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Chapter 25 DHCP option 82 Configuration 
25.1 Introduction to DHCP option 82 
DHCP option 82 is the Relay Agent Information Option, its option code is 82. DHCP option 82 
is  aimed  at  strengthening  the  security  of  DHCP  servers  and  improving  the  IP  address 
configuration  policy.  The  Relay  Agent  adds  option  82  (including  the  client’s  physical  access 
port,  the  access device  ID  and  other information),  to  the  DHCP  request  message  from  the 
client then forwards the message to DHCP server. When the DHCP server which supports the 
option 82 function receives the message, it will allocate an IP address and other configuration 
information for the client according to preconfigured policies and the option 82 information in 
the  message.  At  the  same  time,  DHCP  server  can  identify  all  the  possible  DHCP  attack 
messages  according to the information in  option 82 and  defend against them. DHCP Relay 
Agent  will  peel  the  option  82  from  the  reply  messages  it  receives,  and  forward  the  reply 
message  to  the  specified  port  of the network  access  device,  according to  the physical port 
information in the option. The application of DHCP option 82 is transparent for the client. 
25.1.1 DHCP option 82 Message Structure 
A DHCP message can have several option segments; option 82 is one of them. It has to be 
placed after other options but before option 255. The following is its format:  
Code: represents the sequence number of the relay agent information option, the option 82 is 
called so because RFC3046 is defined as 82. 
Len:  the  number  of  bytes  in  Agent  Information  Field,  not  including  the  two  bytes  in  Code 
segment and Len segment. 
Option 82 can have several sub-options, and need at least one sub-option. RFC3046 defines 
the following two sub-options, whose formats are showed as follows: 
SubOpt: the sequence number of sub-option, the sequence number of Circuit ID sub-option is 
1, the sequence number of Remote ID sub-option is 2. 










