Re: DHCP

["Adam Williams" <awilliam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>     Although, at work with IntraNetware 4.11  Linux has no problem
> installing the driver for an IBM Token ring PCM card, but is unable to
> get an IP address from the DHCP server which messes everything up.  This
> is because  I have graphical login turned on and to get from when Linux
> has completed loading to the login screen  it takes about 5 minutes,
> then I log in and it looks for an address again, which takes about 2
> minutes before it times out.

Eh?  I must be missing something.  You're run level has nothing to do with how
DHCP operates.  And logging in does not cause it to look again,  it looks when
the system is told to tray bring up the interface.

>  Then I press continue and after about 5
> minutes I'm at my desktop.  This scenario is the same if I'm on the TR
> network or the Ethernet network at the office.

So it has nothing to do with the interface card.

>What my question is ,
> after all this explanation, is why can't it find the DHCP server.  I
> have put the address of it in the DNS configuration, which is also
> running the DHCP server, with no luck.  What am I missing?

DHCP works on broadcast,  you're machine doesn't have an IP address yet, and
isn't using resolv.conf yet.  Are other machines at your office using DHCP?  My
first guess is that your administrator matches known MAC addresses to fixed IP
addresses, in which case the DHCP server will ignore broadcasts from your
laptop.  My second guess is that the broadcast from your laptop is not getting
to the server,  possibly bieng tossed aside by a router or switch somewhere.
 My third guess is that Intraware's DHCP server uses some proprietary extension
and requires a Novell driver loaded at the client.