deployment.
- Replace all example names, paths, and TEST-NET addresses with approved production values.
- Monitor relevant Windows event logs after the change.
Related resources
Deploy or manage Canadian Windows VPS infrastructure with networkmanager.info. Validate production decisions against the official Microsoft Windows Server documentation.
