RFC 3046 (rfc3046) - Page 2 of 14

DHCP Relay Agent Information Option

RFC 3046          DHCP Relay Agent Information Option       January 2001


Table of Contents

   1   Introduction...........................................  2
   1.1 High-Speed Circuit Switched Data Networks..............  2
   1.2 DHCP Relay Agent in the Circuit Access Equipment.......  4
   2.0 Relay Agent Information Option.........................  5
   2.1 Agent Operation........................................  6
   2.1.1 Reforwarded DHCP requests............................  7
   2.2 Server Operation.......................................  7
   3.0 Relay Agent Information Suboptions.....................  8
   3.1 Agent Circuit ID.......................................  8
   3.2 Agent Remote ID........................................  9
   4.0 Issues Resolved........................................  9
   5.0 Security Considerations................................ 10
   6.0 IANA Considerations.................................... 11
   7.0 Intellectual Property Notice........................... 12
   8.0 References............................................. 12
   9.0 Glossary............................................... 13
   10.0 Author's Address...................................... 13
   11.0 Full Copyright Statement ............................. 14

1   Introduction

1.1 High-Speed Circuit Switched Data Networks

   Public Access to the Internet is usually via a circuit switched data
   network.  Today, this is primarily implemented with dial-up modems
   connecting to a Remote Access Server.  But higher speed circuit
   access networks also include ISDN, ATM, Frame Relay, and Cable Data
   Networks.  All of these networks can be characterized as a "star"
   topology where multiple users connect to a "circuit access unit" via
   switched or permanent circuits.

   With dial-up modems, only a single host PC attempts to connect to the
   central point.  The PPP protocol is widely used to assign IP
   addresses to be used by the single host PC.

   The newer high-speed circuit technologies, however, frequently
   provide a LAN interface (especially Ethernet) to one or more host
   PCs.  It is desirable to support centralized assignment of the IP
   addresses of host computers connecting on such circuits via DHCP.
   The DHCP server can be, but usually is not, co-implemented with the
   centralized circuit concentration access device.  The DHCP server is
   often connected as a separate server on the "Central LAN" to which
   the central access device (or devices) attach.






Patrick                     Standards Track