DHCP Client & Server

Overview

This comprehensive networking project consisted of two major components: implementing a complete DHCP client followed by a multithreaded DHCP server. Built incrementally over multiple phases, these projects involved deep protocol implementation following RFC specifications, binary data manipulation, and advanced socket programming in C.

Technologies Used

• C Language: Pointer manipulation, memory management, struct design
• Network Programming: UDP sockets, custom port handling, localhost communication
• DHCP Protocol: RFC 2131, RFC 2132 compliance
• Multithreading: pthreads for concurrent server handling
• Binary Data Processing: Byte-level manipulation, network byte order

Takeaways

This project series provided deep exposure to systems-level network programming and protocol implementation. The incremental development approach, spanning multiple weeks, allowed for thorough understanding of each component before building upon it.

Working directly with RFC specifications taught the importance of precise protocol implementation and attention to detail in network programming. The binary data manipulation aspects significantly strengthened my understanding of memory management and low-level programming concepts in C.

The multithreading component introduced valuable concepts in concurrent programming and resource management, while the comprehensive testing requirements emphasized the importance of robust error handling in networked applications.

Some key takeaways include:

• Understanding of DHCP protocol and its workings
• Experience with socket programming in C
• Knowledge of client-server architecture