LPIC-1 Essential System Services and Networking Practice Question
A DHCP server assigns IP addresses to clients, but some clients are not receiving the correct gateway. Which configuration file should be checked on the DHCP server?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse the DHCP server configuration file path with the older /etc/dhcpd.conf (option A) or mistakenly think the client configuration file (option B) controls server-side gateway assignment, when in fact the server's gateway is set via 'option routers' in /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
/etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf
The DHCP server configuration file on Linux systems is typically located at /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf (or /etc/dhcpd.conf on some older distributions). This file contains the subnet declarations, option definitions (such as option routers for the default gateway), and other parameters that the DHCP server uses to assign IP addresses and configuration details to clients. If clients are not receiving the correct gateway, the 'option routers' directive within this file should be checked and corrected.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
/etc/dhcpd.conf
Why it's wrong here
On Debian and Ubuntu, the ISC DHCP server reads /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf; /etc/dhcpd.conf is the Red Hat path, so on those distributions it is absent or ignored. It is correct for RHEL-family servers, but not for the distribution implied here.
- ✗
/etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf
Why it's wrong here
dhclient.conf configures the DHCP client daemon on a host requesting a lease, not the server handing out gateway options. It is the right file when tuning client-side lease behaviour, but the fault here lies in server-side scope definitions.
- ✓
/etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf
Why this is correct
dhcpd.conf holds the subnet declarations and their router option values that clients receive as their default gateway. An incorrect or missing router statement there causes clients to obtain addresses without the proper gateway, so this file must be checked.
- ✗
/etc/resolv.conf
Why it's wrong here
resolv.conf lists DNS nameservers for the local resolver and holds no DHCP scope data, so it cannot supply a gateway option. It is the correct file to inspect when clients resolve names incorrectly, not when they receive a wrong default gateway.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This LPIC-1 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the LPIC-1 exam.