---
title: Configuring DHCPCD on a Scaleway Dedibox
description: DHCPCD is an open-source DHCP client, supporting both IPv4 and IPv6.
tags: dedibox dedicated-servers DHCPCD
products:
- dedibox
dates:
validation: 2025-05-19
posted: 2021-03-12
validation_frequency: 12
difficulty: beginner
usecase:
- set-up-and-test
ecosystem:
- third-party
---
import Requirements from '@macros/iam/requirements.mdx'
[dhcpcd](https://roy.marples.name/projects/dhcpcd/) is an open-source DHCP client, supporting both IPv4, and IPv6. The feature-rich software can be used to configure and automate network-related parameters of your computer using the [DHCP protocol](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Host_Configuration_Protocol).
Roy Marples' dhcpcd (DHCP _client_ daemon) is not the same as the discontinued internet Systems Consortium's dhcpd (DHCP _server_ daemon).
In this tutorial, you will learn how to configure your IPv6 subnet with DHCPCD on a Scaleway Dedibox dedicated server.
- A Dedibox account logged into the [console](https://console.online.net)
- A [Dedibox dedicated server] (https://www.scaleway.com/en/dedibox/)
- Root access to the server
## Installing DHCPCD
1. Change the root account of your server by using `su` and the password of the `root` user.
2. For Debian and Ubuntu, update the `apt` package manager repositories, then upgrade the software already installed on the machine to the latest version available in the repositories:
```
apt update && apt upgrade -y
```
3. For Arch Linux, update the `pacman` package manager repositories.
```
pacman -Syu
```
4. For Debian & Ubuntu, install DHCPCD using the `apt` package manager:
```
apt install dhcpcd5
```
5. For Arch Linux, install DHCPCD using the Arch Linux package manager:
```
pacman -S dhcpcd
```
## Configuring DHCPCD
We assume you have already generated an [IPv6 prefix and its associated DUID](/dedibox-ipv6/how-to/request-prefix/).
1. Open the DHCPCD configuration file located at `/etc/dhcpcd.conf` in a text editor of your choice and edit it as follows:
```
# Allow users of this group to interact with dhcpcd via the control socket.
#controlgroup wheel
# Inform the DHCP server of our hostname for DDNS.
#hostname
# This parameter allows only selected interfaces to use the client
allowinterfaces eno*
# Use the hardware address of the interface for the Client ID.
#clientid
# or
# Use the same DUID + IAID as set in DHCPv6 for DHCPv4 ClientID as per RFC4361.
# Some non-RFC compliant DHCP servers do not reply with this set.
# In this case, comment out duid and enable clientid above.
duid
# Persist interface configuration when dhcpcd exits.
persistent
# vendorclassid is set to blank to avoid sending the default of
# dhcpcd-:::
vendorclassid
# A list of options to request from the DHCP server.
option classless_static_routes
# Respect the network MTU. This is applied to DHCP routes.
option interface_mtu
# Request a hostname from the network
option host_name
# Most distributions have NTP support.
#option ntp_servers
# Rapid commit support.
# Safe to enable by default because it requires the equivalent option set
# on the server to actually work.
option rapid_commit
# A ServerID is required by RFC2131.
require dhcp_server_identifier
# Generate SLAAC address using the Hardware Address of the interface
#slaac hwaddr
# OR generate Stable Private IPv6 Addresses based from the DUID
#slaac private
# Do not attempt to obtain an IPv4LL address if we failed to get one via DHCP. See RFC 3927.
noipv4ll
# Specify the network interface to which the following configurations apply
interface eno1
# Enable IPv6 Router Solicitation (RS) messages on the specified interface
ipv6rs
# Request an IPv6 Non-Temporary Address (IA_NA) from the DHCPv6 server
ia_na 1
# Configure a static IPv6 address on the interface
# Replace the "xxxx", "xxx", and "x" placeholder values
static ip6_address=2001:bc8:xxxx:xxx::x/64
```
2. Write the [DUID] of your subnet in the file `/var/lib/dhcpcd/duid` using a text editor of your choice, for example `nano`:
```
nano /var/lib/dhcpcd/duid
```
```
3. Enable the DHCPCD service to be started automatically during system boot.
```
systemctl enable dhcpcd.service
```
4. Start the service manually.
```
systemctl start dhcpcd.service
```
5. Verify the status of the service.
```
systemctl status dhcpcd.service
```
You should see an output similar to the following:
```
● dhcpcd.service - DHCP Client Daemon
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/dhcpcd.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Mon 2021-03-15 15:30:03 CET; 14s ago
Docs: man:dhcpcd(8)
Process: 22352 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/dhcpcd (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 22368 (dhcpcd)
Tasks: 1 (limit: 4696)
Memory: 1.5M
CGroup: /system.slice/dhcpcd.service
└─22368 /usr/sbin/dhcpcd
Mar 15 15:30:13 sd-160847 dhcpcd[22368]: enp1s0: pltime 604800 seconds, vltime 2592000 seconds
Mar 15 15:30:13 sd-160847 dhcpcd[22368]: enp1s0: sending NA for 2001:bc8:XXXX/64
Mar 15 15:30:13 sd-160847 dhcpcd[22368]: enp1s0: executing `/lib/dhcpcd/dhcpcd-run-hooks' ROUTERADVERT
Mar 15 15:30:14 sd-160847 dhcpcd[22368]: enp1s0: sending NA for 2001:bc8:XXXX/64
Mar 15 15:30:15 sd-160847 dhcpcd[22368]: enp1s0: sending NA for 2001:bc8:1600:XXXX/64
Mar 15 15:30:16 sd-160847 dhcpcd[22368]: enp1s0: Router Advertisement from fe80::XXXX
Mar 15 15:30:16 sd-160847 dhcpcd[22368]: enp1s0: adding address 2001:bc8:XXXX/64
Mar 15 15:30:16 sd-160847 dhcpcd[22368]: enp1s0: pltime 604800 seconds, vltime 2592000 seconds
Mar 15 15:30:16 sd-160847 dhcpcd[22368]: enp1s0: sending NA for 2001:bc8:XXXX/64
Mar 15 15:30:16 sd-160847 dhcpcd[22368]: enp1s0: executing `/lib/dhcpcd/dhcpcd-run-hooks' ROUTERADVERT
```
Your server is now ready to communicate with IPv6. For more information about IPv6 at Scaleway Dedibox, refer to our [dedicated documentation](/dedibox-ipv6/quickstart/).