[Dnsmasq-discuss] client using bootp request gets address from dhcpd, but not dnsmasq

[Chris Buechler]

On Fri, Jun 12, 2026 at 9:22 AM Alec Habig <habig at neutrino.d.umn.edu> wrote:
>
> Hi folks,
>
> Been using dnsmasq for years, thank you!  First time I have a question
> that I haven't been able to figure out from the docs.
>
> I have a client trying to boot like so:
>
> # tshark -Y "eth.addr == 08:00:30:4c:58:47"
> Capturing on 'eno8303'
>  1205 9.134265135 10.204.88.71 → 255.255.255.255 BOOTP 342 Boot Request from 08:00:30:4c:58:47 (NetworkR_4c:58:47)
>
> I haven't been able to get an otherwise perfectly functional dnsmasq
> instance to respond.
>
> However, ISC dhcpd works: responds, gives an address, the client moves
> on and is happy.  The client is not asking for tftp info, it's just
> using bootp for getting an address.  Thus, if I understand things
> correctly, listing a "dhcp-host" for dnsmasq should work, where
> "dhcp-boot" is for tftp info?
>
> My initial solution of confining dhcpd to one NIC where the troublesome
> client lives (and is about to be joined by 89 similar ones) and letting
> dnsmasq continue to run the rest of the cluster doesn't work, as both
> daemons insist on binding to 0.0.0.0:67 regardless of config file scope.
>
> Replacing dnsmasq with the set of individual {dhcpd, dns, tftp} daemons
> would work but would be a PITA: I'm using dnsmasq for a reason.
>
> So: suggestions for figuring out how to make dnsmasq pay attention to
> this bootp request?

BOOTP is only enabled if `bootp-dynamic` is set in the config.
Guessing that's probably what you're missing. Details in the man page:
https://thekelleys.org.uk/dnsmasq/docs/dnsmasq-man.html